Longitudinal Leadership Capacity Growth among Participants of a Leadership Immersion Program: How Much Does Structural Diversity Matter?

Abstract

Numerous studies have provided evidence that interracial interaction can contribute to the development of leadership skills and behaviors for university students. Yet, little empirical research has been dedicated to understanding the effects of structural (compositional) racial diversity within leadership programs on program participant outcomes. This study examined the impact of the structural racial diversity of 50 leadership program sessions on student leadership capacity gains over time. A total of 667 participants in sessions coded as either "High," "Moderate," or "Low" with regard to racial diversity within the session served as the sample. Results from data collected immediately prior to, directly after, and 3-4 months after program participation suggest the training effects of a leadership initiative may be augmented by the recruitment of racially diverse participants.

Validating the Ready, Willing, and Able Leader Scale of Student Leadership Capacity

“…The ability for leaders to set standards, provide discipline when standards are not met, and provide rewards based on performance, typically characterized as transactional leadership skills (Bass, 1985) are also important components of the leadership process. (Rosch & Collins, 2019), the influence of racially diverse learning environments on motivation to lead for White students and students of color (Collins & Rosch, 2018;Collins, Suarez, Beatty, & Rosch, 2017), and the power of involvement in formal high school organizations in developing motivated, confident, and skilled student organization members in college (Rosch & Nelson, 2019).…”