Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Students’ Knowledge Of And Attitudes Toward Dairy Production: A Survey Methodology Report, Heather Akin, Babatope Akinyemi, Julia Mcquillan, Tami Brown-Brandl

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This report presents findings from a pilot survey conducted among undergraduate and graduate students (N = 410) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln about students’ perspectives on technology usage, consumption, and sustainability in dairy production systems. An interdisciplinary research team developed the survey instrument and report. The main purpose of this pilot study was to create and administer survey items to support further research on experiential education and outreach opportunities related to robotics in small-scale dairy production and rural economic development. Descriptive findings indicated that most students had some familiarity with dairy production and the nutritional aspects of dairy products …

Agricultural Communications: A National Portrait Of Undergraduate Courses, Karen J. Cannon, Annie R. Specht, Emily B. Buck

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Considerable research has been conducted regarding competencies needed by agricultural communication program graduates during the past four decades. However, no studies have considered actual program offerings. This study used a qualitative approach to analyze courses offered in agricultural communication programs in the United States. Using content analysis methods, researchers analyzed published course descriptions and discovered 21 categories among 172 courses. Most popular were writing courses, followed by courses introducing students to the major, internship courses, and writing for publication and graphic design courses. Categories with the fewest offerings included research, study abroad, and international focused courses. Findings from this analysis …

Exploring Ways Social Media Data Inform Public Issues Communication: An Analysis Of Twitter Conversation During The 2012-2013 Drought In Nebraska, Adam Wagler, Karen J. Cannon

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Social networking sites often are used to maintain close social ties, but increasingly they are used for information and news dissemination, specifically about major events and crises. In 2012, a historic drought struck the Midwest, destroying or damaging portions of major field crops in major agricultural production states. By the end of August 2012, 90% of Nebraska was declared in extreme or exceptional drought, leading to bans on irrigation, damaged crops, and record-low yields as well as damaging the state’s leading economic sector. This case study used social media monitoring and analysis to explore online Twitter conversations related to this …

Alec 845 - Research In Leadership Education: A Peer Review Of Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Karen J. Cannon

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This is a benchmark portfolio of the graduate research course offered in the ALEC department, ALEC 845 – Research in Leadership Education. Students in any department or graduate program are welcome in the course but it primarily serves students in ALEC who are pursuing either a master’s in leadership education or a doctoral degree in human sciences with a specialization in leadership studies. The course itself is intended to provide an introduction to social science research methods and help students understand and begin to practice ethical social sciences research that contributes to the body of scholarly knowledge in their disciplines. …

Keys To Understanding And Addressing Consumer Perceptions And Concerns About Processed Foods, Y. Meneses, K. J. Cannon, R. A. Flores

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Some processed food products have been targeted lately as “evils” that are preventing us from maintaining healthy lives. From the perspective of the food industry community, it seems as if this is one of those issues that should fade away with time, since the benefits of food processing are very obvious to us. We have never been so wrong! The challenges in front of us are big, and we need to do a better job of communicating with consumers about the benefits food processing offers, including increasing the availability of high-quality foods year round. We also need to promote the …

Leading Dangerously: A Case Study Of Military Teams And Shared Leadership In Dangerous Environments, Alex J Ramthun, Gina S. Matkin

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

In a qualitative case study, we described and explained shared leadership in dangerous contexts for military teams. We conducted eight semistructured interviews with shared, team, and military leadership subject matter experts in order to gain an improved understanding of the relationship between shared leadership and team performance in the presence of danger. We found the themes of mutual influence, leadership emergence, dangerous dynamism, and distributed knowledge, skills, and abilities provided rich description of the phenomenon. Specifically, our findings suggest military teams in dangerous situations use mutual influence and leadership emergence to share leadership and achieve high performance. Additionally, we found …

Testing The Developmental Nature Of Work Motivation Using Kegan’S Constructive-Development Theory, Marilyn J. Bugenhagen, John E. Barbuto Jr.

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This article reports a field study testing the relationship between individuals’ constructive-development level and their sources of work motivation. Constructive development was assessed using the Subject–Object Interview for 53 community and educational leaders. Motivation was assessed using the Motivation Sources Inventory. Results indicated that constructive-development progression was significantly related to instrumental motivation. No other significant relationships were found, indicating that the other four sources of work motivation exist independent of individuals’ constructive development. Implications for research and practice are addressed.

