Perceptions concerning the ethical leadership of community college deans and directors and the impact of those perceptions on job satisfaction and work performance

The purpose of this study was to investigate ethical leadership among community college deans and directors as perceived by deans, directors, faculty, and staff. Quantitative (surveys) and qualitative (interviews) research methods were used to gather data from voluntary participants from three community colleges located in central Texas. Specifically, data was gathered via an application of the Integrity Audit (IA) and a basic demographic and job questionnaire designed by the author. Descriptive statistical tests and qualitative analytical methods were used to analyze the data. Findings indicated that deans/directors and faculty/staff did not differ significantly in their perceptions of the importance of ethical leadership or what ethical leadership is, although they did differ in their perception of how much the current leadership lived up to these standards. Both groups noted the importance of communication and suggested that improved communication would improve the perception of ethical leadership. The major difference between the groups seems to be that faculty/staff have a considerably less positive view of the actual behavior of deans and directors than the deans and directors have of themselves. Over half of faculty and staff felt some mistrust toward management and that the ethical behavior of leadership was compromised, particularly by monetary concerns.