Leadership Dynamics: Exploring Communication Styles of Student Leaders in One Campus of a State University and its Implications for Institutional Policies

Abstract

Leadership is often defined as the ability to influence a group of individuals to work towards the goals of an organization while effective communication is essential for the existence, efficient operation, and success of any organization. This study utilized the Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Research Design (ESMMRD) to examine the communication styles employed by school leaders at a specific campus within a state university. The research involved a sample of 70 randomly selected student leaders who assessed their communication styles. The results indicated that these student leaders perceived themselves to possess a high level of assertive communication style while displaying a moderate level of passive and passiveaggressive communication styles. Conversely, their aggressive communication style was found to be low. Further analysis based on leadership positions revealed a significant difference in favor of student leaders in major positions. Additionally, the study explored the relationship between profile variables and communication styles, uncovering a negative correlation between the students' year levels and the manifestation of passive communication style. This suggests that as student leaders progress to higher year levels, they become more adept at asserting themselves. Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between leadership position and assertive communication style, indicating that higher leadership positions were associated with a greater demonstration of assertive communication. These findings underscore institutional policy implications to implement capacity-building initiatives to enhance the leadership and communication styles of student leaders.