Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Higher Education Administration PhD

First Advisor

Hinsdale Bernard

Second Advisor

James A. Tucker

Third Advisor

Keith Mattingly

Abstract

Program. This study investigated the relationships between Reservist leaders' attitudes and Hersey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership Theory (SLT), and Thomas's Integrative Model of Intrinsic Motivation during a 2004 Sinai, Egypt, peacekeeping mission.

Methodology. This descriptive study provided quantitative and qualitative results. Three instruments were used with a convenience sample of leaders within one forward-deployed National Guard infantry battalion. The LEADSelf instrument determined the SLT style of unit officers and non-commissioned officers. The Thomas Empowerment Survey profiled participants' intrinsic motivation. A researcher-developed survey determined preferences for intrinsic versus extrinsic motivator factors.

The study centered on the following issues: (1) Are the participants satisfied with their involvement in the National Guard and the peacekeeping mission? (2) Is there a significant relationship between intrinsic levels of motivation as measured by Thomas's model and volunteerism (or hypothetical volunteerism) in the participants? (3) Are the participants motivated by intrinsic or extrinsic factors to take part in the study peacekeeping operation?

Results. Seventy-four percent of the respondents to the SLT survey reported a high task and high relationship S2 "Selling" leadership style.

Less than 10% of the respondents felt high levels of intrinsic motivation in the areas of Choice, Competence, and Progress as measured by the Thomas scale. Similarly, 22% of the respondents reported a high sense of Meaningfulness.

Regarding the research hypotheses, no significant relationships could be established between volunteerism/hypothetical volunteerism and Thomas's intrinsic factors using chi-square statistics. However, there was qualitative support for this relationship.

The ultimate desire of the study was to see whether intrinsic or extrinsic factors held greater sway on these Reserve soldiers in a peacekeeping environment. What motivated them? Soldiers preferred intrinsic factors over extrinsic factors. They also reported displeasure when these intrinsic factors were absent.

Conclusions. (1) There was no quantitative support for the research questions studying relationships between volunteerism/hypothetical volunteerism and Thomas's intrinsic motivation factors. (2) However, qualitative support suggested that soldiers are intrinsically motivated to participate in peacekeeping operations and the National Guard in general. (3) Respondents indicated they could be both dissatisfied and satisfied in aspects of their military career and the Sinai peacekeeping mission.

Subject Area

Leadership, Intrinsic motivation, United States. Army--Reserves

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/dissertations/216/

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