Leadership Development Research

2007-2008 Abstracts

Identification of Relationships Between Emotional Intelligence Skill and Critical Thinking Disposition in Undergraduate Leadership Students

Nicole Stedman

Engaging students emotionally is the key to strengthening their dispositions toward critical thinking. Elder (1997) contends that it is critical thinking which leads us to a rational and reasonable emotional life. The link between thinking and emotions is essential in leadership education. With this in mind, the researchers sought to examine the relationship between the skill sets of emotional intelligence (Developing Your Emotional Intelligence) and the dispositions of critical thinking (EMI). With 164 voluntary participants, the researchers were able to identify positive relationships ranging in magnitude from low to substantial. The overall skills associated with emotional intelligence consistently showed positive moderate relationships with cognitive maturity, engagement, and innovativeness. In considering EMI critical thinking disposition scores and emotional intelligence, the relationship was positive and substantial. The conclusions and recommendations encourage educators to take advantage of this relationship by providing students with a variety of experiences which elicit their emotional intelligence, in doing so there is opportunity to strengthen their disposition toward critical thinking.

Does Providing Feedback to Student Reflections Impact the Development of Their Leadership Competence?

Nicole Stedman

Internship experience is a valuable component of an undergraduate degree. This is especially true in leadership education programs, where leadership development may take place in a variety of contexts. Theory purports reflection enhances a learners’ experience through a linkage of education, work, and personal development (Kolb, 1984). It is not clear, however, if reflection guided by feedback will enhance or diminish the learning and development. This study utilized a pretest-posttest experimental design in an attempt to determine if providing feedback to weekly internship reflections would make a difference in leadership skill development. Thirty-six undergraduate students were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups following enrollment in a 10-week summer internship course. All participants submitted weekly reflections. The control group received no feedback and the treatment group was provided feedback by a research team member to invoke deeper reflection and development of leadership skills. Leadership skill development was measured using the Leadership Skills Inventory-Self©. Results of the study did not yield statistically significant differences between the two groups, but did demonstrate observable differences in the mean scores. Replication of this study is recommended utilizing quantitative and qualitative measures to further understand this phenomenon.

2006-2007 Abstracts

Assessing Levels of Student Development in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Florida

Brian Estevez

The purpose of this study was to examine student development of undergraduates in the College of Agricultural and Life Science at the University of Florida. This study was administered to undergraduates in three purposely selected classes; AEE 2014-Economics and you, AEE-Principles of agribusiness, and FOS 3042-Introduction to food science.

Participants in this study reported student development scores that were very similar to the national normative sample as measured by the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyle Assessment. Participants also reported they were familiar with jobs in their career area, had some experience in their career area, had clear priorities for establishing a family, were involved in lifestyle planning activities, had become more culturally, participants had not formed a personal relationship with faculty members, made sophisticated in college, and took the initiative to set up conferences with an academic advisor. However a firm decision about an academic major, or joined a student organization related to their career area.

IFAS Leaders Delphi Study

Tracy Irani, Kimberly Mansfield, & Courtney Meyers

The purpose of this study is to gather feedback from IFAS leaders to identify key clientele and stakeholder groups for IFAS. This data will then be utilized to conduct research with the identified audience groups to focus efforts on enhancing public awareness and recognition of the value of the tri-fold mission of IFAS in teaching, research and extension.

Strengthening the Voice and Farm Bureau Foundations: Explaining Local Board Performance as Related to a Professional Development Program for a Nonprofit Membership Organization

Eric K. Kaufman

This study was an investigation of factors that influence the performance of local board members in a nonprofit membership organization, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. The organization recently implemented a professional development program targeted toward local volunteer leaders. The program was novel in its approach because it involved small-group training in best practices, followed by personal goal setting for engagement. The findings support goal setting theory, which argues that conscious goals improve performance. In addition, the results suggest that the program has the best return on investment when four members of the local board participate. This study provides information that will be helpful in structuring future professional development programs – not only for Farm Bureau, but for volunteer leaders in many settings.

Enhancing Florida Farm Bureau Organizational Interactions through Active, Thematic Instruction: “Lessons Learned from George Strait!”

Roslynn Brain, Rick Rudd

This project utilized thematic instruction to enhance learning retention and increase the likelihood of behavior change. The researcher will confer the effective delivery of a Farm Bureau professional development workshop, entitled “Enhancing Organizational Interactions: Lessons Learned from George Strait!” In specific, three areas will be discussed: use of instructor prompts to relate material in each objective to the George Strait Farm Benefit concert theme; implementation of an acronym as a learning checkup to remind participants of the progress they have made; and application of learning activities connecting to the George Strait theme.

The Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles of Influential Leaders in the Florida Agricultural Industry

Rochelle Strickland

Emotional intelligence involves many different areas of leadership development and how a person manages their own emotions as well as their relationships with others. The current studies have been focused towards corporations and smaller businesses with little focus on the agricultural industry’s influential leaders, specifically Florida. A study of the different levels of emotional intelligence used by leaders in the agriculture industry will bring about awareness for the importance of maintaining relationships and developing leadership in the agriculture industry. The purpose of the research will be to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and the leadership styles of influential leaders in the Florida agricultural industry. The primary purpose of the study is to identify and describe the leadership styles and skills which are related to emotional intelligence of the alumni of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources.