Runninghead:SORORITYWOMENANDPSYCHOLOGICALCAPITAL

ExamininghowSororityWomenwithinLargeUniversityPanhellenicOrganizationsExperience
PsychologicalCapitalDependentonLeadershipTraining
IowaStateUniversity
AlexandraM.Savat

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Abstract
Thepurposeofthisresearchproposalistoexaminehowsororitymemberswhoholdexecutive
leadershiprolesdeveloptheirpsychologicalcapitalandhowthelevelofthiscapitalinteracts
withtheleveloftrainingreceivedpriortoroleassumption.WiththesizeofGreeklifeandthe
concernaroundmentalhealthincreasing,professionalsdirectingthetrainingreceivedmustbe
awareofhowmembersarehandlingthepeerleadershiprolesmentally.Priorresearchregarding
thesubtopicsprimarilysurroundsGreeklife,mentalhealthandleadership,howeverlittle
researchisdoneonhowthesethreetopicsinteractwithoneanother.Theresearchwillbe
conductedthroughsurveyingsororitypresidentswhoattendIowaStateUniversity.

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NinemillioncollegeagedmenandwomenwithinTheUnitedStatesareinvolvedina
fraternityorsorority(TheFraternityAdvisor,2013).Greeklifehasbeenexpandingsinceits
colonizationoncollegecampusesinthe18thcentury(HistoryofGreekLifeinAmericanHigher
Education,2014).Beginningasliteraryanddebatesocieties,manyoftheseGreekorganizations
wereconsiderablydifferentthanthefraternitiesandsororitiesoncollegecampusestoday
(FraternityandSororityLife).Oncollegecampustodayroughly85%ofstudentleadersarealso
Greek(TheFraternityAdvisor,2013).Manyofthesecampusleadersaregiventrainingand
guidanceonhowtobeastudentleaderbutnocorrelationbetweenthementalcapabilityand
effectsofleadershipisaddressed.
Theexaminationofpsychologicalcapitalofsororitypresidentsiscrucialin
understandingtheproperwaytotrainandadvocateforyoungwomenleaders.Risingmental
healthconcernsincollegeagedstudentsposeanewquestionfortheoverallmentalandphysical
effectscollegestudentsface.Althoughsocietyisseeinganincreaseinmentalillness,verylittle
researchaddressesthepsychologicalcapitalthoseinleadershipdevelopandhowthetraining
receivedimpactstheseleaders.Thisgapwithintheexistingresearchisaprimaryareainwhich
researchneedstobedone.
Itiscriticaltostudythementalhealthofsororitywomenbecauseofthegrowingrate
Greekorganizationsareexperiencing.TheresearchwillbedoneatIowaStateUniversitysince
thenumberofGreekshasbeenincreasing.ThenumberofGreekshasincreasedfrom2,782in
2011to5,058in2016(IowaStateUniversityGreekAffairs,2016).Anincreaseinnumbers
meanstheorganizationsarehavingalargerimpact.Specificallyexaminingfemales,the

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percentageofwomeninaPanhellenicsororityatIowaStateUniversityhasincreasedfrom
12.5%in2011to21.3%in2016(IowaStateUniversityGreekAffairs,2016).Examininghow
thesemembersexperiencedailylifedifferentlythanthosenotinvolvedwithGreeklifemustbe
consideredinordertounderstandthewellbeingofallstudentsoncollegecampuses.Throughthe
understandingofhowsororitywomenimpactoneanotherandtheeffectsthishas,GreekAffairs
professionalscanbetterassiststudentsinselfdevelopmentandcare.Byunderstandinghowthe
systemofmentalhealthandleadershiptrainingwork,itallowsforimprovementsand
modificationstobemadethatwillbenefittheinteractionsstudentaffairsprofessionalshavewith
students.
AlongwiththerisingnumberofGreekmembers,thisisalsoarisingmentalhealth
concernsoncollegecampusesfurthermorequestionsneedtobeaddressedonhowtotrainyoung
leadersinmultipleaspects.Understandinghowleadersmentallyhandledifficultsituationsthat
occur,willallowustostudyiftheseleadersarelackingtrainingonhowtocareforthemselves
duringtheirleadershiptermoriftrainingiseffective.
Thepurposeofthisstudywillbetounderstandtheinfluencethatpresidencyhason
psychologicalcapitalforsororitywomenwithinPanhellenicorganizationsatlargeuniversities.
With26sororitieswithintheNationalPanhellenicConference,thisgrouphas411,242
undergraduatememberscurrentlyandanadditional144,183newmemberscurrentlyincoming
(NationalPanhellenicConference,2016).Itisimportanttounderstandthepsychologicalcapital
oftheleaderswithintheseorganizationsinordertounderstandhowPanhellenicwomenare
experiencingleadershipanddevelopment.Withintheresearch,psychologicalcapitalwillbe

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definedastheabilitytohandletheeffectsofleadershipintermsofmentalstabilityand
capability(Luthans,Norman,Avolio,&Avery,2008).

ResearchQuestions:
RQ1:Howdoesthelevelofleadershiptrainingpriortoassumingtheleadershiprole
impactsthepsychologicalcapitalthesororitywomanhas?
LiteratureReview
AlargeamountofresearchhasbeenconductedregardingGreeklife,mentalhealthand
leadership.Althoughthesethreetopicshaveaplethoraofresearchdoneisdoneindividually,
therearenoarticlesthatlinkallthreetopicstogether.Whilethereisnoresearchdoneonallthree
topicstogether,researchhasbeenconductedontwoofthetopics(Martin,Hevel&Pascarella,
2012).EventhoughalloftheresearchdoneonGreeklife,mentalhealthandleadership
contributestothebasisofknowledgeontheissues,moreresearchisneededtounderstandhow
peerleadershipwithinGreekorganizationsimpactsthepsychologicalcapitalofstudentsand
howthetrainingtheseleadersobtainimpactstheirpsychologicalcapital.Thisreviewofthe
relatedliteraturewillexaminehoweacharticlecontributestothethreetopicsindividually
(Greeklife,mentalhealthandleadership)andhowthesearticlesdiscussthetopicsandinwhich
areasimprovementscouldbemadeintheresearch.
GreekLife

