The problem of the study was to compare the perceived roles of various subsets of division chairpersons in Florida's public community colleges and the perceptions of academic deans in the same system. / Using a framework of role conflict and role ambiguity, the researcher developed, with the assistance of a jury of community college educators, an instrument that contained statements of thirty-one management activities. The respondents were asked to evaluate each activity in terms of importance and performance, using two Likert type scales with ranges of 1 to 5. The instrument was a modified version of a questionnaire used by the Institute for Departmental Leadership at Florida State University to collect data from academic middle managers at the state universities in Florida. / The survey instrument was sent to each of the 160 division chairpersons and the 42 chief academic officers in the population. The response rate was 66 per cent for chairpersons and 69 per cent for chief academic officers. All usable data were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software procedures for computing means and other statistics. / The major conclusions of this study were as follows: (1) Division chairpersons do not have teaching or administrative experience at another college but consider themselves to be administrators. Also, they earned their highest degree held while at the college. (2) Division chairpersons are satisfied with administration and wish to continue in that role. (3) The role of the division chairperson at small community colleges is more like that of a faculty member. (4) Where there is congruence between importance and performance of management tasks, the activities are considered to be of low importance. (5) Chief academic officers are more satisfied with the performance of chairpersons than the chairpersons themselves. (6) Chief academic officers give more importance to a chairperson's management activities internal to the division; chairpersons give a higher ranking to activities affecting the overall institution. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-12, Section: A, page: 3613. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

The purpose of this study is to examine the differences between lonely and non-lonely students at the University of Florida on the variables of leisure participation, leisure motivation, leisure attitude, and leisure satisfaction. The study is based on a conceptual framework which included the following factors: (1) the nature of loneliness may be a motivating factor or an inhibiting factor in finding a solution for the lonely condition, (2) an individual's choice of leisure behavior may increase social contact or may decrease social contact, and (3) the importance of leisure participation as a determinant of psychological well-being. / The Leisure Participation Scale, the Leisure Motivation Scale, the Leisure Attitude Scale, the Leisure Satisfaction Scale and the Revised University of California Loneliness Scale were used to measure the four leisure variables and loneliness respectively. A random sampling of classes produced 294 subjects between the ages of 18 and 50. One hundred and three subjects were identified as lonely and 92 subjects were identified as non-lonely from the approximate top one-third and the bottom one-third of the ranked order scores on the loneliness scale. / Null hypotheses for the four leisure behavior variables and sub-scales were tested using an independent samples t-test. An alpha level of .05 was stipulated. / Significant differences were found between the two groups on the following components and sub-components of the variables: leisure participation (mass media, sports and social activities); leisure motivation (social); leisure attitude (cognitive, affective and overall); and leisure satisfaction (social, relaxation, aesthetic and overall). / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-01, Section: A, page: 0094. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

This study examined Defense Department personnel perceptions in an effort to uncover an appropriate mix of conceptual, human, and technical skills needed for future mid-level managers. Further consideration was that these managers would be involved in the acquisition of major weapon systems for the Defense Department over the next twenty five years. Mid-level managers, professors (educators), and directors of training were sampled, a recommended hierarchy of skills was recorded and their weighted importance of each skill was examined to determine the type of program and teaching technique preferred for developing that needed skill. Results were compared with a prior "Fortune 500" study accomplished in 1978 with no significant differences uncovered. The study indicated that the development of human skills; namely, those abilities to work effectively as a group member, were paramount for mid-level managers independent of their technical competence. The results of this study may give guidance to mid-level managers in structuring their career paths, educators in planning curricula, and training directors in arranging comprehensive and integrated development programs for future mid-level managers. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-04, Section: A, page: 1052. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of the identified personality types within the study population to their future orientation. The selected study group was comprised of 156 undergraduate student members of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. / The future orientation of the study group or their individual attitudes toward the future, was measured by a three-factor test. The three factors of this test included: (1) determinism versus freedom to control/influence future events (Control); (2) uncertainty versus predictability about the future (Change); (3) pessimism versus optimism about the future (Outlook). / Personality types were model-classified according to definitions set forth in the work of Holland's theory of careers (1973). / The instruments used to classify personality type and to measure degree of future orientation were The Vocational Preference Inventory and the Futures Orientation Survey, respectively. The instruments were mailed to the study population. 79.4 percent of the study population responded. / The findings of this research indicate that this study population was not future-oriented in terms of the Control and Outlook factors. The respondents reflected an attitude of determinism and a lack of control or influence on future events. The data also indicated an attitude toward change, a perception that the future will be different from the present. Also, there was a pessimistic attitude toward the future. No significant differences existed in future orientation by sex. As a whole, the study population was not highly future-oriented. / Three significant relationships were determined among the three factors of future orientation and Holland's six personality types. Relationships existed with the investigative personality type and the outlook factor, the social type and the control factor, and the artistic type was negatively associated with the change factor. / The results indicated that the study population had a reactive approach to the future. In addition, a limited relationship existed between Holland's personality types and future orientation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-04, Section: A, page: 1058. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

