Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between the leadership attributes and motivation to lead (MTL) of undergraduates in Malaysia with their inclination to choose specific types of job characteristics or job attributes. Many researches has proven that personality is positively related to preferred job characteristics, but no research to the researchers’ knowledge has been done on leadership attributes and motivation to lead with selected job characteristics. Data were collected from 711 undergraduates from Malaysian public universities. The results showed that leader attributes contributes a stronger predictive effect than the motivation or keenness to lead in determining the selection of specific job characteristics. This finding supports the research hypothesis that undergraduates who have been exposed to leadership training and development have gained greater emotional and cognitive maturity that enable them to be more open to a broader range of job characteristic types. No significant difference was observed between males and females, nor between Science and Humanity programs of study in the students’ selection of specific job characteristics. Findings, implications and directionsfor research are discussed.
Highlights
University students in Malaysia who enter the university either directly from secondary school or from college preparatory programs or diploma programs generally range from 18 to 24 years old
The highest mean score was obtained for job meaningfulness (M=4.41; SD=.48), followed by recognition in job (M=4.33; SD=.55), job autonomy (M=4.30; SD=.61), collegial respect (M=4.10; SD=.57), and job social status(M=4.09; SD=.75)
The findings seem to suggest that the development of generic leadership attributes amongst undergraduates’ benefits them in helping them to be receptive to more quality job characteristics
Summary
University students in Malaysia who enter the university either directly from secondary school or from college preparatory programs or diploma programs generally range from 18 to 24 years old. Undergraduates who are 25 years old and above are adult students who usually have taken decisions to re-pursue education in the university after a break from academic or a brief spell of employment. The developmental period between adolescence and young adulthood has become increasingly blended and more protracted (Arnett, 2000; Furstenberg, Rumbaut, & Settersten, 2005) since young people remain in school longer. Home and family continue to be an important if not a major socialization routine during the stage late adolescence into young adulthood (Fussell & Furstenberg, 2005; Marcia, 1980)
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