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PredominantresearchregardingGreeklifeincludedinformationonhazing,substance
abuse,leadership,race,andacademics.Onearticledelvesdeeperintounderstandingthe
historicalaspectofhazingandhowanewpolicyshouldbeenactedinordertoreducehazing
relateddeaths(Alvarez,2015).Alvarezsresearchexplainshowhazingdatesbacktothe
classroomwhereitwasusedtocreatehierarchybetweenstudents.Itwasthenusedwithin
literarysocietiesandinthe1800sGreekletterorganizationsbegantoadoptthesepractices.
Alvarez(2015)examineshowmanyoftheFederalregulationstakeawayfinancialsupportfrom
thosefoundhazing.Inhisproposalofasolution,hebelievesthatcongressmustrequire
universitiesimplementanantihazingeducationprograminordertoreceiveanytypeoffederal
financing.Park,Sher,Wood,andKrull(2009)alsoexaminedhowheavydrinkersjoiningGreek
lifeincreasetheirdrinkinghabitsthroughtheirdecisiontojoinafraternity.Theresearch
discovered3primaryfindings.Firstthattheprecollegedrinkerscontinuedasgenerationsof
fraternitymenpassedthrough.Second,personalitytraitssuchasimpulsivityandneuroticism
wereassociatedwiththemembersselectedintothesystem.Third,perceivedalcoholavailability
andconsumptionbothincreasedfromthefirstsemesteruntilthestartofjunioryear(Park,Sher,
Wood,&Krull,2009).ResearchregardingalcoholandGreeklifewasalsodonebySassoand
Schwitzer(2016)inwhichtheyexaminediffraternitymembersexperiencedhigherratesof
socialdesirability,highratesofalcoholexpectationsandifthesetwofactorsinteractwithone
another.Theirresearchfoundthatfraternitymembersexperiencedhighlevelsofsocially
desirablebehaviorswithdrinkingandthatnewmembershadhigheruseexpectationswith
alcoholthanactivemembers.Researchdonewaslimitedtofraternitymenanddidnotexamine
howwomeninteractwithalcohol.Althoughthiswasthecasefortheresearch,itisimportantto

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notethatthisisapartoftheentireculturethatsororitywomenexperienceandmustbe
considered.
ResearchhasalsobeendonearoundnonwhitemembersinvolvedinGreekletter
organizationsexperienceasenseofbelongingandidentitycomparedtowhitemembers
(Hughey,2010).Thefindingsshowedthattheconflictofidentitieswhenblackstudentschoseto
joinaWhiteGreekLetterOrganizations(WGLOs)wasbrandingtowardstheirblack
communityidentity.HugheysstudyalsodiscoveredthatblackmembersinWGLOassumea
lowerroleonthehierarchywithinGreeksystems.However,theresearchwaslimitedinoffering
narrativesfromparticipantsinordertodevelopacompleteunderstandingoftheexperiences
(Hughey,2010).Inanotherarticleresearchers,StrayhornandMcCall(2012),examinedBlack
GreekLetterOrganizations(BGLO)universityassignedadvisorsviewsonadvising,cultural
competencyanddiversity.Theydiscoveredthatculturalcompetencyishighlyimpactedbythe
raceandlevelofeducationoftheadvisor.Althoughmuchofthisresearchdoesnotspecifically
addressPanhellenicsororities,itinembeddedwithintheGreekcultureandimpactstheway
theseindividualsareimpactedbysuchtopics.
Academiaistheprimaryfocuswithinauniversitysettingandthatremainsalargefocus
ofresearchwithintheGreekcommunity.ResearchbyLarryLong(2012)examinestheimpact
thatinvolvementwithsororitiesandfraternitieshaveonacademicperformance.Thisresearch
demonstratedthatsororityandfraternitymembers,withthepropersupportandculture,can
developanatmosphereofacademicsuccesswithintheirorganizationandfurthertheiroverall
academicperformance(Long,2012).Researchhasalsobeendonetoexploreifsororityand

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fraternityofficershavedifferenteducationalexperiencesandbenefitscomparedtononofficers
(Long&Snowden,2011).LongandSnowdensresultsshowedthatsororityandfraternity
officersreportedgreatergainsindiverseinteractions,interpersonalrelationshipskills,
interpersonalcompetence,leadershipskills,personaldevelopmentskills,selfworth,and
intrapersonalcompetence.Theresearchoveralldemonstratedthesignificanceinwhichofficers
experiencehigherratesofsatisfactionandleadershipskillscomparedtotheirnonofficer
counterparts(Long&Snowden,2011).
Martin,Hevel,andPascarellas(2012)studyexplorestheleadershipaspectofGreeklife.
ThisresearchexaminesifinvolvementwithinaGreekletterorganizationduringthefirstyearof
collegehadanimpactonthedevelopmentofleadershipinthosestudents.Theydiscoveredthat
membershipinaGreekorganizationsignificantlyincreasedthestudentsleadershipdevelopment
andthetrainingthatmembersreceiveincreasestheirindividualpowerandinstillsthe
organizationsoverarchingvaluestoassistthemintheirpersonaldevelopment.Theresearchers
cumulativefindingssupporttheiroverarchingfindingthatmembersinGreekorganizations
demonstrateincreasedleadershipdevelopmentcomparedtononGreekindividuals(Martin,
Hevel,&Pascarella,2012).
TheresearcharoundGreeklifeprimarilyfocusesonhazing,substanceabuse,leadership,
race,andacademics.Therearenotablegapsregardingfemalesinfluenceonmanyofthevarious
sectionsandhowbothsororitiesandfraternitiesplayintothetopics.Althoughthereisplentiful
researchconcerningspecificitiesofGreeklife,thereisverylimiteddataonthesupportthatis
providedregardingGreeklife,mentalhealthandpeerleadershipwithinGreeklife.Muchofthe

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researcharoundGreeklifefocusesonnegatives,suchasdrinking,hazingordiscrimination
whichareoftenhighlightedbymedia.ThereislittleresearchdoneonthebenefitsthatGreeklife
offers.
MentalHealth
Whendiscussingmentalhealth,itisimportanttonotethatthevariousresearchersuse
multipletermswhendiscussingmentalhealth.Thisresearchwillspecificallyusepsychological
capitalwhichwasdefinedearlierastheabilitytohandletheeffectsofleadershipintermsof
mentalstabilityandcapability(Luthans,Norman,Avolio,&Avery,2008).Thevarioustermsare
thewordsoftheresearchersandshouldnotbeconflatedwithpsychologicalcapital.
Mentalhealthcontinuestobeanaspectofthehumanpsychethatgoesprimarily
undisclosedasanidentityoneholds.ResearchersGostinandGable(2008)examinethelarger
systemsofmentalhealthwhichoftenfailtoacknowledgethosewithmentalhealthandthelack
ofpolicyprovidedtothoseindividuals.Theyexaminethreemythsthathavesurroundedand
continuetosurroundthosewithamentalillness.Firstthatthosewithmentalillnessesare
incompetenttomaketheirownchoices,secondthattheseindividualsareadangertosocietyand
thirdthatdeinstitutionalizationresolvedmanyissuesfacedbythosewithmentalillness.Gostin
andGablefurtherexaminehowstill,individualswithmentalillnessescontinuetohavetheir
humanrightsviolatedwithoutexplanation.Theyproposethatmentalhealthlegislationshould
includehumanrights,practicalimplementationshouldbeconsistentwiththeselegislation
policiestoreducestigma,andcountriesshouldensurefundingisprovidedformentalhealth
programs(Gostin&Gable,2008).

