Date of Award

2022

Degree Name

Leadership Studies

College

College of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

Ed.D.

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Dr. Dennis M. Anderson, Committee Chairperson

Second Advisor

Dr. Charles Bethel

Third Advisor

LtCol Russell Worth Parker, USMC, ret., J.D.

Abstract

Research identifies existing commonalities between leadership style and conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies. Marine Forces Special Operations Command has not explored leadership style and leader competencies and how they relate to the cognitive operator concept described in Marine Special Operations Forces 2030: A Strategic Vision for the Future. By not thoroughly exploring how they relate, Marine Forces Special Operations Command may not understand the level of interdependence between leadership style and senior leader competencies and the mastery of cognitive operator competencies. This quantitative non-experimental study explores the relationship between preferred leadership style, cognitive operator competencies, and senior leader competencies exhibited by United States Marine Corps Special Operations Officers. Sixty United States Marine Corps Special Operations Officers completed a survey comprised of demographic data, a Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire subset, a cognitive operator competencies questionnaire, and a senior leader competencies questionnaire. A series of t-tests determined significant relationships between transformational, transactional, and passive avoidant leadership characteristics and cognitive operator competencies; transactional and passive avoidant leadership characteristics and senior leader competencies; and cognitive operator competencies and senior leader competencies. The relationship between transformational leadership characteristics and senior leader competencies was insignificant. Additionally, several ancillary findings resulted from stratifying survey responses according to participant characteristics. The information generated by this study can be used to compare against Marine Forces Special Operations Command’s officer training continuum and determine where to best incorporate training on preferred leadership style, cognitive operator competencies, and senior leader competencies.

Subject(s)

United States – Marine Special Operations Command.

Leadership – Study and teaching.

Competency-based education – Evaluation.

Competency-based education – Methods.

Download

Share

COinS