Healers And Helpers, Unifying The People: A Qualitative Study Of Lakota Leadership, Kem M. Gambrell, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Previously, scholars have implied that leadership theory is “universal” enough and can be applied systematically regardless of cultural influences in subcultures. Leadership research has limited its scope of discernment to dominant society, implying that nonmainstream individuals will acquiesce and that cultural differences are inconsequential. Therefore, the intention of this study was to address the disparity between current leadership theories and a subgroup perspective. Specifically, this study explored leadership from a Lakota Sioux perspective. In this qualitative grounded theory study, six major and five minor themes surfaced: Traditional Values and Behaviors, Putting Others First, Lakota Leadership Qualities (Men, Women, and Fallen …

Multicultural Shared Leadership: A Conceptual Model Of Shared Leadership In Culturally Diverse Teams, Alex J Ramthun, Gina S. Matkin

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This conceptual article reviews relevant literature to develop propositions forming a model of multicultural shared leadership. First, an examination of the definitions of culture finds consensus on culture as a system. Second, a review of the developmental model of intercultural sensitivity introduces the concept of intercultural competence. Third, an exploration into the theoretical foundations of vertical and shared leadership develops primary themes. Finally, the formation of propositions and a conceptual model invites researchers to study the moderating impact of intercultural competence on culturally diverse teams and shared leadership. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and recommendations are discussed.

Preparing Students For After-College Life: The Context, Kelli K. Smith

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

What role do colleges and universities play in preparing students for life after college? Much like parents who continually balance caring for their child versus carrying their child, colleges and universities must define their role in educating students in a way that will assist them not only during their time as students, but for the long term as well. Historical context informs the work of student affairs professionals and others in higher education in striking the right balance in helping prepare students for life after college, but significant new pressures face students, their mentors, and educational institutions today.

This chapter …

Strategic Discussions For Nebraska: Opportunities For Nebraska -- Food Scarcity, Mary Garbacz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Strategic Discussions for Nebraska is a program in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources that produces an annual publication called Opportunities for Nebraska, focusing on a different topic each year. The publication is produced in hard copy and also is available online at www.sdn.unl.edu.

The content for each publication is produced by UNL students enrolled in a Magazine Writing course each spring semester, taught by the SDN coordinator. Students conduct interviews with UNL researchers and write stories for inclusion in the publication. The interviews are captured on video and are edited into video montages, …

Using Targeting Outcomes Of Programs As A Framework To Target Photographic Events In Nonformal Educational Programs, S. Kay Rockwell

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) is a seven-step hierarchical programming model in which the program development and performance sides are mirror images of each other. It served as a framework to identify a simple method for targeting photographic events in nonformal education programs, indicating why, when, and how photographs would be useful to inform other evaluation strategies. In two case studies, photographs enhanced the formative story of a geoscience project being developed and tested, and contributed to the outcome narrative of a 10-year partnership project between two universities. In both cases, TOP proved to be an efficient and easy-to-use framework. …

Emotional Intelligence: The Secret Of Successful Entrepreneurship?, Amy E. Boren

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

An emerging, and very promising, stream of research on entrepreneurs pertains to the role of affect -- feelings and emotions -- in enhancing the potential success of entrepreneurial ventures. For example, research indicates that positive emotions may enhance entrepreneurial creativity, including opportunity recognition (Baron, 2008). Additionally, entrepreneurs who display passion -- positive, intense feelings -- about their ventures tend to be more successful than those who do not display passion (Baum & Locke, 2004). Positive emotions also influence an entrepreneur's ability to turn past experiences into present solutions through heuristic processing (Baron, 2008), and to deal effectively with the persistent …

Using The Top Model To Measure Program Performance: A Pocket Reference, Amy M. Harder

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This EDIS publication is designed to provide an overview of the Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) Model (Rockwell & Bennett, 2004) of program planning and evaluation, define the levels for assessing program performance, and to identify evaluation strategies appropriate for measuring program performance at each level. Extension faculty may find this publication to be helpful when determining how to measure the performance of their educational programs.

Effects Of Gender, Education, And Age Upon Leaders' Use Of Influence Tactics And Full Range Leadership Behaviors, John E. Barbuto Jr., Susan Fritz, Gina S. Matkin, David B. Marx

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Relationships of gender, age, and education to leadership styles and leaders' influence tactics were examined with 56 leaders and 234 followers from a variety of organizations. Leadership behaviors were measured with the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ—rater version). Influence tactics were measured with Yukl’s Influence Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test behavioral differences attributed to leaders' gender, age, and education groups, as well as the interaction of age and education with gender. Results show that gender produced a small direct effect on leadership behaviors. The interaction of gender and education produced consistent differences in leadership …

Outcomes From State Department Grants To Build A Stable Economy In Tajikistan, S. Kay Rockwell, Lee V. Rockwell, Julie Albrecht

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Over a 10-year period, State Department grants were awarded to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to help build a stable economy in Tajikistan. The 2003-06 grants provided the Khujand Branch of the Technological University (KbTUT) faculty and students the opportunity to develop expertise in safe food production and viable textile/apparel production for international markets. Specific grant activities were to (a) develop an entrepreneur center at KbTUT to provide outreach programs for community members on small-scale business development, (b) develop a textile museum for University courses, and (c) train KbTUT faculty/upper level students/administrators at UNL to enhance their skills in food …

