Faculty evaluation of leadership styles and influence tactics of northern California college deans

• Main Author: Closson, Robert Kenneth
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarly Commons 2001
• Subjects: School administration; Labor relations; Social sciences; Education; California; Deans; Faculty; Influence tactics; Leadership
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2562; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3561&context=uop_etds

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe leadership styles and influence behavior tactics used by college deans with their faculty members. Each of the 104 faculty member respondents completed the Influence Behavior Questionnaire Target-2000 a questionnaire. The IBQ Target-2000 measured the use of influence behavior tactics by deans as interpreted by faculty members. The findings of the study concluded that deans lead and faculty members follow by way of differing influence behavior tactics. The findings suggest that, more times than not, the deans influence attempts resulted in complete commitment by the faculty members. It was also found that deans prefer to utilize certain influence behavior tactics more than others. Generally, deans used Rational persuasion, Consultation, and Inspiration tactics approximately twice as often as Exchange tactics, Personal appeals, and Pressure tactics. It was found that the dean's choice and use of influence behavior tactics are dependent, to some degree, on the faculty member's gender or academic status. Furthermore, it was concluded that deans from non-unionized colleges, small colleges and private colleges utilize differing types of influence behavior tactics than their counterparts at unionized, large, public colleges. Finally, it was concluded that deans utilize influence behavior tactics differently with tenured faculty than non-tenured faculty. The study raised some interesting questions that merit further inquiry and study. In summation, there is a perception among faculty members that deans do not use influence behavior tactics uniformly. Other relationships, theories, hypotheses or conclusions remain unsettled at this point in time.