Identifying the Situational Leadership® Approach of Student Employees' Supervisors at a Private University

College student employment has become an important aspect of life for many students pursuing higher education. Student employment programs provide students with the opportunity to earn income while learning skills that contribute to their personal and professional development. The impact of student employment on student development and the overall college experience is greatly influenced by the faculty and staff who supervise student employees (Burnside, 2017). Despite the crucial role played by faculty and staff in the development of student employees, many higher education institutions lack comprehensive professional development initiatives tailored specifically for student employees' supervisors. Therefore, the problem addressed in this research study is the lack of professional development opportunities offered to student employees' supervisors at Bay University (pseudonym). Two central research questions and two sub-questions guided the research study, aiming to assess the current Situational Leadership® behaviors of student employees' supervisors and explore how these behaviors can be enhanced through a professional development opportunity rooted in the principles of the Situational Leadership® Theory. The Situational Leadership® Theory (Hersey & Blanchard, 1969) and Perry's Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development (Perry & Harvard University, 1970) formed the theoretical foundation of this research study. The study was conducted in two phases: A quantitative phase and a qualitative phase. The quantitative phase used the Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description (LEAD) instrument (Hersey & Keilty,1973, 1980) to determine the student employees' supervisors' leadership behaviors before and after a Situational Leadership® workshop. The qualitative phase involved semi-structured interviews with student employees to determine their perceptions of the leadership behaviors of their supervisors after the completion of the Situational Leadership® workshop. While the quantitative analysis did not yield a statistically significant difference in the leadership behaviors of student employees' supervisors, mean scores and frequency values suggested a positive change in the leadership behaviors after the completion of the Situational Leadership® workshop. Furthermore, qualitative data demonstrated that the leadership behaviors of student employees' supervisors positively contribute to the personal and professional growth of students. The findings of this research study underscore the crucial role played by student employees' supervisors in student engagement and development. Therefore, higher education institutions must equip supervisors with the necessary tools and knowledge to support the overall development of student employees effectively. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]