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Dissertation Information for Darlene Ann Parrish

NAME:
- Darlene Ann Parrish

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- Florida State University (USA) (2001)

ADVISORS:
- Ronald D. Blazek

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Jane B. Robbins
- Ralph S. Bower
- F. William Summers

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: The impact of leadership behavior on organizational commitment and job autonomy of information services librarians

Abstract: This study examined the influence of leadership behavior on perceived organizational commitment and job autonomy of information services librarians. A direct mail survey comprised of three different instruments was sent out to 265 full-time reference/information services librarians. These librarians were identified by library directors or lower management from the seventeen ARL libraries in the southeastern United States, who were willing to participate in the study. There were 124 usable responses, for a response rate of approximately 47%.

The participants in the survey were asked to evaluate their immediate supervisor using the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) and to rate their own organizational commitment using the Affective, Normative and Continuance Commitment Scales. Lastly, the participants were asked to evaluate their job autonomy using the Work Autonomy Scales.

The results showed that more than half (57%) of the librarians surveyed rated their supervisors as being high in consideration, which was one of the leadership behavior components measured. Fewer librarians (51%), rated their supervisors as being high in initiating structure, the other component of leadership behavior measured. More librarians (55%) perceived themselves as being high in continuance commitment, which is defined as the costs associated with leaving an organization. Only about 5l% perceived themselves as being high in affective commitment, which is the emotional attachment to the organization and normative commitment, which is the feeling of obligation.

Approximately, 63-64% of the librarians perceived themselves as being high in job autonomy, as far as work scheduling and work criteria autonomy, or the freedom to determine one's work schedule or criteria used in one's evaluations.

This study revealed that there is a significant and positive relationship between both components of leadership behavior, consideration and initiating structure, in library supervisors and perceived affective and normative commitment in information services librarians. Consideration was also found to be significantly and positively related to perceptions of work methods, work scheduling and work criteria autonomy.

When gender was controlled, it did not have a moderating effect on the relationship between either dimension of leadership behavior and any dimension of perceived organizational commitment. However, it did influence the relationship between consideration and initiating structure and perceived work scheduling autonomy.

Length of service did have a moderating effect on the relationship between consideration and initiating structure and perceptions of affective and continuance commitment, and consideration and initiating structure with perceived work methods autonomy.

MPACT Scores for Darlene Ann Parrish

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:05:46

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