Scale Development And Construct Clarification Of Servant Leadership, John E. Barbuto, Daniel W. Wheeler

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This article presents an integrated construct of servant leadership derived from a review of the literature. Subscale items were developed to measure 11 potential dimensions of servant leadership: calling, listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, growth, and community building. Data from 80 leaders and 388 raters were used to test the internal consistency, confirm factor structure, and assess convergent, divergent, and predictive validity. Results produced five servant leadership factors—altruistic calling, emotional healing, persuasive mapping, wisdom, and organizational stewardship— with significant relations to transformational leadership, leader-member exchange, extra effort, satisfaction, and organizational effectiveness. Strong factor structures and good performance …

Motivation And Transactional, Charismatic, And Transformational Leadership: A Test Of Antecedents, John E. Barbuto Jr.

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Relationships between leaders' motivation and their use of charismatic, transactional, and/or transformational leadership were examined in this study. One hundred eighty-six leaders and 759 direct reports from a variety of organizations were sampled. Leaders were administered the Motivation Sources Inventory (MSI) while followers reported leaders' full range leadership behaviors using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-rater version). Leaders were also administered the self-rating version of the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-rater version). The Motivation Sources Inventory subscales subsequently significantly correlated with leader self-reports of inspirational motivation, idealized influence (behavior) and individualized consideration (range, r = .10 to .29), as well as with …

Cultural Constraints In The Workplace: An Experiential Exercise Utilizing Hofstede’S Dimensions, Karen Kniep Blanton, John E. Barbuto Jr.

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This article describes an original exercise developed to apply Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. The exercise creates simulated subcultures within a multinational organization. Managers are required to function in various subcultures as they work to develop an incentive plan with salespeople. Hofstede’s dimensions are reviewed, followed by the exercise. We provide purpose, preparation requirements, instructions for facilitating and processing the exercise, student reactions, and strategies for understanding and applying the concepts. The authors also assessed content retention derived from participating in the exercise. In preliminary tests, three independent studies demonstrate significant improvements in content knowledge.

Evaluation And Perceived Impacts Of The North-Central Region Sare Grants, 1988-2002, Shirley K. Trout, Charles A. Francis, John E. Barbuto Jr.

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Evaluation of government-funded programs is essential to identify ways in which initial funding makes an impact and programs can improve. The purpose of this study was to understand the value of the North Central Region's Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE) grants operated through the United States Department of Agriculture, from their inception through 2002. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, impacts were explored from the perspective of former grant recipients. Survey data were collected from 171 former SARE and 33 interviews conducted with grant recipients who represented three different grant "families"--researchers, producers and educators. Descriptive, comparative, and exploratory analyses …

Adoption Of Riparian Forest Buffers On Private Lands In Nebraska, Usa, Peter Skelton, Scott J. Josiah, James W. King, James R. Brandle, Glenn A. Helmers, Charles A. Francis

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Pesticide and nutrient runoff from agricultural fields is a socio-environmental problem in the Midwestern United States. Riparian forest buffers (RFBs) are a proven conservation practice that effectively manage this problem, though adoption rates are low. A mail survey was conducted to determine differences between adopter and nonadopter characteristics and attitudes with regard to the use of RFBs. Data were collected from 48 RFB adopters and 261 RFB nonadopters in two Nebraska watersheds. Inferential and multivaririate statistics were used to identify differences between adapter status and producer status groups. About half (50.8%) the respondents were nonproducers. Nonproducers are agricultural landowners not …

A Framework For The “Entrepreneurial” Learner Of The 21st Century, Connie I. Reimers-Hild, James W. King, John E. Foster, Susan Fritz, Steven S. Waller, Daniel W. Wheeler

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Successful distance learners and entrepreneurs may be similar in that they seek out and capitalize on opportunities and marshal resources to achieve their goals. Further, entrepreneurial behavior is a vital asset in the rapidly changing global knowledge economy of the 21 st Century. This paper presents a theoretical framework for examining the characteristics of successful distance learners through the lens of entrepreneurship. The proposed theoretical framework suggests a relationship between the entrepreneurial personality, which is the combined score of locus of control, need for achievement and risk taking propensity, with success and persistence in the academic environment. We believe that …

Becoming A Professional Engineering Educator: A New Role For A New Era, L. Dee Fink, Susan Ambrose, Daniel W. Wheeler

