investigating shared leadership in undergraduate capstone ...· this quantitative study used a...

Investigating Shared Leadership in Undergraduate Capstone Design Teams

Brian John Novoselich

Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State

University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

In

Engineering Education

David B. Knight, Chair

Eric K. Kaufman

Holly M. Matusovich

Marie C. Paretti

15 March, 2016

Blacksburg, VA

Keywords: Engineering Education, Mechanical Engineering Design, Shared Leadership,

Social Network Analysis, Transformational Leadership

Copyright Brian J. Novoselich, 2016

Investigating Shared Leadership in Undergraduate Capstone Design Teams

Brian John Novoselich

ABSTRACT (Academic)

Leadership is an area of increasing interest for the engineering profession. Strategic

documents assert the need for engineers to take more prominent leadership roles to better

inform complex policy decisions. Engineering leadership scholars assert, however that

adequate models of how engineers lead do not exist and that traditional leadership models

are contrary to the collaborative norms of engineering practice. To address this gap in

engineering leadership literature, this dissertation develops a model of how engineering

students lead in team-based design project environments, an example of the collaborative

environment that is commonplace in engineering practice.

This quantitative study used a combination of round-robin (360-degree) survey data

and course grades to examine the Full Range of Leadership within mechanical

engineering-centric capstone design teams. Using a combination of cluster analyses,

social network analyses, and regression analyses in a three manuscript approach, this

dissertation 1) validated a Mechanical Engineering capstone version of the Full Range of

Leadership, 2) determined the degree of shared leadership within the teams and how to

classify teams based on their degree of shared leadership, and 3) related shared leadership

to both team effectiveness and team attributes.

The study resulted in a shared leadership model for engineering design teams. The

model represents leadership as a three-form, shared phenomenon within teams. The

amount of leadership within the team relates positively to both the group process and

satisfaction measures of team effectiveness, but not to task performance. This

relationship is moderated by the distribution of leadership, indicating that a limited

amount of shared leadership may be more effective. Selected team attributes are related

to the degree of shared leadership within the teams. The results broaden our

conceptualization of leadership beyond an individual phenomenon, making it a shared

phenomenon that is an integral component of design teamwork as it relates to design

team effectiveness.

Investigating Shared Leadership in Undergraduate Capstone Design Teams

Brian John Novoselich

ABSTRACT (Public)

Leadership is an area of increasing interest for the engineering profession. Strategic

documents assert the need for engineers to take more prominent leadership roles to better

inform complex policy decisions. Engineering leadership scholars assert, however, that

adequate models of how engineers lead do not exist and that traditional leadership models

are contrary to the collaborative norms of engineering practice. To address this gap in

engineering leadership literature, this dissertation develops a model of how engineering

students lead in team-based design project environments, which is a collaborative

environment that is commonplace in engineering practice.

This quantitative study used a combination of round-robin (360-degree) survey data

and course grades to examine the leadership within senior-level, undergraduate

mechanical engineering capstone design teams. Using a combination of analytical

methods in a three manuscript approach, this dissertation 1) validated a new version of

the Full Range of Leadership model for senior-level mechanical engineering students, 2)

determined the degree of shared leadership within the teams and how to classify teams

based on their degree of shared leadership, and 3) related shared leadership to both team

effectiveness and team attributes.

The study resulted in a three-form, shared leadership model for engineering design

teams. The amount of leadership within the team relates positively to a teams extra

effort and team member satisfaction, but not to the teams course grades. These

relationships are diminished as leadership is more distributed across team members,

indicating that a limited amount of shared leadership may be more effective. Certain

team attributes also relate to the degree of shared leadership within the teams. The results

broaden our conceptualization of leadership beyond an individual phenomenon, making it

a shared phenomenon that is an integral component of design teamwork as it relates to

design team effectiveness.

iv

Dedication

To Janet

Thank you for your loving support of my many endeavors.

Sometimes you can see me better than I can see myself.

To John and Andrew

May this dissertation be an example of what you can achieve when you believe in

yourself, set goals, and work hard. Thank you for being a source of inspiration and a joy.

v

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. David B. Knight. I truly

appreciate your continued support to my academic development. Thank you for joining

me on this Ph.D. journey. I find myself very lucky that we both became Hokies in the

same semester. Dr. Holly Matusovich, thank you for making me feel a part of the team,

even from as far away as Afghanistan. I appreciate the early introduction to the writing

support group and for helping me laugh and remember that, its a process. To Dr. Eric

Kaufman, thank you for opening my eyes to a wider view of the leadership phenomenon.

Yours was the first classroom I entered on this Ph.D. journey and I am a better person for

the experience. Dr. Marie Paretti, thank you for introducing me to design education

research and the capstone design community. The possibilities are endless, and the

rewards to the student are many.

To the capstone coordinators and collaborators at all three research sites. Your

selfless support to this research project was critical to its success.

Thank you to the DEEP lab and the members of cognitive adjustment hour. I am

privileged to call you my academic siblings. Your suggestions and support were critical

to getting over the bumps and through the tough times. Thank you for making the past

three years a great experience. I look forward to working together in the future.

To Mom and Dad, Debbie, Chris, Brad, and Emily. Thanks for your continued support

through my many exciting endeavors. Not in my wildest dreams could I envision

transitioning from combat in Afghanistan to getting a Ph.D. in Blacksburg, Virginia.

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... x

List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... xiii

Chapter 1 .................................................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Leadership Development for Undergraduate Engineering Students ............................. 1

1.2 Need for this Research ................................................................................................... 3

1.3 Purpose of the Study ...................................................................................................... 5

1.4 Methods Overview ........................................................................................................ 8

1.5 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................... 8

1.5.1 Implications for Research ....................................................................................... 8

1.5.2 Implications for Practice ......................................................................................... 9

1.6 Definitions ................................................................................................................... 10

Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................ 13

2.1 Population and Sample Justification ............................................................................ 13

2.2 Site Selection and Demographics ................................................................................ 13

2.3 Capstone Design Course Comparison ......................................................................... 14

Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................ 20

3.1 Abstract ...........................................................................................................