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Collegeagedindividualsexperiencementalhealthdifferentlyduringthecrucial
developmentalyearsofcollege.HuntandEisenbergsarticle(2010)examinestheliteratureon
collegestudentmentalhealthandrelatingbacktothebroaderissuesandliteratureontheyoung
adultpopulation.Withoneinthreecollegestudentsfeelingdepressedandoneinten
contemplatingsuicide,HuntandEisenbergeludetotheprevalenceofmentalhealththattakes
placeoncollegecampuses.Withanincreaseinnumbersfrom1015%diagnosedwith
depressionsince2005,studenthealthservicesinalsoseeinginanincreaseinthosereceiving
services.However,manystudentsdoseekservices.Eventhoughstudentsareseekingtreatment,
untreateddisordersarestillhighlyprevalentinstudentpopulationswithonly24%with
depressionreceivingtreatment.HuntandEisenbergbelievethereislittleevidenceontheeffects
ofinterventions,policiesandresourcesonseekinghelp.Howeverinformativetheinformation
HuntandEisenbergpresent,theresearchislimitedinexaminationofhowthesefindingsimpact
studentsandhowtohandlestudentwithmentalillnesseffectively(Hunt&Eisenberg,2010).
PsychologicalcapitalisdefinedbyresearchersLuthans,Norman,Avolio,andAvery
(2008)ashavinghope,resilience,optimismandefficacy.Instudyinghowpsychologicalcapital
playsaroleinfacilitatingasupportiveorganizationalclimatetheresearchersusequalitative
methodstoexaminethreesamplegroupswithindifferentcareerfields.Luthans,Norman,
Avolio,andAverydiscoveredthatpsychologicalcapitalplaysaveryimportantrolein
supportingthelinkbetweenasupportiveorganizationalclimateandemployeeperformance.This
studydiscoveredthattheimpacthighpsychologicalcapitalincombinationwithasupportive
climatehasincreasedpositiveoutcomes,howevertheresearchersstressthatifanindividualdoes
nothaveahighpsychologicalcapitalthanthesameresultsarequestionable.Accordingto

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researcherstheseimplicationsstriveforadeeperunderstandingoftheimpactalow
psychologicalcapitalmayhaveinfutureresearch(Luthans,Norman,Avolio,&Avery,2008).
Withinthisresearch,muchhasbeendonesurroundingtheaccesstomentalhealth
services,mentalhealthincollegestudentsandpsychologicalcapital.Therehasbeenlittle
researchdoneoniftrainingimpactspsychologicalcapital.Therearemanygapswithinthe
researchsurroundingmentalhealthasageneralterm.
Leadership
Articlesregardingleadershipareprimarilycenteredonspecificinstancesor
opportunities.However,threeprimaryareasofresearchareapparentandapplicabletomy
proposal;training,genderandpeerleadership.Hempsalls(2014)articleaimedtounderstandif
leadersinhighereducationarereceivingpropertraininganddevelopmentinordertobe
successful.Hempsalldiscoveredthatthreeconsistentthemeoccurredthroughoutinterviews,
opinionsofleadershipqualitiesandcompetences,challengesfacinghighereducationleadership
andpreparingforleadership(Hempsall,2015).AstudydonebyMendezandBusenbark(2015)
explorestherelationbetweengenderandleadershipthroughexaminationofhowthegap
betweenmaleandfemaleleadershipimpactsgroupsuccess.Theyexaminehow,eventhough
morewomenareassumingleadershiproles,thestereotypicalidealsofleadershipareassociated
withmasculinequalities.Thisresearchdiscoveredthatincommitteesettingmenareperceivedto
havehigherleadershipabilitiesthantheirwomancounterpartsandthathighlyparticipative
leadershipopportunitiesdonotfostergenderimpartialitywithincommittees(Mendez&
Busenbark,2015).

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Peerleadershipisspecificallyapplicabletoleadershipwithinhighereducationinwhich
studentsleadstudents.Wooten,Hunt,LeDuc,andPoskusdiscusshowtherolethatpeerleaders
playinthelearningprocessandassistingpeerswithfurtheradvancementallowsthemto
experiencerealsituations.Theauthorspointprimarilytocampusactivitiesinwhichpeer
leadershipismostcommonlydemonstratedandallowspeerleaderstomovebeyondeducational
cocurriculum.Wooten,Hunt,LeDuc,andPoskus(2012)believethatstudentsdevelopskillsthat
allowthemtolearnmoreaboutdiversityofpopulations,abilitiesofpeersandcriticallyanalyze
situations.Byallowingstudentstoengageintheseactivities,theyarefurtheringtheirself
developmentpreparationforfuturesociety(Wooten,Hunt,LeDuc,&Poskus,2012).
Researcharoundleadershipfocusesprimarilyontraining,genderandpeerleadership.
Verylittleresearchhasbeendonesurroundingtrainingandgenderinrelationtothecollegeage
population.Also,verylittlehasbeendoneinexaminationofhowanindividualspsychological
capitalimpactstheleadershipwhichisaprimarygap.
Greeklife,mentalhealthandleadership,althoughallresearchedexpensivelyintheirown
light,havenoresearchcombined.Researchregardingthepsychologicalcapitalofleadersand
howtrainingpriortotheleadershiprolehasaresponsibilityindevelopingcapital.Further
examinationofhowcollegementalhealthandpeerleadinginteractisalsonecessarytofulfill
gapswithinresearch.
TheoreticalFramework
Law,WongandMobleysconceptualframeworkwaspublishedin1998.Theframework
thattheyprovideddescribeshowmultidimensionalconstructscanrelatetoacorefactor.The

