Developing Relational Leaders Through Sorority Engagement: A Quantitative Approach

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand what personal, environmental, and experiential aspects of undergraduate sorority engagement promote relational leadership development. A robust literature review and theories of relational leadership developed for application within the collegiate context provided the foundation for this inquiry. Through use of multilevel modeling, we analyzed a sample of 8,435 undergraduate National Panhellenic Conference sorority women from 172 institutions located within the United States. Results demonstrated the substantial importance of supportive sisterhood at both the individual and group level and showcased how variations in perceptions of sisterhood (e.g., accountability), student involvement (e.g., additional activities), and background characteristics (e.g., SES) affected undergraduate sorority members’ relational leadership development. We close by discussing our findings and offering implications for future practice and research.