Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Communication in small groups; Leadership;

Abstract

This study sought to discover if a relationship exists between a group leader's communication competency and the outcomes of group interaction. This relationship is hypothesized in a model of leadership proposed by Barge and Hirokawa (1989). Specifically, the study compared a leader's task and relational competency levels with the outcomes of perceived leadership effectiveness, group satisfaction, and group cohesiveness. This research studied groups from recognized student organizations at a midwestern university. Groups studied came from organizations classified as either governmental, honorary, interest, or religious in nature. This study examined three hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 stated that when relational goals are most salient in a group, the leader's performance of relational competencies will better predict perceived leadership effectiveness, group satisfaction, and group cohesiveness than will the performance of task competencies. Hypothesis 2 stated that when task goals are most salient, the performance of task competencies will be better predictors than relational competencies of these three group outcomes. Hypothesis 3 stated that when both task and relational goals are equally salient, task and relational competencies will both predict perceived leadership effectiveness, group satisfaction, and group cohesiveness. The study tested the hypotheses through the administration of a self-reporting questionnaire. Since no questionnaire previously existed to test the communication competency leadership model, the researcher designed one for this study. Results of this study focused on Hypothesis 3, since groups participating in the study reported task and relational goals as equally salient. Group leaders' task and relational competency levels only showed significant correlations with the outcome of perceived leadership effectiveness. Task competency showed significant positive correlation with all three outcomes. However, relational competency showed no correlation with outcomes of group satisfaction and group cohesiveness. Therefore, the data failed to support Hypothesis 3. This study considered three implications for future research. First, other studies need to determine if these findings are general to other groups. Second, other facets of the communication competency leadership model need to be tested. Finally, replication of this study needs to confirm the results found in the present research.

Year of Submission

1990

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Communication and Theatre Arts

First Advisor

Bill Henderson

Second Advisor

Walter Ulrich

Third Advisor

Dean Kruckeberg

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to scholarworks@uni.edu and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

1990

Object Description

1 PDF file (107 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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