The perceptions of chief academic officers concerning curricular change in accredited small, private, two-year colleges of the south were examined in this study. The researcher interviewed 21 academic deans and vice presidents of institutions with fewer than 600 students for the purpose of investigating the nature of curricular change, the reasons for change, the process of change, the benefits of change, and successful change strategies. / All of the institutions studied were involved in curricular change; the most frequent changes included expansion of computer science and inclusion of upper-division programs. The changes were made in response to internal and external conditions affecting the institution. Institutional exiguity and autonomy expedited the change process. The chief academic officers viewed the changes as beneficial in attracting and retaining students by developing a curriculum that served their educational needs and career goals. / Successful change strategies were synthesized to develop a flow chart depicting the entire change process. The process was viewed as continuous with significant involvement of faculty and administration throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-11, Section: A, page: 3300. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to ascertain the extent to which the assignment of men and women hall directors was affected by the residence hall population, and (b) to assess the performance of men and women hall directors. / Six hundred and two hall directors were evaluated by their supervisors. More women than men hall directors were represented. Over half of the hall directors were between the ages of 26 and 30. More women than men were aged 20 to 25 years. Over three-fourths of the hall directors had less than four years of experience. / The majority of the hall directors worked in coeducational halls. Few hall directors worked in halls in which the gender of the hall population differed from the hall director's gender. The relationship between the gender of the hall population and the gender of the hall director was significant for single sex halls. A statistically significant relationship was found between the gender of the hall population and the supervisors' perception of the effectiveness of men and women hall directors. / Hall director performance was evaluated by the supervisors on the basis of 23 competencies. The mean ratings for men and women were very similar, although the means for the women hall directors were slightly higher for each item. The gender of the hall director did not influence the supervisors' ratings. / Supervisor evaluations were analyzed to ascertain the extent to which the supervisors' gender, age, education and experience affected their evaluation of hall directors' performance. While women supervisors consistently gave lower evaluations of hall directors than did men supervisors, the overall effect of the combined characteristics (gender, age, education and experience) was minimal. / Comparison was made of supervisors' responses to questions regarding the effectiveness of men and women hall directors in certain hall situations. Gender was not related to the perceived effectiveness of hall directors for any of the situations examined. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-12, Section: A, page: 3611. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

This study had two purposes: (1) to determine if there exists a predominant learning style among the majority of the aviation officer candidates in the Naval flight training program; and (2) to determine if there exists a significant difference in academic success among the aviation officer candidates with different learning styles. The Kolb Learning Style Inventory was used to determine the learning styles of 129 candidates. The Inventory indicated that approximately 64 percent of the candidates were categorized as having an abstract conceptualizing form of learning style. The Lindquist Type I analysis of variance was used to determine the (1) possible significance between mean scores for the four learning styles; (2) possible significance between mean scores for the eight courses; and (3) to determine possible interaction between the learning styles and courses. Results revealed (1) no significance between academic success among the learning styles; (2) statistical significance between mean scores among the eight courses; and (3) no interaction exists between the learning styles and courses. To better evaluate which of the eight courses exhibit significant differences among the mean scores, a Scheffe Test for homogeneity for variance was conducted. The results revealed that statistical significance exists between organization/administration types of courses and navigation/engines/aerodynamic types of courses. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-11, Section: A, page: 3300. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.