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researchersexplainthatthisframeworkwillclarifytheprimarycharacteristicsofmany
multidimensionalconstructs.Theframeworkdetailshowthecombinationofvariousattributes
andexternalfactorscometogethertoimpactsomeoneonmorethanasinglelevel,or
multidimensional.Law,WongandMobleyseparatethisframeworkintothreedifferentmodels;
thelatentmodel,theaggregatemodel,andtheprofilemodel.Thelatentmodeliswhere
constructsareformedandexistatdeeperlevels.Theaggregatemodelisthedetailedprocesses
andinnerfunctionsofthedimensions.Theprofilemodeliswhenconstructsaredevelopedas
variouslevelsofdimensionaltypes.Thethreemodelsallowforfurtherclassificationtooccur
andexaminetheissueastheoreticalinsteadofempirical(Law,Wong&Mobley,1998).
Inapplicationtomyresearch,thelatentmodelwillbeprimarilyused.Thismodel
observescharacteristicswhichareoftenreferredtoaspsychologicalcapitalalthoughnotdirectly
understoodasthiswithintheframework.Thelatentmodelexamineshowtheresponsesbased
arebasedonvariousfactorsimpactingtheobject.Law,WongandMobleysframeworkoverall
examinesthevariousdimensionsofanindividualsexperienceandhowtheyareimpactedbyit.
Intheexplanation,thelatentmodeldiscussedreferstowhatisunderstoodas
psychologicalcapitalandalthoughnotdirectlystatedassuch,Ibelievethatthisframeworkis
beneficialformyownresearch.AlthoughIdonotplantouseeachmodeloftheframework,the
latentmodelappliestothehigherlevelconstructthatunderliesthedescriptionofpsychological
capital.Aspsychologicalcapitalisdefinedasabilitytohandletheeffectsofleadershipinterms
ofmentalstabilityandcapability(Luthans,Norman,Avolio,&Avery,2008).Thisframework
examineshowvariousfactorsimpacttheexperiencewhileexaminingitinamultidimensional
fashion.

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Law,WongandMobleysframeworkisspecificallypertinenttotheresearchbeingdone
inthatitallowsforvariousaspectsoflifetobeconsidered.Thisiscrucialtomyresearch
becauseitexamineshowvariousfactorsandpersonexperiencesplayintohowtheindividualsis
abletohandletheeffectsofleadership.Byintegratingthisframework,theresearchisableto
examinefurtherhowexperiencesimpactoneanotherinadeeperlevel.Thelatentmodel
specificallyexaminesthedeeperlevelinwhichconstructsexistwhichisimportantwhen
discussingpersonaltopicsthatcomewithpeerleadership.
Methodology
Thisisaphenomenologicalqualitativeresearchstudyinwhichtheprincipalmotivation
forthestudywillbetounderstandthespecificexperiencesofsororityleadersandhowtraining
impactstheirpsychologicalcapital.Withinthisstudy,qualitativeresearchwillbeusedto
determinehowthelevelofleadershiptrainingpriortoassumingaleadershiproleimpactsthe
psychologicalcapitalasororitywomanhas.
ResearchDesign
Thisstudywillbequalitativeindesigninordertogainafullunderstandingofthe
experiencesofsororitywomen.ThisstyleofresearchfocusesonQualitativeresearchis
beneficialinpursuingtheresearchquestionsbecauseitenablestheresearchertotakean
inductiveapproachandfocusonindividualizedexperiencesandhowtheseexperiencescreate
overarchingmeaning(Creswell,2014).Thisstyleofresearchincludesdevelopingquestionand
procedurewhichoftencollectedthroughanaturalsettingortheparticipantsenvironment,and
analysisofsuchdatawhichbuildsfromdetailstothematicdiscoveries(Creswell,2014).Within
qualitativeresearch,theresearcheristheprincipaldatacollectionmechanism.Datainqualitative

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researchcanbeinnumerouspractices,someofwhichincludeobservations,documents,and
interviews(Creswell,2014).Qualitativeresearchalsoemphasizesonreflectivethoughtinwhich
theresearcherexaminestheirownpersonalbiasandhistorytounderstandhowthatshapestheir
roleasaresearcherandinteractionswiththeparticipants(Creswell,2014).Itisimportantforthe
researchertoutilizevariousmethodsofreflexivityinordertodevelopastudythatisunbiased.A
finalkeycomponentwithinqualitativeresearchistodevelopaholisticaccountinorderto
developacomplexpictureoftheproblemorissueunderstudy(Creswell,2014).
Inaphenomenologicalstudytheresearcherdescribesthelivedexperiencesofthe
participantsandinterpretsaphenomenonasdescribedbytheindividuals(Creswell,2014).
Phenomenologyisaformofqualitativestudyinwhichthecoreoftheindividualsexperiences
aroundaspecificphenomenonaremadeintomeaning(Creswell,2014).Inagreementwiththe
beliefsofthequalitativeresearchapproach,thisstudyoccurswithintheparticipantsnatural
environmentandexperiences.Phenomenologicalstudieshavetheirrootsinbothphilosophyand
psychology(Creswell,2014).Thisdesignisappropriateforthisresearchproposalbecauseit
examinespersonalexperiencesofindividualsanddevelopsphenomenonfromtheselived
experiences.Theresearchquestionfocusesonexamininghowthelevelofleadershiptraining
priortoassumingaleadershiproleimpactspsychologicalcapitalofPanhellenicsorority
presidents.Thisgroupofindividualswilleachhavevastlydifferentexperiencesand
backgroundsbutthismethodofstudyallowsforthecoreoftheirexperiencestobedeveloped
intoaphenomenon.Thescopeofthestudyexamineshowthelevelofleadershiptrainingfor
executivemembersinasororityimpactsthepsychologicalcapitalthroughthelivedexperiences
ofleadership.

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Thephenomenologicaldesignwillinfluencethisresearchstudyinthemethodinwhich
dataiscollected,thequestionsthatwillbeaskedtoparticipantsandtheengagementfromthe
researcher.Regardingdatacollection,utilizinginterviewsisaprimarymethodfor
phenomenologicalstudiesbecauseitallowsfortheresearchertogainunderstandingoflived
experiencesandthereforeisacriticalcomponentincollectingdata(Creswell,2014).
Consideringthattheinterviewprocessistheprimarycomponentfordatacollection,the
questionswillfocusonhowtheleadershiptraininghasshiftedthepersonalexperiencesduringa
leadershipterm.Intermsofthelevelofresearcherparticipation,therolewillbeactively
engagedintheconversationanddevelopingarelationshipthatencouragesopendialoguewith
theparticipant.
ResearchSite
MyresearchstudywilltakeplaceatIowaStateUniversitybecauseitisconsidereda
largecampuswithover36,660studentsandhasalargePanhellenicrepresentationwith31
Panhellenicsororities(IowaStateUniversity,2016).IowaStatewasspecificallychoseninorder
tomaintaintheMidwesternGreekexperiencewhichIknowdiffersdramaticallyfromthatofa
southernGreekexperience.ThisiscrucialinmaintainingtheculturethattheMidwesthasand
thegeneralenvironmentalfactorstheresearchisaimingtocollectwithinpersonalexperiences.
Inordertoremainingconsistentwithqualitativeresearchguidelines,thisstudywilltakeplace
withintheparticipantssetting(Creswell,2014).Bycollectingdataintheparticipantssettingthe
researcherisabletobetterunderstandthelivedexperiences.Theinterviewswillbeconductedin
TheOfficeofGreekAffairsinaprivatemeetingroomtomaintainconfidentialityforthestudent.
Themeetingswilltakeplaceafterregularofficehourstoensuremembersfeeltheiridentityis

