An Exploratory, Correlational, Self-Rater Study on Authentic Leadership Values of Adventist Local

126 Pages·2017·1.47 MB·English

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Juan R. Prestol-Pues{acute}an
Andrews University
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Prestol-Pues{acute}an, Juan R., "An Exploratory, Correlational, Self-Rater Study on Authentic Leadership
Values of Adventist Local Conference Chief Financial Officers in the United States" (2014). Dissertations.
641.
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ABSTRACT

AN EXPLORATORY, CORRELATIONAL, SELF-RATER STUDY
ON AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP VALUES OF ADVENTIST
LOCAL CONFERENCE CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES

by

Juan R. Prestol-Puesán

Chair: Erich Baumgartner
ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH

Dissertation

Andrews University
School of Education

Title: AN EXPLORATORY, CORRELATIONAL, SELF-RATER STUDY ON
AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP VALUES OF ADVENTIST LOCAL
CONFERENCE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES

Name of researcher: Juan R. Prestol-Puesán
Name and degree of faculty chair: Erich Baumgartner, Ph.D.
Date completed: November 2014

The Problem
Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) local conference treasurers, or Chief Financial
Officers, are trusted by church members to manage the finances of the church and
provide financial leadership, yet the denomination does not know how treasurers develop
their values and leadership capacity as financial administrators. This study examined how
treasurers compare with the leadership values of morality, integrity, and fairness
prevalent today in positive forms of leadership theories. It explores SDA treasurer or
financial officer self-assessment with the rating that their team members provide,
allowing us to know the authenticity of their values as leaders.
Method
This is a census of a population composed of 50 local conference treasurers,
leaders, and 148 followers composed of associates in treasury work and academy
treasurers. The participants responded to the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire 1.0
online. Their responses allowed us to know how treasurers see themselves, and how their
followers see them. The instrument tested both groups in four dimensions: (a) Relational
Transparency, (b) Balanced Processing of Opinions, (c) Ethical/Moral Values, and (d)
Self-Awareness, and their responses were processed anonymously online by Mind
Garden, Inc. The aggregate responses were analyzed in SPSS.

Conclusions
The results indicate that the self-perceptions of the leaders are significantly higher
than the perceptions reported by their followers. The follower group of associates in
treasury consistently gave lower means (µ) than did the academy treasurers. The role
played by the participants in the study (local conference treasurers, associates in treasury,
and academy treasurers) was significantly related to the responses they provided. The
leaders’ personal characteristics are significantly related to their own self-perception
about authentic leadership, and followers’ personal characteristics are also significantly
related to how they perceive the authenticity of their leaders. Beta (β) coefficients of
treasurers’ personal characteristics indicate that the longer they work for the
denomination, the less authentic they are as leaders. The longer followers work for the
denomination, the less they believe in their leaders as authentic leaders.
The disagreement in the perceptions of leaders and followers may be an indication
of a disconnect, possibly a degree of discomfort, distrust, skepticism or dissatisfaction
made evident by the lower statistical means of the followers. This erosion of influence
points to issues of power, authority, and leadership within the Adventist church structure.
Conference treasurers may not be fulfilling their leadership role appropriately.
Andrews University

School of Education

AN EXPLORATORY, CORRELATIONAL, SELF-RATER STUDY
ON AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP VALUES OF ADVENTIST
LOCAL CONFERENCE CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES

A Dissertation
Presented in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy

by
Juan R. Prestol-Puesán
November 2014
© Copyright by Juan R. Prestol-Puesán 2014

All Rights Reserved
AN EXPLORATORY, CORRELATIONAL, SELF-RATER STUDY
ON AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP VALUES OF ADVENTIST
LOCAL CONFERENCE CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES

A dissertation
presented in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Philosophy

by

Juan R. Prestol-Puesán

APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE:
_________________________________ ______________________________
Chair: Erich Baumgartner, Ph.D. Dean, School of Education
James R. Jeffery

_________________________________
Member: Tevni Grajales, Ph.D.

_________________________________
Member: Ann Gibson, Ph.D.

_________________________________ ______________________________
External: Theodore Brown, Sr., Ph.D. Date approved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................... vi
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... vii
Chapter
1. OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY ................................................................................. 1
Background ............................................................................................... 1
Paulsen’s Statements on Leadership ......................................................... 4
Context of the Study ................................................................................. 5
Statement of the Problem .......................................................................... 8
Purpose of the Study ................................................................................. 9
Research Questions ................................................................................... 9
Research Question 1 ........................................................................... 9
Research Question 2 ........................................................................... 9
Research Question 3 ........................................................................... 10
Research Hypotheses ................................................................................ 10
Hypothesis 1........................................................................................ 10
Hypothesis 2........................................................................................ 10
Hypothesis 3........................................................................................ 10
Methodology ............................................................................................. 11
Conceptual Framework ............................................................................. 12
Significance of the Study .......................................................................... 13
Assumptions .............................................................................................. 13
Limitations of the Study............................................................................ 14
Delimitations ............................................................................................. 14
Definition of Terms................................................................................... 14
Overview of the Study .............................................................................. 17

2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................................................... 18
Introduction ............................................................................................... 18
Brief Historical Overview of Authentic Leadership ................................. 18
The Approach of This Study ............................................................... 21
A New Awareness in Society ............................................................. 22
The Quest for Authenticity ................................................................. 24
The Positive Approach to Leadership ................................................. 25
Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Authentic
Leadership ........................................................................................... 28
A Post-Analytic View ......................................................................... 28
iii