Phelps to speak at Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology annual meeting

Doctoral student Kirstin Phelps will speak later this month at the 31st Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, which will be held on April 14-16 in Anaheim, California. The event includes research presentations related to industrial-organizational psychology; the scientific study of work at the individual, organization, and society levels; and the application of that study to workplace issues.

Phelps will present her paper, "Using SNA to Evaluate Effects of the LeaderShape Institute,” during a juried paper panel on the topic, “The Intersection of Leadership Development and Social Contexts,” on April 15 at 8:30 a.m.

Abstract: This paper will present initial findings from an evaluative study of leadership resource networks among student participants of a week-long leadership development institute. With estimates of over one thousand leadership education programs offered at college campuses, an important area of research is exploring the impact and influence of such programs on the development of student leadership capacities and outcomes. With the growing interest in network approaches to leadership, this study applied a combination of network methods with traditional survey and focus group methods to understand students’ leadership network development. Sociometric data was collected from fifty-eight participants prior to and after participation. Initial findings reflect an increase in friendship networks among participants while identifying differences in helping participants establish connections for other leadership resources. Implications for leadership development are discussed.

At GSLIS, Phelps focuses on research that addresses interactions and behaviors in online environments. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the leadership processes and practices in online spaces by exploring what environmental structures help or hinder the leadership process, the differences or similarities to online leadership practices as compared to real life practices, and general information behavior in groups.

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