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confidentialwithintheGreekAffairsstaff.Byutilizingafamiliarspace,oneinwhichall
executivemembersareacquaintedto,itmakesforaneaseofaccess.Ratherthanhavemembers
meetinthesororityhouse,wheremembersmayfeelthattheycannotspeakfreely,TheOfficeof
GreekAffairsallowsforasafespacethatisstillfamiliartothestudents.Housesoftenarefilled
withmanymembersandhavingameetingwouldinterferewiththeabilitytospeakopenly.
Ensuringthattheinterviewstakeplaceinanaturalsetting,oneinwhichtheyfeelsafe,butwhere
theparticipantshaveexperiencedtheissueisamajorcomponentofqualitativeresearch
(Creswell,2014).
ResearchStrategy&Sample
Theresearchparticipantswillberecruitedprimarilythroughpurposefulsampling.
Purposefulsampling,whichispredominatelyusedwithinqualitativeresearch,assiststhe
researcherinunderstandingoridentifyingtheissuetheyarelookingtoexamine(Creswell,
2014).Arecruitmentletter(AppendixA)intheformofanemailwillbesenttoalistofemail
addressesobtainedthroughTheOfficeofGreekAffairspurposefullyselectingonlysorority
chapterpresidentsorthosewhoarestillincollegeandhaveservedasachapterpresident.
Studentsmuststillbeenrolledintheinstitutioninordertoparticipate.Iplantouseasampleof8
students.Thisnumberischoseninthattherearecurrently17PanhellenicsororitiesatIowaState
UniversityandIamaimingtoreachabout40%ofthepresidents,whichis6.8participants.
Choosingthenumber8allowsforroomifoneparticipantdropsoutduringtheprocessandstill
havealargeenoughsamplesizetoworkwith.Participationinthestudywillbevoluntaryand
participantswillbegivenconsentforms(AppendixB)beforetheyparticipate.Theseformsdetail
theparticipantsrightstowithdrawfromthestudyatanytimeandexplaintherisks,benefitsand

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natureofthestudy.Theywillalsobemadeawarethattheirconfidentialitywillbemaintained
throughtheuseofpseudonymswhilecollectingthedata.
DataCollection
Datawillbecollectedthroughfacetofaceinterviewswitheachparticipant.The
interviewswillberecordedandwilllastforroughly60minutesinordertonottaketoomuchof
theparticipantstime.Therewillbe3separateinterviewtimesthroughoutthefallsemesterand
eachwillmaintainthe60minutetimeframe.TheinterviewswillstartinSeptemberofthe
academicyearinordertoensurethateachpresidenthashad6monthsofpriorpresidency
completedandhasgonethroughthetrainingrequiredbytheirsororitysgoverningbody.There
willbeoneinterviewinSeptember,oneinOctober,andoneinNovember.Interviewswere
selectedinordertobesthighlywhattheparticipantshavepersonallygonethrough,which
maintainstheobjectivesofthephenomenologicalstudy(Creswell,2014).Theinterviewswillbe
informalandrelaxedinhopeofdevelopingopendialoguewiththeparticipants.Thisdata
collectionmethodwaschosenbecauseitallowsforthemostindepthanalysistobedoneandto
betterunderstandthecomplexitiesoftheexperiences.Thepurposeofthisresearchistostudyin
depthinformationregardingthepsychologicalcapitaltheseexecutiveleaders,whichcanbestbe
interpretedthroughinterviewsthatoccuroneononeandfacetoface.Theideaistounderstand
theparticipantsinterpretation,experiencesandfeelingsaretowardsthetopic.Inordertogain
thebestunderstandingofthispicturetheinterviewswillbeheldasopenendedquestions
allowingforparticipanttogointofurtherdetailsabouttopicstheyfeelareimportantbutallow
fortheresearchertodirectconversationifneedbe.Thequestionsweredevelopedbythe
researcherthroughpersonalexperienceandunderstandingoftheGreekcommunity.The

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questionsareexperiencebasedfrompersonalleadershiproles.Thequestionsstartgeneraland
worktowardsmoreindepthpersonalquestionsasrelationshipsdevelopthroughoutthe3
interviews(Creswell,2014).Interviewsallowfortheresearchertocontroltherouteinwhichthe
conversationtakesandallowsforhistoricalbackgroundinformationtobeconveyedtothe
researcher,bothofwhichsupportthisresearch(Creswell,2014).Interviewsarealsousefulwhen
theparticipantscannotbeobserveddirectly(Creswell,2014).Inthecaseofthisresearch,the
researchislookingtoexaminepastexperiences,ongoingrelationshipsanddailycontact
throughoutayearlongperiodcomparedtoshortobservationalmoments.
DataAnalysis
Throughoutthedatacollectionprocess,Iwilltakeindepthnotesanddodetailedjournal
notesaftereachinterviewtodetailanythemesthatmaybecomeapparent(Creswell,2014).After
writingmypersonalnotesIwillthenexaminetheinterviewthroughtherecordeddataand
comparemyjournalentrywiththeinterviewtoclarifythatnounderlyingthemeswere
overlooked.OnceallofthisinformationisreceivedIwilldedicateafiletoeachinterviewwith
initialnotes,journalentry,interviewtranscription,participantnotesandinterviewrecordingin
ordertodevelopaconcisepictureofthethemesdevelopingineachinterview.Thisprocesswill
continueaftereachinterviewandbeidenticalineachprocess.Afterthisinformationiscollected
theanalysisprocesswillhighlightsignificantstatementsmade,themesthatdevelopedinthe
conversationandquotationsinordertobegindevelopingadepiction.Throughthisprocess
informationwillbegintobesortedintocategoriesandthemesdependentonthemeaning
(Creswell,2014).Themesthatmayarisemayincludeitemssuchasleadershipgrowth,
psychologicalcapital,andpersonaldevelopment.Basedofftheresponsesgivenandthemesthat

