TRANSACTIONAL, TRANSFORMATIONAL, OR LAISSEZ-FAIRE LEADERSHIP: AN ASSESSMENT OF COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE ACADEMIC PROGRAM LEADERS’ (DEANS) LEADERSHIP STYLES

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if academic program leaders in colleges of agriculture at land-grant institutions use transactional, transformational, and/or laissez-faire leadership styles in performing their duties. Academic program leaders were defined as individuals listed by the National Association of State University and Land-Grant Colleges as the Dean of Academic Programs in School and Colleges of Agricultural and Life Sciences or Agriculture and Natural Resources. These academic program leaders were assessed using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Bass and Avolio (2000) to determine their utilization of transactional, transformational, and Laissez–Faire leadership as well as elements of transactional and transformational leadership in their duties. Findings of this study imply that academic program leaders in colleges of agriculture at land-grant institutions have a more transformational leadership style. Additionally, males in this research use transformational leadership behaviors as well as transactional leadership behaviors more often than their female counterparts. Findings of this research show males scoring slightly higher than females in all leadership scale scores. Leadership scale scores included Contingent Reward, Intellectual Stimulation, Management-by-Exception (passive), Management-byException (active), Idealized Influence (behavior), Idealized Influence (attributed), Individualized Consideration, and Inspirational Motivation. This research showed ethnicity had no significant effect on leadership behaviors.