Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1995

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Human Ecology

Major Professor

Gregory C. Petty

Committee Members

Ernest W. Brewer, Dale Doak, Roger Haskell, Jackie McInnis

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the differences and relationships between leadership orientation and work ethic characteristics of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service (TAES) home economists. Secondarily, it investigated the impact of job classification and geographical dispersion (district) on leadership and work ethic, separately and in combination. Social action theory and adaptation theory provided the theoretical framework for this research. A survey design was utilized to gather data from the entire population (N=183) of TAES home economists; 166 responses yielded an overall response rate of 91% on a three-part questionnaire transmitted through electronic mail (e-mail). Part I ascertained leadership using a framework approach and incorporating a modified version of an instrument developed by Bolman and Deal in 1991. Part II determined participants' work ethic using an instrument developed by Petty and revised in 1995. Part III gathered demographic data using a researcher-designed instrument Inferential statistics including multiple analysis of variance, multiple analysis of covariance, univariate analysis of variance, and univariate analysis of covariance were used to determine significant differences among participants' leadership, work ethic, job classification, and district Multiple regression was used to determine significant relationships between work ethic and leadership. Descriptive statistics including frequency counts, standard deviations and means were employed for analyses of demographic data. Findings disclosed (a) a population of highly experienced women in their 40s and 50s with either a B.A. or M.A. degree, (b) failure to support the theory that one's work ethic was not significantly related to their leadership orientation, (c) support for the hypothesis that the geogr^hical distance from the state office would not significantly impact the participants' work ethic and leadership effectiveness, and (d) with respect to work ethic, the participants showed an almost equal emphasis upon the subscales of Dependability and Interpersonal Skill, with Initiative clearly distinguished as the least important In descending order of mean scores, the three work ethic dimensions were: Dq)endability (4.3785), Interpersonal Skill (4.3712), and Initiative (4.0760).

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