Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication

 

Date of this Version

Winter 11-1989

Comments

A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College in the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Education Major: Interdepartmental Area of Community and Human Resources Under the Supervision of Professor Robert J. Florell

Abstract

This study assessed the perceptions of Extension agents, administrators and board members toward the climate for change identified as the need for change, openness to change, potential for change and participation in change. Age, their sex, years on Extension staff, FTE group, Research and Extension Centers, years served on the Extension board, size of community and site where one resides were variables selected to test research hypotheses formulated for this study. Theoretical concepts used to support this study were the Congruence Model of Organizational Behavior with a model identifying three problems of change based on the components of the organizational model. The Climate for Change Survey, developed by the researcher was used to measure climate for change. The 63 statement survey was mailed and returned by 153 agents, 12 administrators and 237 board members. Factor analysis of data collected retained 26 of the original statements relating to the four climates for change dimensions. Reliability analysis resulted in Cronbach's alpha of .9192 for the Climate for Change Survey. Face validity was established by five University of Nebraska professors representing evaluation, program development and administration. Statistical analysis used to interpret the data was a multivariate analysis of variance using Wilks lambda with a univariate output to determine which of the dimensions of change were statistically significant. Hypotheses testing showed a significant difference (1) among Extension agents, administrators and board members and the four climate for change dimensions (2) between agents and non-agent chairs and the need for change, openness to change and potential for change (3) between male and female agents and the need for change and openness to change (4) among agents from the five Research and Extension Centers and openness to change (5) among board members from the five Research and Extension Centers and the need for change and potential for change. Recommendations included a replication of this study with another state Extension staff going through organizational changes using the Climate for Change Survey and further development of the Climate for Change Survey.

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