responded late (after the follow-up survey was sent). Differences were examined in the

 responses of these groups to determine if there were any significant differences between

 the responses, the differences examined include survey responses and demographic

 information. There were no significant differences found in the surveys of the early and

 late respondents, which indicates that it was an unbiased sample of recipients.

 Instruments Used in Data Collection

 Three instruments were used in the data collection for this study. The first was an

 interview questionnaire found in Appendix C. This questionnaire was developed by the

 researcher and sought to determine the competencies and skills that were perceived by

 the leadership of the state Farm Bureau organization as necessary leadership attributes

 that local county board members should have to make them effective members of their

 county boards. These questions also were used to determine from the state leadership the

 perceived needs of the county boards, the perceived needs of the Farm Bureau

 organization, and the needs of Farm Bureau members. There were 16 questions used for

 this interview and based on interviews with Farm Bureau leadership and from a review of

 the literature.

 This instrument was evaluated by a panel of experts for content and validity and

 pilot tested with a comparable group of leaders from two other state Farm Bureaus.

 These pilot tests were conducted over the telephone and lasted approximately one hour.

 The interviews were transcribed by the researcher and analyzed for content. Minor

 changes were made to the interview questionnaire from the results of the pilot test.

 This questionnaire was administered by the researcher to leaders of the Florida

Farm Bureau organization. Five of these interviews took place in person in the state