The relationship between perceived leader behavior and alcohol consumption among university students who are members of social fraternities

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the influence of selected personal and institutional demographic characteristics on the alcohol consumption of students enrolled in a research extensive university in the southern portion of the United States who were members of a social fraternity. The two main goals of this study were: 1) to determine if a relationship existed between the level of alcohol consumption and the perceptions of the effectiveness of the current organizational leadership among students who were members of social fraternities at a research extensive university in the southern portion of the United States and 2) to determine if a model existed that explained a significant portion of the variance in the current level of alcohol consumption from selected demographic characteristics and perceptual and experiential factors among students who were members of social fraternities at a research extensive university in the southern portion of the United States. The target population for this study was defined as all students enrolled in colleges and universities who were members of social fraternities. The accessible population was defined as students currently enrolled in one research extensive university located in the southern portion of the United States who were members of social fraternities. The sample consisted of all students who were active members of six social fraternities selected through a stratified, cluster random sampling procedure. The instrument utilized in this study consisted of three parts: 1) the Alcohol Use and Drinking Behavior Survey, a researcher designed instrument developed to measure alcohol consumption patterns and perceptions of selected alcohol related issues and effects using a combination of questions emerging from the current literature and from the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (1994a); 2) the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ), used to measure specific aspects of the leader behavior of presidents of social fraternities as perceived by the membership of that fraternity; and 3) the Leadership Effectiveness Instrument (LEI), a researcher developed scale, designed to measure perceived leader effectiveness. One finding resulting from this study was that chapter presidents of social fraternities consumed substantially less alcohol than other members of those same social fraternities.