Abstract:

This study examined the role of students’ motivation to lead in predicting the decision to become leaders of professional development organizations within the field of agriculture. A sample (N=112) of students at a research-extensive public university in the Midwest participated. Results showed that students’ social-normative motivation, i.e., their motivation to lead based on a feeling of responsibility to the peers, emerged as a significant predictor. A logistic hierarchical regression showed that for every 1-point rise in students’ scale scores, their chances of being involved rose 32%. This finding suggests the important role that positive peer influence can play in students’ decision-making and provides a potential pathway for comprehensive recruitment strategies within agricultural organizations.