ASSESSING THE MANAGERIAL AND LEADERSHIP ABILITY OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL

Abstract

Abstract This article describes the results of a study designed to develop a core set of criteria considered essential in assessing the managerial effectiveness of community college administrative personnel. A major premise of the study was that once the criteria were developed, they could be combined with institution‐, unit‐, and position‐specific criteria to form an assessment instrument that could then become an integral part of a comprehensive community college management audit program. The initial criteria used in this study were developed through a review of the literature pertaining to organizational effectiveness in business and industry and performance evaluation of college and university personnel. This resulted in a listing of 70 management audit assessment criteria that was presented to a nationally selected panel of experts through use of the delphi method. It was concluded that (a) many business management methods and applications such as management auditing could be useful in improving community college practice; (b) many college administrators lack basic business management and leadership skills; (c) college administrators must become leaders who possess business management and leadership skills, and (d) management audit criteria can be developed for community colleges and used to identify specific areas in which administrators possess or lack business management and leadership knowledge and skills.