CWB Leadership Study

What is the focus of the study?

Launched in fall 2017, the CWB Leadership Study is a longitudinal study that will assess how undergraduate student experiences at Bentley affect the development of team and leadership skills and early career trajectories. The study will consider several measures that demonstrate leadership development, including leadership competency, resilience, self-confidence, and self-awareness.

The Principle Investigators of this study are Dr. Laurel Steinfield, Assistant Professor in Marketing, Bentley University and Dr. Susan Vroman, Lecturer in Management, Bentley University, with Co-Investigators, Prof. Aaron Nurick in Management, Bentley University, and Dr. Greg Vaughan in Mathematical Sciences, Bentley University, in conjunction with the Center for Women in Business and the Office of Business Intelligence and Enrollment Systems.

How do I interpret my survey results?

Understand your results

Who are the subjects of the study?

Data will be collected from the Class of 2021, 2022, and 2023. Students will be asked to complete an annual survey for the duration of their Bentley education and at least 6 years post graduation. Students may also be asked to participate in related focus groups or interviews.

What students need to know:

You will participate in a short, annual online survey. Bentley Classroom

Over the course of your four years at Bentley and as you start your career, you will receive an invitation to participate in the CWB Leadership online survey. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

Each year you participate, you will receive your individualized results.

The CWB Leadership Study survey considers five key skills that are linked to leadership development — grit, resilience, political skills, self-efficacy, and self-confidence. The study also considers six fundamental leadership practices — leading change, delegating task, building relationships, being self-aware, motivating others, and gaining consensus. You receive results each year you complete the survey and gain insight on your development of these skills. Your results are not a measure of potential success, but rather provide a snapshot that you can use to become more self-aware.

Your name will be entered in an annual drawing for Bentley gear and other prizes.

In addition to receiving a comparative summary of your individual results, your name will be entered into an annual drawing for prizes including Bentley gear or an opportunity to join the CWB on a corporate visit.

There will be opportunities for additional involvement.

Students may also be invited to participate in interviews and focus groups that relate to their experiences at Bentley.

Confidentiality

All records of this study will be kept private and confidential. Survey data will only be reported publicly in the aggregate. Any material produced via interview or focus groups will use pseudonyms to persevere anonymity. Research records (including any audio recording) will be stored securely and only researchers approved to be involved in the project will have access to the records.

Voluntary Nature of the Study

Participation in this study is voluntary. A student's decision whether or not to participate will not affect current or future relations with Bentley University. Participants are free to refuse to answer any question and may also withdraw at any time without affecting those relationships.

Contacts and Questions

Questions? Please contact the organizers of this study via email at CWBLeadershipStudy@bentley.edu.

If you have any concerns regarding this study and would like to talk to someone other than the researcher(s), you are encouraged to contact Susan Richman, Director, Foundation Relations and Sponsored Programs, and Bentley’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) Chair, Bentley University, srichman@bentley.edu or 781.891.2660.

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