TITLE | A Comparison of Leadership Styles and Organizational Cultures of Women in Two and Four Year Colleges and Universities |
RESEARCHER | Martha B. Burkhart School of Education University of Sarasota Doctoral Dissertation: May 1999 |
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationships between the leadership styles,
organizational cultures, and post-graduate leadership development training of women
identified as holding leadership positions in two-year and in four-year colleges and
universities, and attempt to discover why women in the former have had more success
than the latter group in obtaining senior leadership positions.
METHODOLOGY
The sample consisted of 713 women leaders in Florida's higher
education system in 1998 (response rate = 97%). Nearly half held doctoral degrees, and
most were between 20 and 60 years of age, although the women at two-year colleges
were generally younger. In addition to completing the Leadership Practices Inventory,
respondents also completed the Leadership Orientations (LO) questionnaire (Bolman &
Deal, 1990) as a measure of organizational culture and leadership style, and provided
demographic information.
KEY FINDINGS
The results showed that there were no differences between the two
groups of women in their leadership practices as measured by their LPI scores. There
was one difference in organizational culture, with two-year colleges having a more
participative organizational structure. Women at two-year institutions reported having
significantly more formal post-graduate leadership training than those at four-year
institutions.