Date of Award
12-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Leadership
Committee Chair
Dr. H. Quincy Brown
Committee Chair School
Leadership
Committee Member 2
Dr. Amin Alizadeh
Committee Member 2 School
Leadership
Committee Member 3
Dr. Jacob Breland
Committee Member 3 School
Leadership
Committee Member 4
Dr. Casey Maugh-Funderburk
Committee Member 4 School
Leadership
Abstract
Community colleges are complex institutions with the primary mission of workforce preparation and academic transfer. In many cases, community colleges produce the majority of their local workforces. Political influences upon workforce priorities, increased national calls for transparency in higher education training, complicated infrastructure, and technical expertise requirements for faculty have created substantial challenges for career and technical education (CTE) leaders. These complexities require the 21st-century CTE leader to be as externally focused as their presidents, highlighting the importance of communication effectiveness in both leaders.
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the influence of community college enrollment levels and meeting types on leader-member conversation quality (LMCQ) in career technical education (CTE) leaders and supervisor dyads. This study utilized a purposive sampling method, which included January 2024 membership of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accrediting body. A 26-item instrument was utilized for the quantitative phase, and qualitative data were collected using one-on-one interviews with individuals in the high or low LMCQ groups. The findings identified college size, supervisor type, and supervisor and CTE leader tenure may not influence LMCQ. Whereas, the availability of the supervisor to the CTE leader and incidence of cornerstone events does influence LMCQ. Lastly, recommendations from this study highlight the importance of the CTE leaders’ role within community college settings and inform best practices for CTE leaders and their supervisors to improve their communication strategies.
ORCID ID
0009-0008-7742-0085
Copyright
Kenneth W. Kirkland Jr., 2025
Recommended Citation
Kirkland, Kenneth Wayne Jr., "Impact of Community College Size and Meeting Types on Leader-Member Conversation Quality in Career and Technical Education (CTE) Leaders: A Mixed Methods Study" (2025). Dissertations. 2425.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2425
Included in
Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Community College Education Administration Commons, Community College Leadership Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Organization Development Commons, Performance Management Commons, Training and Development Commons