Evaluating the Influences on Extension Professionals’ Engagement in Leadership Roles

Abstract

Developing leadership within any type of volunteer organization can be a difficult task; however fostering commitment long term has been a proven key component to the sustainability of such organizations (Collins, 2001). Extension professionals rely heavily on their professional organizations to offer stability and professional development on a national basis, thereby strengthening the extension profession as a whole. Within the 4-H youth development field, this stabilizing organization is the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA). While over 1,200 extension 4-H professionals gather annually to engage in organizational activities at their national meeting, the board has found it increasingly more difficult to recruit and retain leadership at the national level. Previous research shows in order for volunteers to partake in leadership opportunities they must feel the benefits outweigh the costs (Inglis, 1994). In order to further understand the membership and determine their motivations a Delphi study was conducted to determine why the current NAE4-HA leadership team chose to step up and lead. As a result, professional development and recruitment efforts were suggested to assist in developing NAE4-HA leaders for the future, essentially enhancing leadership development within Extension professionals themselves and the communities they serve.

Identifying Knowledge Management Capacity Needs of Rural Advisory Service Networks

“…The researchers followed recommendations in the literature to develop the processes and instrumentation (e.g. Delbecq, Van de Ven, & Gustafson, 1975;Nistler, Lamm, & Stedman, 2011). During the first round of the process, experts were asked to list five (5) of the most important capacities a RAS network should possess to be effective in knowledge management using a short phrase or word (Gliddon, 2006).…”

Effective Advocacy for Extension Networks: An Evaluation of Critical Capacities

“…Specifically, panelists were nominated by the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services organization (Garson, 2014, Okoli & Pawlowski, 2004 There were three rounds of the Delphi method used to reach consensus using tools and instrumentation recommendations from the literature (e.g. Delbecq, Van de Ven, & Gustafson, 1975;Nistler, Lamm, & Stedman, 2011). In round one of the process, respondents listed up to five (5) of the most important capacities a RAS network should possess to be effective in advocacy (Gliddon, 2006).…”

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“…Researchers followed literature recommendations to develop the processes and instrumentation (e.g. Delbecq, Van de Ven, & Gustafson, 1975;Nistler, Lamm, & Stedman, 2011). During the first round of the process, experts listed, using a short phrase or word, up to five of the most important capacities a RAS network should possess to be effective in professionalization .…”