| The study identifies effective leadership styles used in managing manpower, technology, and limited resources in protecting water sources. The study centers on the research question, what leadership style will help overcome management deficiencies in detecting bioterrorism threats at a community water system? The study answers the question by focusing on experiences and perceptions of managers overcoming deficiencies in security measures at a community water system. The methodology consists of a qualitative study on manager's lived experience, which helped provide a lens into observed leadership that reduces security deficiencies. A purposeful and convenience sampling conducted at community water systems in the southeast and southwest parts of the United States resulted in 16 subject manager interviews. The primary instrumentation used was a face-to-face semi-structured interview that contained five open-ended questions. Data analysis was performed using two independent labelers that coded data, resulting in the development of themes. The study results are also compared to other leadership style studies.;Keywords: qualitative, interviews, leadership, bioterrorism, water security. |