The purpose of this study was to examine the proposition that a change in major by a college student is determined in part by vocational preference and in part by the curricular constraints within a given college or university. The study used both the vocational preference groups proposed by Holland (1966, 1973) and curricular constraints proposed by Lightfield and Rice (1973; Rice, 1973). / The data for 15 academic quarters were collected from 36,611 student records from the nine universities of the State University System of Florida. This population was sorted into a model construction group (N = 18,309) and a cross-validation group (N = 18,302). / The principal activities of the study consisted of describing the major changes made by the population of students who changed majors, fitting a log-linear model to a multiway contingency table, and cross-validating the model on a cross-validation group. / The study was designed to determine whether changes in academic major follow the order of Holland's typology, and whether these changes are limited by curricular constraints and can be predicted from the initial major assigned and the curricular constraints proposed by Rice. The results of the study supported the proposition that the changes follow the order of Holland's typology. They did not support the proposition that changes in academic major are limited by curricular constraints and that those changes can be predicted from the initial major using the curricular constraints proposed by Rice. / Two variables--age and sex--were determined to be related to curriculum and were added to the data, forming a five-way contingency table. A model was successfully fit to the data of the five-way contingency table using .80 adequate R('2) as the criterion for fit. / The five variables--vocational preference, type of major change, the catalytic action of restrictions, sex, and age--were successfully fit into a model which explained almost all the student behavior captured in existing university records. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-04, Section: A, page: 1048. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

This study described the implementation activities related to Chapter 80-237, Laws of Florida (Senior Citizen Fee Waivers) in Florida's state university and community college systems. Van Meter and Van Horn's model of the implementation process was used as the conceptual framework. The period of time involved in this study was from July 1, 1980 to October 1983. The review of related research examined research on implementation and senior citizen fee waiver programs, and supported the need for research on the implementation of legislation. / Content analysis and the interview methods were used to determine legislative intent. These methods plus a questionnaire were used to collect data describing implementation activities and discrepancies between intended versus actual performance of responsible implementors. / The determination of implementation activities and an analysis in terms of their relationship to the Van Meter and Van Horn model led to the following conclusions: (1) Undocumented policy goals and objectives in statute lead to inadequate standards with which to measure implementation or actual performance on the part of an implementing structure. (2) Lack of commitment by lawmakers expressed through inadequate resource allocations and failure to include sufficient input from responsible implementors in the decision-making process can create confusion among these implementors. (3) Neutrally established mechanisms for policy oversight and monitoring of implementation activities can make policymakers more aware of specific changes which may be needed in the continued existence or elimination of certain legislation. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-04, Section: A, page: 1048. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.

An empirical study of an academic reward system within an institution of higher education was undertaken to achieve the following objectives: (1) to describe empirically the academic reward system of The Florida State University between 1977-1982; (2) to test the stability of reward within the system over time (in terms of percentage discretionary salary increases between 1977-82); (3) to identify and describe the least-rewarded and most-rewarded faculty members (in terms of total percentage discretionary increases between 1977-82); (4) to identify factors which may have accounted for appropriate and inappropriate discrimination within the academic reward system over time; (5) to provide to the field of institutional research improved methods for addressing questions concerning an institutional academic reward system. / The annual percentage discretionary salary increase was selected as the dependent variable for this analysis. It was proposed that these increments provided the most objective means available to administrators within the university to reward academic performance in order to enhance the education offered by an institution. Demographic and salary increase data were collected for 558 ranked faculty members who had held titles that were included in the collective bargaining unit between 1977-1982. Due to the nature of salary increase decisions (which are ordinal, at best), a nonparametric measure of association the Kendall coefficient of concordance: W was used to determine agreement over time between the rankings assigned to units or individuals within the system in terms of the annual percentage discretionary increase. / The major conclusions of this study were summarized as follows: (1) the academic reward system within The Florida State University was stable between 1977-78 and 1982-83; (2) the least-rewarded and most-rewarded faculty members had not been rewarded consistently between 1977-82; and (3) there was no evidence to support the position that factors of inappropriate discrimination were operating within the academic reward system between 1977-82. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 45-04, Section: A, page: 1049. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.