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" Moral Reasoning Levels and Transformational Leadership Characteristics of University Students in Nigeria: An Empirical Study "
Femi Akindele
Brizek, Michael
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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804638
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| Doc. No
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TL49473
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| Call number
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1930990981; 10599963
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| Main Entry
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Marczak, William Russell
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| Title & Author
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Moral Reasoning Levels and Transformational Leadership Characteristics of University Students in Nigeria: An Empirical Study\ Femi AkindeleBrizek, Michael
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| College
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Northcentral University
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| Date
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2017
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| field of study
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Education
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| student score
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2017
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| Page No
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171
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| Note
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Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-0-355-11133-0
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| Abstract
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Scholars contend that a high level of moral reasoning is fundamental to the leadership effectiveness which characterizes transformational leaders, that moral reasoning skills can be acquired in universities, and that moral reasoning levels increase with an increase in education. These claims are based heavily on theories and research using data from the developed world, especially the United States. Little empirical data exist in the literature to substantiate the validity and relevance of the claims in the developing nations, such as Nigeria, where culture and socio-economic contexts differ significantly from those of the developed world. Using data from a sample of 310 students at a Nigerian university, this quantitative, correlational study examined the relationship between the participants’ cognitive moral reasoning development (CMD), and their transformational leadership attributes. In addition, the study examined correlations between the participants’ CMD, and their demographic variables of academic classification, gender, and religion, particularly Christianity and Islam. The participants’ moral reasoning levels were measured using the Defining Issues Test developed by Rest and Narvaez (1994). The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire which was developed by Avolio and Bass (2004) was used to assess the participants’ transformational leadership attributes. In addition, participants’ demographic information which included academic classification, gender, and religion was obtained as part of data collection. Analysis of the data was accomplished using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The study found that the participants reasoned at the pre-conventional stage of Kohlberg’s (1976) moral reasoning development continuum based on the mean moral reasoning score of 19.71 and standard deviation of 10.21. The relationship between the participants’ moral reasoning scores and their academic classifications was statistically significant, F(4, 236) = 7.53, p = .00. A post-hoc, Tukey analysis indicated that the participants’ moral reasoning scores increased as the academic classification (years in college) increased. No statistically significant relationships were found between the scores and (a) transformational leadership attributes, (b) gender, or (c) religion (Christianity and Islam). The results of this study are consistent with the findings of other researchers with the exception of the participants’ moral reasoning scores which were low compared to the US norm, and the lack of a statistically significant relationship between the scores and transformational leadership attributes. The study concluded that the moral reasoning and transformational leadership theories would apply in the Nigerian culture and context but the construct validity of the moral reasoning measurement instrument would require further investigation using local research data. The findings of the study expanded the limited literature on university students’ moral reasoning and effective leadership skill development outside the culture and context of the developed world. Recommendations for future research include conducting the study using a longitudinal design and data samples from multiple colleges and universities, verifying the DIT construct validity, and examining the factors responsible for growth in a student’s moral reasoning capability as university education increases.
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| Subject
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Ethics; Education
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| Descriptor
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Philosophy, religion and theology;Education;Ethical reasoning and leadership;Leadership development;Moral reasoning and education;Moral reasoning and gender;Moral reasoning and religion;Moral reasoning capacity development
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| Added Entry
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Brizek, Michael
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| Added Entry
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EducationNorthcentral University
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