Leadership Preferences of the Millennial Generation

Abstract

As more graduates enter the workforce, organizations must be able to manage and attract younger workers, particularly Millennial employees, those born between 1982 and 2004. Further, firms recognize the importance of the role of the leader in maintaining worker organizational commitment and thus increasing employee retention. Through survey data collected from students at a public university in Southeast Texas, this paper examines Millennial leadership preferences. We found that Millennials value leaders who provide coaching, caring, and information as well as participation in decision-making and fairness. Despite previous conclusions, this study finds that Millennials are not so different from previous generations.