Leadership Training and Behavioral Adjustments in Undergraduates

Colleges and universities continue to develop and expand offerings for students who desire to enhance their leadership abilities. However, little empirical data exist on the effectiveness of these programs. This research addressed whether university students experienced behavioral adjustment in leadership skills after specialized training. The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a relationship between training and an individual's ability to identify leadership problems from multiple vantage points. The research questions were designed to understand if relationships existed between university students who received structured leadership training and their behavioral leadership styles. The theoretical framework used in this study involved Bolman and Deal's multi-frame organizational construct which posited that effective leaders operate and make decisions based on experiences, personality, and points of view and that the most effective leaders used multi-frame thinking. A pre/post-test experimental design employed a convenience sample of university students randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups and an additional control group. The hypotheses were tested using 2 way analysis of variance to evaluate the effects between treatments and behavioral adjustment as measured by a validated and reliable instrument. The statistical analysis consisted of independent sample t-tests and the use of other descriptive statistics to determine the relationship between students who received specific instruction in leadership styles and the variables of leadership behavior. The results confirmed that students who received training in Bolman and Deal's leadership frames improved their understanding of leadership behavior and tenets. Implications for positive social change include making training programs more effective and improving the self-awareness of students interested in advancing leadership skills.