| Purpose of the study. The purpose was to examine and compare the leadership styles of senior student affairs officers as it relates to race and gender. Through a self-report format, the research instrument revealed which of the four frame references of leadership an individual prefers to use on a regular basis. The four leadership frames are structural, human resources, political, and symbolic.; Design of the study. The study was designed to compare differences between Black and White and male and female senior student affairs administrators working in four year higher education institutions in the United States using a causal comparative or ex post facto design. The research instrument used for the study was the Leadership Orientation Inventory developed by Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal. A sample of 107 Black and 205 White senior student affairs officers was surveyed. Two hundred fifty (80%) of the returned surveys were usable.; Findings. The data analysis showed that the human resources frame was preferred by a majority of the senior student affairs officers in the sample. It was the preferred response across all demographic categories, including race, gender, and age, in each case showing no statistically significant difference. In the constructed category, highest degree earned, a statistically significant difference was found between those who reported that they had completed a doctoral degree and the group, all others, on the preferred leadership style. However, the statistical difference was only indicative of the stronger preference of doctoral degree SSAO's for the human resources frame when compared to the group of "other degree" respondents.; Implications. The results of this study would suggest that for leadership style preferences, a majority of senior student affairs officers are more alike than different. The lack of statistically significant differences in the leadership preferences of SSAO's has implications as campuses become more diverse. The need for greater administrative diversity will proceed apace in tandem with the changes in student populations. |
