Higher Education Students
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this research was to understand the relationship between leadership development models in evangelical post-baccalaureate theological education and select outcome assessment criteria.
METHODOLOGY The institutional research population consisted of evangelical post-baccalaureate theological schools (N = 131) of which 53 institutions agreed to join the study (40% institutional participation rate). An invitation to participate in the research was sent to all 2004 graduates of participating institutions (N = 2421) and 403 usable responses were received (17% response rate). Leadership Effectiveness was assessed by the total score on the Leadership Practices Inventory, and participants also completed the Hoppock Job Satisfaction Blank (Hoppock, 1935), and 15 demographic questions. The typical respondent was male (75%), over 30 years of age (80%), with a M. Div. degree (57%), and attended an ATS-accredited seminary.
KEY FINDINGS There was no significant relationship between “leadership effectiveness” — defined as the LPI Self scores overall — and the seven different leadership development methods by which participants were equipped for ministry. “One implication of this analysis,” according to the author, “is that the development of leadership effectiveness in ministry is not contingent on any particular model. An emerging leader can be taught and equipped using a Classic model, or an Applied model, or a Distance model. No model “outperformed” the others with respect to leadership effectiveness in graduates, when measured by the LPI” (p. 204).