Education and training of potential leaders are essential, and chief executive officers (CEOs) need to identify effective leadership development (LD) programs that foster successful leaders within the healthcare industry. The purpose of this multiple, exploratory case study was to explore LD strategies used by CEOs in hospitals in Central Florida, United States. The overarching research question investigated what executable LD strategies healthcare leaders needed to ensure sustainable growth and successful leaders. The human capital theory and the concepts of emotional intelligence and spiritual leadership guided this study. A purposive sample of 8 CEOs participated in semistructured face-to-face interviews to elicit information on their strategies of creating and maintaining LD programs. A review of organizational documents, as well as member checking of initial interview transcripts, helped to strengthen the credibility of final interpretations. Data were tracked and organized with the assistance of qualitative data analysis software which was used to transcribe and analyze the data. The resulting themes include strategies CEOs use for LD, challenges CEOs face in LD programs, environment of care, generational leadership, and benefits of LD. Study recommendations offered strategies for creating LD programs in the healthcare industry. These findings demonstrate the necessity for effective LD programs and may influence social change by uncovering strategies for LD within the healthcare industry and help CEOs understand LD strategies for implementation within their organizations.

Bakgrund: Generation Z har precis börjat göra sitt intåg på arbetsmarknaden, en generation som bryter normer när det kommer till motivationsfaktorer och traditionella livsmönster. Generationstypiska drag är ett väletablerat fenomen som formar både individers identitet och värderingar utifrån samhället de lever i. När det sker ett generationsskifte på arbetsmarknaden är det viktigt att ledare ser över sitt ledarskap för att hitta strategier för att hantera de generationsskiften som komma skall. Tidigare forskning visar att det i stora drag finns likheter i de olika generationernas ledarskapspreferenser men att det också existerar fundamentala skillnader som kan komma att skapa stora problem när Generation Z nu kliver in på arbetsmarknaden. I dagsläget finns det ingen forskning som berör ledarskap ur både perspektivet som anställd från Generation Z och från perspektivet som ledare. Det fattas även kvalitativa studier som mer djupgående fokuserar på Generation Z i relation till ledarskap. Genom att inkludera och jämföra dessa två perspektiv i en och samma undersökning har studien för avsikt att bidra med ny kunskap inom området för att visa hur ledare rent praktiskt bör leda den nya arbetskraften. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att bidra med en djupare förståelse för hur dagens ledarskap bör anpassas till den nya arbetskraften, Generation Z. Detta genom att studera Generation Zs och ledares preferenser och erfarenheter av ledarskap för att vidare sätta dessa perspektiv i relation till varandra. Metod: Studien är kvalitativ karaktär med en tvärsnittsdesign och ett abduktivt angreppssätt. Undersökningens empiriska material består av sammanlagt 8 semistrukturerade intervjuer, 4 intervjuer från perspektivet av Generation Z och 4 intervjuer från perspektivet av ledare med erfarenhet av att leda generationen. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar tydligt att det ledarskap som undersökningens respondenter tillhörande Generation Z efterfrågar liknar det transformativa ledarskapet av Bass (1985). Det transformativa ledarskapet är även i linje med den syn vi tolkat att undersökningens respondenter från ledarnas perspektiv har på ledarskap. Däremot visar studiens resultat att den tranformativa ledarskapsteorin är för trubbig för att direkt applicera på Generation Z. Det krävs därför ytterligare teori som tillägg för djupare förståelse som komplement till de komponenter som Bass (1985) menar att det transformativa ledarskapet består av. Detta presenteras slutligen i studiens egenutformande ramverk. / Introduction: Generation Z has just begun to enter the labor market, a generation that breaks the standards of traditional life patterns and previous motivational factors. Generational patterns are not a new phenomenon, it shapes both individuals' identity and values based on the society in which they live. During a generational shift in the labor market, it is important for leaders to review their leadership in order to find strategies for managing the next generation. Previous research indicates that there are broadly similarities in the different generations' leadership preferences, but also some fundamental differences that can create major problems when Generation Z now enters the labor market. In present time, there are no research that have explored leadership from both the perspective of Generation Z and from the perspective of leaders. There are also no qualitative studies that have focused more in depth on Generation Z in relation to leadership. By including and comparing these two perspectives in the same study, the study intends to contribute with new knowledge in the area in order to show how leaders practically should lead the new workforce. Purpose: The purpose of the study is to gain a deeper understanding of how leadership should be adapted to the new generation, Generation Z. This by studying the preferences and experiences of leadership from Generation Z and leaders to further compare these two perspectives in relation to each other. Method: The study is of a qualitative nature with a cross-sectional design and an abductive approach. The survey's empirical data consists of a total of 8 semi-structured interviews, 4 interviews from the perspective of Generation Z and 4 interviews from the perspective of leaders with experience of leading Generation Z. Conclusion: The result of the study shows that the leadership demanded by the respondents belonging to Generation Z is similar to the transformational leadership presented by Bass (1985). The transformational leadership is also in line with the view that we have interpreted that the respondents from the leaders’ perspective have of leadership. However, the results also show that the transformational leadership theory is too narrow to be directly applied to the Generation Z workforce. Therefore, additional theory is needed as an addition to reach a deeper understanding that can be used to complements to the components that Bass (1985) believes that the transformational leadership consists of. This is presented in the study’s self-designed framework.

Millennials, who by 2024 will make up approximately 34% of the U.S. workforce, will play a critical role in organizational strategies and productivity, as will the supervisors who manage them. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the intergenerational communication strategies that Generation X supervisors used to motivate and engage high performing millennials in the workplace. The framework for this study was Mannheim's generation theory and the 2-factor theory of motivation by Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman. Data were collected from parks and recreation employees in the southeastern region of the United States, including 4 Generation X supervisors who completed semistructured interviews and 2 millennial cohort focus groups. Data were transcribed, coded, and validated through member checking and methodological triangulation. The 4 themes identified were culture and socialization, relationship building and intergenerational connectedness, employee growth and development, and rewards and recognition. The findings of this research may benefit millennials, frontline supervisors, parks and recreation agencies, and leaders in other organizations by providing an understanding of generational needs. The data presented in this study may support positive social change by showing that supervisors and millennial employees can build high quality relationships within their organizations, enabling those organizations to support the communities they serve.