Relationship of personal and demographic variables with perceptions of automated office attitudes, knowledge, and skills of community college academic administrators.

Abstract

This study examined academic administrators from Arizona community colleges to determine whether those with different personal (age, sex, administrative experience, office automation experience) and demographic (job title, geographic location) characteristics differed in their office automation attitudes and their perceptions of knowledge and skills. Three subsidiary interests of the study were to examine whether administrators with different (1) perceptions of the importance of--and comfort with--automation skills and knowledge differ in their automation attitudes, knowledge, skill, and geographic location, (2) different demographic variables differ in their amount of--and skill with--automation equipment and software, and (3) different attitudes, knowledge, and skill characteristics differ in their use of automation equipment and software. The literature review discussed the evolution and impact of office automation, office automation in educational settings, and the nature of skills and knowledge in office automation. Research questions focused on the differences in office automation attitudes and perceptions of office automation knowledge and skill of administrators with different (1) personal and demographic characteristics, (2) perceptions of the importance (professionally and to their office) of--and comfort with--office automation, and (3) amounts of, skill with, and use of office automation equipment and software. Results suggest that academic administrators generally (1) have positive office automation attitudes, (2) view office automation as professionally important and important to their offices, (3) show deficiencies in their office automation knowledge and skill. In addition, younger administrators (25-46 years), with the job titles of Dean/Associate Dean, who have experience with office automation (9-15 years) and are employed by urban community colleges are more likely to implement office automation in their offices than older administrators (over 46 years), with the titles of Division Chair or Vice President, who have worked with office automation less than 9 years or more than 16 years, and who are employed by rural community colleges. Recommendations are suggested for continued study in evaluation and assessment of academic administrators' office automation attitudes, knowledge, and skill.