Leadership Styles and Volunteer Administration Competence: Perceptions of 4-H County Faculty in the United States

The study described here sought to determine the perceived leadership style of 4-H county faculty. There were 238 county 4-H faculty randomly selected to participate. Participants completed three Web-based questionnaires, the Volunteer Administration Leadership Competency Instrument, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and a demographic instrument. Regression models predicted transformational, transactional, and laissez faire leadership. The importance of systems leadership (ß=.97) and organizational leadership (ß=-.94) contributed the most to transformational leadership. Proficiency in organizational leadership (ß=-6.24) contributed to transactional leadership. The importance of organizational culture (ß=1.10) and commitment to the profession importance (ß=-.85) contributed to the prediction of laissez faire leadership.