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becomeapparent,responseswillbeanalyzedaccordingtotheirrespectivecategoryorcommon
theme.
Trustworthiness
Inordertoincreasetrustworthinesswithinthisstudy,theresearcherwillenactvarious
methodsthroughouttheresearchprocess.Thefirstmethodinwhichtrustworthinesswillbe
testedisthroughrespondentvalidation.Respondentvalidationallowsfortheresearcherto
communicatewiththeparticipanttodetermineifwhatwasinterpretedwasaccurate(Creswell,
2014).Withinthisstudy,oncetheinterviewhasbeentranscribedIwillsendtheinitialnotesand
roughoutlineofthetranscription,notfulldetail,totheparticipant(AppendixC)andaskthemto
clarifythefindingsandaskiftheyhaveanyotheradditions.Theywillhave7daystoreplywith
modificationsorupdates.Anupdatedjournalentryfromtheirresponsewillbeaddedintothe
documentationaftereachemailisreceivedwithmodificationsand/orvalidation.Email
communicationwaschosenforeaseandspeedinthisprocess.Thisprocessallowsforthe
participantstoaddinanyfurtherthoughtsandcommentonpreliminaryfindingsfromthe
interview(Creswell,2014).
Thesecondmethodinwhichthisstudywillbevalidatedisthroughclarifyingthebias
broughttothestudy.Clarificationofindividualsbiasallowsfortheresearchtodevelopan
honestnarrativeandreflectonhowtheirroleimpactstheinterpretationofdata(Creswell,2014).
ThiswillbebeneficialinthisresearchstudybecauseI,theresearcher,haveverystrongpersonal
tiestotheissueandreflectingbackonmypersonalbiasiscrucialinnotskewingresearchinto
somethingitisnot.IwasbothamemberofaGreekPanhellenicsororityandanexecutiveleader
fortwoyears,thusIwillbeabletorelatetotheparticipantswithinthestudy.Inaddition,my

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undergraduateinstitutionhadaverysmallGreekcommunityconsistingof300memberstotal.I
washeavilyinvolvedwithsororityleadershipandanactiveagentbothlocallyandnationally
withmyorganization.However,therearecertainaspectsofmybackgroundthatarenotlikelyto
besharedwiththeparticipants.AlthoughsomeoftheidentitiesIholdandmypersonal
backgroundscouldpotentiallybeparalleltoparticipantsinthestudy,italsocouldpresentethical
concerns.TheseidentitiesandexperiencesthatIhavecouldendupprojectingtheexperiences
thatIhavewithGreeklifeandleadershipontotheresearchstudyparticipants.Iwillmakesure
thatmybiasesdonotgetinthewaybyenlistingacolleaguetocheckmyworkalongeachstep
oftheprocesstomakesurenobiasesarebecomingapparentintheresearch.BydoingthisI
wouldbereceivinginaccurateinformationandwouldberestrictingtheparticipantsauthentic
voice.Inordertocircumventtheseissues,Iwillbecognizantthatotherstudentshavetheirown
experienceswhichmayormaynotbesimilartomyownthroughtheprocessofpraxisin
journaling.
Limitations
Therearenotablelimitationswithinthestudy.Narrowingthestudytospecifically
examinesororitypresidentsremovesalargeportionoftheleadershippopulationthatmayhave
valuableexperiences.Anotherlimitationisthatallofthestudentswillbeonlyhalfoftheway
donewiththeirpresidencyandmaygainmorevaluableknowledge,whichisapplicabletothis
research,laterwithintheirterm.Withinterviewstakingplaceinacampusofficesomestudents
mayfeelthepressuretorespondprofessionallyandnotbeasopenasdesired.Anotherlimitation
isthatinbeingaresearcher,somestudentsmayfeelthatmypresenceismoreofficialandless
casualonceagaininhibitingthenaturalsettingthatisdesiredwithininterviewsinqualitative

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research(Creswell,2014).Finally,withsuchasmallsamplesizeitisdifficulttogeneralizethe
experiencesofthesewomentoallPanhellenicsororitypresidentsandleadersstudyingat
universitiesintheUnitedStates.
Positionality
Inordertoidentifyhowbiasesmayimpactmyresearch,itisimportanttoexplorethe
identitiesIholdthatmayimpactthefindingswithintheresearch.Personalperspectives,both
insiderandoutsider,willbeexploredalongwiththeimplicationstheseperspectiveshaveonthe
research.
IamawhitefemalecomingfromanupperclassfamilyraisedintheMidwest.Icome
fromaGreeklifebackgroundatasmallliberalartsuniversityandamamentalhealthsupport
advocate.IamagraduatestudentinthestudentaffairsprogramatIowaStateUniversity,holding
anassistantshipintheadmissionsdepartment.Ihavehadnopriorfulltimeworkexperiencebut
amheavilyinvestedinthisresearchduetotheaspirationtoworkintheGreekcommunity.
Asaninsider,Iamanactivememberofthefraternityandsororitycommunity.Iaman
alumnusofapredominantlywhitePanhellenicsororityandcontinuetoremainengaged.Through
thisexperienceIhaveknowledgeandunderstandingoftheterminology,exercises,traditionsand
beliefsofthoseintheGreeklifecommunity.Ialsoholdaninsiderperspectivethroughholding
leadershippositionswithinGreeklifeandunderstandinghowpeerleadershipwithinGreeklife
works.HavingthisexperienceandknowledgeoftheGreekcommunitycaninfluencemy
researchbyallowingmetorelateonapersonalleveltothoseintheGreekcommunity.Myheavy
involvementalsoinfluencesthepreconceivednotionsIhaveoftheinternalworkingsofeach
GreekorganizationandhowtheseleadersfunctionprimarilyinMidwesternuniversities.Having

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leadershipexperiencehasthepotentialtoinfluencemyresearchthroughpriorexperiencesduring
mytimeasapeerleader.MyroleasaleaderinGreeklifehasmademequestionhowsorority
womeninthesedifficultleadershippositionshandletoughpeerleadership.
AlongsidethevariousinsiderperspectivesIhold,therearemultipleoutsiderperspectives
thatmayimpacttheconnectionIhavewithresearchparticipantsandinturnimpacttheresults
received.Asawhitewoman,IwillnotholdthesameracialidentityassomeofthewomenIwill
beinterviewing.TheprivilegesIholdregardingmyracialidentitycouldinfluencethe
interactionswiththosewhodonothavethesameexperiences.Ialsoholdanoutsideperspective
fromasmallGreekcommunitywithlimitedoutsideexposuretolargeGreeksystems.Thiscould
impactthewayIinteractwiththeexecutivemembersinexpectationsofmyunderstandingsof
Greeklifeondifferentcampuses.
MypositionasagraduatestudentwhoisinvolvedwithGreekorganizationonanational
levelwillaffectthewaythatparticipantsinteractwithmeduringinterviews.Studentsmay
assumethatduetomypositionIhavemoreunderstandingofcertainsituationsandwillanswer
whattheybelievewouldbeacorrectanswer.Also,beinginapositionofauthority,students
maybehesitanttodiscusspersonaltopics.MydesiretoworkintheGreekAffairssystemalso
impactsthewayinwhichIapproachtheresearchduetomyheavylevelofinterest.Inorderto
notskewmyresearch,beingawareofthispreconceptioniscrucialtounbiasedresearch.

