Generationally-Tailored Leadership Practices Relationship to Engagement. A Confirmatory Study of Leadership Practices and Their Impact on Engagement as it Differs by Generational Cohort and Assumed Cohort Preferences

Employees and employers of the current American workforce face the most diverse mix of generational cohorts in history. Each of these distinct groups brings different perspectives, behaviors, and needs to work with them, creating a complex problem for leaders of how to motivate and engage these cohorts in the same space. Authors in the relevant literature suggest that while these cohorts do identify differently at work, their preferences for how leaders lead may be similar. This dissertation reviews existing literature regarding personalities and preferences of each of the cohorts (Traditionals, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y) then tests the value to employee engagement of leaders tailoring their styles to attract each cohort. To measure the extent to which study participants experienced these desirable leadership practices, and what impact this may have on their engagement, a new measure was created and compared to a traditional measure of engagement. Results of the study support that while there is some correlation between what the literature expects each cohort to prefer, and what leaders can do to maximize their engagement by appealing to these preferences, there is greater value in leaders exercising basic practices that are known to drive engagement than diverting energies into any cohort-specific efforts.