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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 ...........................................................................................................