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References
Alvarez,D.(2015).Deathbyhazing:ShouldtherebeaFederallawagainstfraternityand
sororityhazing?JournalofMultidisciplinaryResearch,7.4375.
Creswell,J.(2014).ResearchDesign:Qualitative,Quantitative,andMixedMethods
Approaches
(4thed.).SAGEPublications.
FraternityandSororityLife.(n.d.).AppalachianStateUniversity.Retrievedfrom
https://greeks.appstate.edu/historyofgreeklife
Gostin,L.,&Gable,L.(2008).Globalmentalhealth:Changingnorms,constantrights.
GeorgetownJournalofInternationalAffairs,9.8392.
HistoryofGreekLifeinAmericanHigherEducation.(2014).RehobothJournal.Retrievedfrom
http://www.rehobothjournal.org/historyofgreeklife/
Hempsall,K.(2014).Developingleadershipinhighereducation:PerspectivesfromtheUSA,the
UKandAustralia.JournalofHigherEducationPolicyandManagement,36.383394.
Hughey,M.(2010).Aparadoxofparticipation:Nonwhitesinsororitiesandfraternities.Journal

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ofSocialProblems,57(4),653679.
Hunt,J.,&Eisenberg,D.(2010).Mentalhealthproblemsandhelpseekingbehavioramong
collegestudents.JournalofAdolescentHealth,46.310.
IowaStateUniversityGreekAffairs.(2016).GreekCommunityMembershipStatistics.Iowa
StateUniversity,GreekAffairs,Ames.
Law,K.,Wong,C.,&Mobley,W.(1998).Towardataxonomyofmultidimensionalconstructs.
TheAcademyofManagementReview,23(4),741755.
Long,L.(2012).Amultivariateanalysisoftherelationshipbetweenundergraduate
Fraternity/Sororityinvolvementandacademicperformance.TheResearchJournalofthe
AssociationofFraternity/Sororityadvisors,7(2),3747.
Long,L.,&Snowden,A.(2011).Themoreyouputintoit,themoreyougetoutofit:The
educationalgainsoffraternity/sororityofficers.TheResearchJournalofthe
AssociationofFraternity/Sororityadvisors,6,113.
Luthans,F.,Norman,S.,Avolio,B.,&Avery,J.(2008).Themediatingroleofpsychological
capitalinthesupportiveorganizationsclimate:Employeeperformancerelationship.
JounralofOrganizationalBehavior,29.219238.
Martin,G.,Hevel,M.,&Pascarella,E.(2012).Dofraternitiesandsororitiesenhance
sociallyresponsibleleadership?JournalofStudentAffairsResearchandPractice,49,
267284.
Mendez,M.,&Busenbark,J.(2015).Sharedleadershipandgender:Allmembersareequalbut
somemorethanothers.LeadershipandOrganizationDevelopmentJournal,36.1734
NationalPanhellenicConference.(2016).Annualreport.Retrievedfrom

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https://www.npcwomen.org/resources/pdf/201516%20Annual%20report.pdf
Park,A.,Sher,K.,Wood,P.,&Krull,J.(2009).Dualmechanismsunderlyingaccentuationof
riskydrinkingviafraternity/sororityaffiliation:Theroleofpersonality,peernorms,and
alcoholavailability.JournalofAbnormalPsychology,118(2),241255.
Sasso,P.,&Schwitzer,A.(2016).Examiningsocialdesirabilityorientationandalcoholuse
expectationsasfactorsinfraternitydrinking.TheResearchJournaloftheAssociationof
Fraternity/Sororityadvisors,11,1735.
Strayhorn,T.,&McCall,F.(2012).CulturalcompetencyofblackGreekletterorganization
advisors.JournalofAfricanAmericanStudents,16.700715.
TheFraternityAdvisor.(2013).GreekLifeStatistics.Retrievedfrom
http://thefraternityadvisor.com/greeklifestatistics/
Wooten,B.,Hunt,J.,LeDuc,B.,&Poskus,P.(2012).Peerleadershipincocurriculum:Turning
campusactivitiesintoaneducationallypurposefulenterprise.NewDirectionsforHigher
Education,157.4560.

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AppendixA:RecruitmentLetter

DearRespondent,
MynameisAlexandraSavatandIamagraduatestudentIowaStateUniversity.Iam
conductingaresearchstudyexamininghowsororityleadersexperiencepsychologicalcapital
basedoffofleadershiptrainingreceived.Theresultsofthisstudywillhopefullyhelp
Panhellenicsororitiesunderstandhowtobesteducationtheexecutiveleadersofthese
organizations.IunderstandthatyouarecurrentlyservingasapresidenttooneofthePanhellenic
sororitieshereatIowaStateUniversity.

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IaminterestedinyourexperiencesstudyingatIowaStateUniversityasacurrent
presidentofaPanhellenicsorority.Mystudywillconsistofoneinterviewsfacetoface
interviewthatwilltakeplacewithinTheOfficeofGreekAffairsandwilllastabout60minutes.
Pleasenotethatyourparticipationinthisresearchstudyincompletelyvoluntaryandyour
identitywillbeprotectedateverystepoftheprocess.
Enclosedyouwillfindaconsentformforyoutoexamine.Pleaselookovertheformand
contactmeifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcernsaboutthisstudy.Ifyouwouldliketopartake
inthestudy,pleasesignanddatetheconsentformandreturnitintheselfaddressedenvelope.I
lookforwardtolearningaboutyourexperienceswithinIowaStateGreekLife.Your
contributionwillbedeeplyappreciated.
Sincerely,
AlexandraSavat
IowaStateUniversity

AppendixB:InformedConsentForm
Youareinvitedtoparticipateinaresearchstudydesignedtoexploreleadershiptraining
forPanhellenicsororitypresidentsandpsychologicalcapital.Ihopetolearnifthelevelof
trainingpriortoassumptionoftheleadershiproleimpactsthepsychologicalcapitalofthe
executiveleaderduringtheirterm.Beforeagreeingtoparticipateintheresearchstudyplease
lookoveralloftheinformationbelow.Theinformationdetailstheprocedure,benefits,risksand
withdrawalrights.