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Engineering education faces significant challenges as it seeks to meet the demands on the engineering profession in the twenty-first century. Engineering faculty will need to continue to learn new approaches to teaching and learning, which in turn will require effective professional development for both new and experienced instructors alike. This article explores approaches to effective professional development and provides a conceptual framework for responding to the challenge of becoming a professional engineering educator. The "cycle of professional practice" is introduced as a prelude for identifying what individual professors and their institutions can do to generate more powerful forms of engineering …

Does Sex Of Dyad Members Really Matter? A Review Of Leader-Member Exchange, Brent J. Goertzen, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Leader-member exchange (LMX) generally refers to the leadership process centered on the interactions between leaders and direct reports. The basic premise of high quality leader-member exchange relationships holds that direct reports gain tremendous benefits through these partnerships. LMX is perhaps the most commonly researched theory of leadership. However, few studies have specifically examined the role of dyad members’ sex as a predictor of quality LMX. Several studies investigating the role of dyad members’ sex and quality LMX examined the effect of sex in an aggregated variable, demographic similarity, which often included other demographic characteristics such as age, education level and …

Exploring The Bermuda Triangle: Review Of Gender, Societal, Team And Individual Leadership Theories , Andrea J. Gage, Shelly Mumma, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

The relationship between an individual’s comprehension of his or her role in society, the gender expectations of society, and how these thoughts and stereotypes influence an individual’s behavior in particular settings seem to be separate, yet interrelated. It is for this reason that an analysis of four main theories of gender and leadership must be reviewed for contrasts and comparisons. This paper reviews and analyzes the research literature on Social Role Theory, Implicit Theory, Attribution Theory, and Leader Emergence Theory. Further it draws conclusions and comparisons that will provide recommendations and implications for future research and practice.

A Review Of Gender And Full-Range Leadership Research And Suggestions For Future Research, Kelli K. Smith, Gina S. Matkin, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

In this paper the research on gender and Full-Range Leadership is documented and explored. Included is consideration of research that studied Full-Range Leadership directly as well as indirect study that contributed to the field of research on Full-Range Leadership. The paper culminates in a series of recommendations for future research. It is hoped that these will help to move the field from documenting the differences or similarities of leadership (or perceptions of leadership) between women and men, to studying why these differences might exist. Additional recommendations are included that will help transport the value of this research from the pages …

Editor’S Clipboard, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

This issue of The Journal of Leadership Education marks another first - a special issue. The Editorial Board is to be commended for taking the bold step of dedicating an issue to gender and leadership.

Hopefully, special issues will become a regular feature for the journal. Special issues offer researchers and practitioners the opportunity to immerse themselves more fully in the work in a particular area or discipline, and sometimes are the catalyst for new work that extends the research and practices that have been reported. The articles that are reported in this issue dedicated to gender and leadership offer …

A Survey Of Gender-Related Motivation Studies: Subordinate Status, Roles, And Stereotyping , Kay Lynn Kalkowski, Susan Fritz

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Since the days when women first began entering the work force scholars have studied perceived gender differences related to motivation in organizational settings. This paper first presents a brief overview of motivation theory and then examines the literature tracing gender related motivation-to-manage as it evolves through the 1950s and 1960s to the present. Studies have produced conflicting results with some finding that men have more motivation-to-manage then women and other studies finding the opposite. Such differences appear to be small and closely related to subordinate status and role stereotyping.

Celebrating 4-H, Youth, And Technology: The Nebraska 4-H Cyber Fair, Patricia Fairchild, Diane Vigna, Jamie Fassett

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

What began as a meta search for 4-H curricula available on the Internet became a phenomenon that has served more than 18,000 Nebraskans in an amazing example of creating partnerships; blending resources; and celebrating 4-H, youth, and technology. Welcome to the Nebraska 4-H Cyber Fair. When the Nebraska 4-H Office conducted an extensive review of Web-based curricula and CD-ROMs created by Cooperative Extension and 4-H nationwide, it became apparent that considerable material was available for delivery by computer. Although some of the material discovered was Nebraska-based, it was not necessarily known to Nebraskans involved in 4-H programming. Nebraska youth in …

Short And Long-Term Impacts Of Biotechnology Education On Professionals Who Communicate Science To The Public, Susan Fritz, Sarah M. Ward, Pat F. Byrne, Deana Namuth, Valerie Egger

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Faculty Publications

Consumer acceptance or rejection of biotechnology is often shaped by information prepared by communicators with varying levels of scientific knowledge, awareness, and acceptance. This study compared the prior, post-workshop, and sustained (1 year) biotechnology awareness, acceptance, and attitudes of professionals who communicate biotechnology to the public at an informational, day-long, university-sponsored workshop. Thirty-seven participants completed the three rounds of data collection. They consistently rated their scientific knowledge high. Throughout the three rounds, their primary media source of biotechnology information was newspapers, with the web being the second most frequently cited source. Participants were somewhat accepting of genetic modification of microorganisms, …