Perceptions of the Essential Elements of Leadership across Different Genders andthe Generation Spectrum of Domestic, On-Campus Faculty at a Midwestern StateUniversity

Abstract

At the time of this study, there were as many as four generations active in the workforce. Members of each generational cohort had different needs and expectations as they related to workplace motivation, organizational behavior, and leadership effectiveness. The early members of Generation Y were beginning to enter the ranks of senior management, and had a sound foundation in their careers and in their organizations (Ferri-Reed, 2013). Generation Xers were poised to enter the executive suite in a few short years. Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation were at the helm of many of the world’s largest corporations. