Exploring the Socially Responsible Leadership Capacity of College Student Leaders Who Mentor

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how participation as a mentor in a leadership-based mentoring program influences socially responsible leadership capacity. Previous studies have shown mentoring to influence gains in socially responsible leadership capacity of college students; however, these studies only examined college student who were being mentored. This study addresses this gap by examining college students who serve as mentors. Using the Social Change Model of Leadership as a guiding theoretical framework, the socially responsible leadership capacity of college students who serve as mentors in a leadership-based mentoring program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Data was collected using the SRLS-R2, and scores of mentors were compared to: (1) national averages from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership, and (2) college student leaders who do not mentor. Results from independent samples means tests demonstrate that college students who mentor have significantly higher capacity to engage in socially responsible leadership on all eight scales of the Social Change Model (consciousness of self, congruence, commitment, collaboration, common purpose, controversy with civility, citizenship, and change) when compared to national averages. When compared to college student leaders who do not mentor, college mentors scored significantly higher on the consciousness of self scale. These findings suggest serving as a mentor is a factor that influences growth in socially responsible leadership capacity and personal identity development. Adviser: James V. Griesen.