DEPARTMENTAL ORGANIZATION AND FACULTY PERCEPTION OF LEADER BEHAVIOR IN BACCALAUREATE AND HIGHER DEGREE NURSING PROGRAMS.
Contributors: University of Florida.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 70
Subjects: Education, Administration.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Many baccalaureate and higher degree nursing programs have undergone changes in organizational structure in recent years. Organizational structure has been identified in the management literature as a key variable affecting the leadership role. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of selected organizational patterns on faculty perception of leader behavior.

An initial survey of schools accredited by the National League for Nursing in states included in the Southern Regional Educational Board provided data for classification according to selected organizational characteristics. A two-by-two factorial design was utilized to compare heterogenous and homogenous departmentalization as influences upon the faculty perception of leader behavior. The second major variable was the influence of the presence of a graduate program. Faculty perception of leader behavior was measured by the investigator-designed Administrative Leadership Scale returned by 217 faculty in the South. A Statistical Analysis Systems computer program utilizing a general linear model analyzed the variance in these data. The data suggested that (a) there was no statistically significant difference in faculty perception of leader behavior in heterogenous versus homogenous departments with the possible exception of skills related to reconciliation, integration, and persuasion; (b) the faculty perception of leader behavior was more positive in schools which offer both graduate and undergraduate degrees than in those schools offering only the undergraduate degree; and (c) there was no statistically significant interaction between structure and classification.

Further research should focus more specifically on the leader behavior in schools with graduate and undergraduate programs since faculty perception of leader behavior was generally positive in these programs. Such research may provide guidance as to how such positive perceptions can be replicated in other programs.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-05, Section: A, page: 1565.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, 1986.

School code: 0070.