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ProcedureIfyouchosetoparticipateinthestudy,theresearcherwillscheduleatime
duringthemonthofSeptember2017toparticipateinafacetofaceinterview.Thiswillbea
onetimeinterviewandIestimateitwillrequire60minutesofyourtime.Ifyoudecideto
participate,youwillbeaskedtoansweraseriesofquestionsdetailingyourleadershipand
experienceasasororitypresident.TheinterviewwilltakeplaceinTheOfficeofGreekAffairs.
ConfidentialityDatacollectedduringthecourseofthisstudywillbesavedwiththe
researcheronlyunderpasswordprotectionandinformationwillbedisclosedonlywith
participantsconsentorasmandatorybylaw.Iftheresultsofthisstudyarepublishedor
presented,nonameswillbeassociatedwiththedatacitedinsteadpseudonymswillbeusedfor
allparticipants.Theresearcherwillbetheonlyonewithaccesstopersonalcontactinformation
andresponses.Attheconclusionofthestudy,anymaterialthathasnamesorcontactinformation
willbeshredded.Datawillcontinuouslybekeptinapasswordprotectedformatdocument.
RisksandBenefitsWithinthisresearchstudytherearenophysicalorsocialrisksto
theparticipants.Throughparticipationinthisstudyyouwillhavetheopportunitytoprovide
informationonhowyourexperienceasasororitypresidentimpactsyourexperiencesandhow
yourleveloftrainingpriortoroleassumptionhasplayedarole.Thisinformationoffersleaders
anopportunitytoprovideinformationthatcanassistPanhellenicorganizationsindeveloping
leadershiptrainingtobestassisttheexecutivemembers.Responsesareincrediblyvaluedand
havethepotentialtoimpactthetrainingandleadershipskillsfutureexecutivemembersreceive.
Byparticipatinginthisstudy,youwillhavetheopportunitytoreceiverefreshmentsatthe
interviewssession.

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Forquestionsaboutthisresearchproject,contactAlexandraSavatatasavat@iastate.edu
or8888888.Forquestionaboutresearchsubjects'rightsorresearchrelatedinjuries,contactthe
OfficeforResponsibleResearch(orrweb@iastate,edu).
Participationinthisstudyisvoluntary.Adecisionnottoparticipatewillinvolveno
penaltyorlossofbenefitstowhichyouareentitled.Youmaydiscontinueparticipationatany
timewithoutpenaltyorlossofbenefits.Adecisionnottoparticipateorwithdrawwillnotaffect
yourcurrentorfuturerelationshipwithIowaStateUniversity.
Youwillbeofferedacopyofthisformtokeep.Youaremakingadecisionwhetheror
nottoparticipateinthestudydescribedabove.Participationisvoluntary.Youmaywithdrawat
anytimewithoutprejudiceaftersigningthisform.Yoursignatureindicatesthatyouhaveread
theinformationprovidedabove,hadanopportunitytoaskquestionsaboutthestudy,andhave
decidedtoparticipate.

Signature_______________________________Date_________________

Iagreetoenablethisinterviewtoberecorded:
____________________________________Date__________________

AppendixC:PostInterviewContactEmail

HelloRespondent,

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Thankyouforyourtimetheotherday.Iappreciatedgettingtositdownwithyouand
discusstheinformation.Yourexperiencesandbackgroundareincrediblyusefulinfurther
understandinghowsororityleadersexperiencepsychologicalcapitalbasedoffoftheirleadership
training.
BelowyouwillfindnotesthatIhadmaderegardingsomeoftheinformationdiscussed
andaverbatimtranscriptionoftheinterview.Pleaseletmeknowwithin7daysifyoufeelthat
anymodificationsneedtobemade.Youarealsowelcometoprovideclarificationonanyareain
whichyoufeelyouwouldliketoexpandonsincetheinterview.

Asalways,ifyouhaveanyquestionspleaseletmeknow.

AlexandraSavat
IowaStateUniversity

AppendixD:InterviewQuestions(Interview#1)
1. Whatisyourname?Whereareyoufrom?Whatorganizationareyouapartof?Whatare
youinvolvedwithoncampus?

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2. WhydidyougoGreekandwhathasyourexperience/timelinebeenlikewithintheGreek
system?
3. HowwouldyoudescribeyourleadershiptrainingyouhavehadfromIowaState
University?
4. Howwouldyoudescribeyourleadershiptrainingfromyournationalorganization?
5. Whatdidany/allofthistraininglooklike?Didyoufindituseful?
6. Weretherecertainareasofthetrainingyoufoundusefulandcertainyoufoundnot
useful?
7. Howhasyourleadershiptrainingplayedaroleinyourtimethusfarservingaspresident
ofyoursorority?Ifnot,why?
8. Howhasyourleadershipexperiencebeensofar?
9. Whatareashaveyoustruggledwithandwhatareashavebeengood?

AppendixE:InterviewQuestions(Interview#2)
1. Howhasthepresidencybeengoingsincewelasttalked?
2. Wetalkedalotaboutleadershiptrainingpreviouslybutnotmuchaboutyouasaperson,
howdoyoutakecareofyourselfduringthistimeasaleader?
3. Whatdoesyourscheduleonadaytodaybasislooklike?
4. Afterasituationthatwasdifficulttohandle,howdoyouworkthroughthemental
struggletomoveon?

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5. Doyoufeelthatyourleadershiptimehasbeenpsychologicallypositiveornegativeto
yourbeing?
6. Whodoyouhaveinyourinnercirclethatyougotoingoodandbadtimes?
7. Doyoufeelthatfromapsychologicalperspectiveyouhavedevelopedsincebecominga
leader?
8. Hasleadingyourpeersplayedaroleversusifyouwereleadingothersoutsideofyour
organization?Ifyes,how?

AppendixF:InterviewQuestions(Interview#3)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Howhasthepresidencybeengoingsincewelasttalked?
Whatchangeshavebeentakingplace,ifany?
Howwouldyoudescribeyourrelationshipwithfellowexecutivemembers?
Howwouldyoudescribeyourrelationshipwithothersisters?
Howdoyoubelieveothermemberswithinthesororityperceiveyou?
Howdoyoupersonallyperceiveothermemberswithinyoursorority?
Whatdoesyourprocesslooklikewhentoughsituationsarisewithinthesororityandthe

resolutionsolutionfallsonyourlap?
8. How,ifatall,hasbeingpresidentaffectedtherelationshipsyouhavebothpositivelyand
negatively?Anyotherways?

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9. Asyourpresidencycomestoaclose,whatwouldyouhavechangedifyoucouldgo
back?
10. Istheresomethingyoufeellikeyouwishyouwouldhavehadorknownbeforestarting?

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