TITLE | Followers' Perceptions of Leaders: Prototypes and Perceptions of Resident Assistants |
RESEARCHER | Marcia J. Levy Department of Counseling and Personnel Services University of Maryland Master's Thesis: June 1995 |
OBJECTIVE
To explore the college student leadership experience through the theoretical
frame of social cognition. Understanding leadership as a relationship between leader and
followers, this thesis focused on identifying two primary cognitive structures, prototypes of a leader and perceptions of leader behavior.
METHODOLOGY
Participants were undergraduate college students living in the North
Hill Community at the University of Maryland. Six building are included with two staffs of
eight resident assistants (RAs). Of these 16 RAs, six (38%) were men. They ranged in age
from 19-24 years. Five (31%) were in their first year of the job. Twenty residents for each
RAs were identified by a systematic sampling technique; with usable responses (62%) from
71 men (36%) and 125 women. These students ranged in age from 17-30 years. The
student version of the LPI was used, with no modifications to the constituent (observer)
form. RAs completed the LPI-Self modified to reflect "the extent to which you say the
following actions and behaviors fit your image of a resident assistant." Internal reliabilities
for this modified version ranged between .83 and .92. Respondents also indicated their
level of satisfaction with their residence hall experience, and provided demographic
information.
KEY FINDINGS
LPI-Student scores between RA "expectations" and residents
perceptions were significantly correlated for all five leadership practices. There were
significant differences between RA leader behavior perceptions between those who held
the consensual prototype and those who did not. Residence members' satisfaction with
significantly correlated with LPI-constituent scores for enabling and inspiring. LPIconstituent
scores were significantly higher for female RAs versus male RAs for
challenging and inspiring. As RA experience (time in service) increased so did their
perceived behaviors on all five leadership practices.