Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / Purpose - The landscape of the world of work as we know has changed dramatically in the last decade. We have complex organizations compounded by multiple generations co-existing in the workplace. This phenomenon brings about different dynamics in organizations, progressive leaders if understood and managed correctly, could potentially capitalize on. The purpose of this paper is to understand the different generations and whether these generations require different leadership styles. The paper furthermore attempts to investigate whether different generations prefer different job resources. Design/Methodology/Approach – This research study uses a quantitative approach to determine whether there are indeed significant differences between the different generations and the leadership style they prefer as well as the job resources they prefer. Findings - Although no statistically significant differences were found between the different generations and their preferences for the specific leadership styles, the descriptive statistics regarding preference for leadership style across the generations, indicated that individuals from all generations indicated a preference for transformational leadership. Regarding preference for job resource dimensions, the results yielded a statistically significant difference in the preference for Advancement in Generation Y. Originality and Value – This research paper sheds further light on the understanding of different generations namely Baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. The paper maps out the preferred leadership style and preferred job resources of generations and allows business leaders an enhanced understanding of their employees.

The current study examined the Transformational, Transactional, and Passive/Avoidant Leadership styles as defined by Burns (1978) and Bass (1985) and how they are perceived by subordinates in predicting subordinate Extra Effort, manager Effectiveness, and Satisfaction with management. One hundred fifty IT professionals from AITP, Association of Information Technology Professionals, were administered the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5X-Short form (MLQ 5X-Short). The survey measured all nine full range leadership variables and results were analyzed using multiple regression. Three hypotheses examined the relationship between the subordinate's perception of the leadership style of IT managers and one of three dependent measures: predicting subordinate Extra Effort, manager Effectiveness, and Satisfaction with management. Partial support was found for all three hypotheses. In the first, Transformational Leadership and Passive/Avoidant Leadership, but not Transactional Leadership was able to predict Extra Effort. In the second, Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership (via a slightly modified "reversed" form as well as the two subscales individually), and Passive/Avoidant Leadership were able to predict management Effectiveness. In the last, Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership (reversed and subscales), were able to predict subordinates' Satisfaction with their leaders. Most findings were consistent with existing literature. In addition, this study also identified several areas of further study.

Outpatient physical therapy clinics (OPTC), like many other healthcare organizations, face an array of challenges in meeting the needs of the growing elderly population. The leadership behavior of OPTC managers is a key component to secure employee loyalty, accommodate increased patient demand, and implement positive organizational change. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative survey designed study was to investigate the relationship between the leadership styles perceived by OPTC healthcare managers and nonmanagerial employees, as measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Short. The primary research question examined the difference between the OPTC managers' self-perceived leadership style and the nonmanagerial subordinates' perceptions of the manager's leadership style. The theoretical framework was the transformational and transactional leadership theory by Bass. Sampling was random and comprised of a minimal sample of 89 respondents. Data analysis included both descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple regression analysis and correlations statistical models were used to predict the relationship of the dependent and independent variables. The results of the present study indicated a statistically significant relationship between the leadership style of OPTC managers and job effectiveness. All leadership styles of the OPTC managers were moderately correlated with job effectiveness, whereas passive/avoidant was negatively related to job effectiveness. This study is significant for OPTC leaders in their quest to create a leadership environment that fosters a positive influence on overall job performance and satisfaction among nonmanagerial staff, a formula for growth, and positive social change.