Influence of selected personal, psychological, and institutional factors on involvement of community college faculty and counselors in service to the college and to the community

• Main Author: Stolar, Steven M.
• Other Authors: Community College Education
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: Virginia Tech 2014
• Subjects: LD5655.V856 1993.S865; Altruism; Community college teachers > Conduct of life; Faculty advisors > Conduct of life
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38551; http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-06072006-124200/

This study sought to challenge Maslow’s (1954, 1968, 1971) proposition that altruism develops within individuals as they move toward self-actualization. Involvement was the operational definition of altruism used in the study. A national sample of 369 community college faculty and counselors completed the Personal Orientation Inventory and the Community College Involvement Survey (CCIS). The dependent variable involvement was regressed on seventeen personal, psychological, and institutional independent variables using a stepwise regression procedure. Spontaneity, number of years employed, degree status, and race positively influenced involvement, whereas, the discipline areas of math/science and health/allied health had overall negative effects on involvement. Maslow’s proposition obtained minimal support as just one of twelve constructs used to measure self-actualization (spontaneity), was found to predict altruism. A factor analysis procedure conducted on the responses of the CCIS identified ten discrete factors. Each factor revealed an individual pattern of involvement that two-year college faculty and counselors display on campus and within the community. These include: National Activists, Reclusive Colleagues, Faculty Leaders, Student Advocates, Campus Innovators, Campus Excellers, Local Activists, Professional Affiliates, Scholarly Achievers, and Service Volunteers. A second stepwise regression procedure identified ten independent variables as Significant predictors for eight of these factors. Age, gender, race, discipline, number of dependents, years employed, degree, collective bargaining, and job satisfaction, were all useful in explaining variance for individual factors. The findings are useful for understanding work patterns of community college faculty and counselors and subsequent benefits to the institution. === Ed. D.