Measuring the Leadership Effectiveness of Resident Assistants

Resident assistants who serve as peer leaders to other students are consistently considered crucial in creating a positive on-campus experience. Despite the demonstrated benefits these peer leaders bring to their communities and the significant monetary resources invested in them, there is a significant lack of research about their selection, training, and evaluation. This study sought to develop an instrument founded in theory and refined through statistical analysis that measures resident assistant effectiveness based upon Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal’s four frame model of leadership. The strongest implications from this study involve the high statistical reliability and validity in the instrument. The study also found that resident assistant effectiveness in three of the four frames— human resource, symbolic, and political leadership—has a meaningful impact on student involvement in residential communities.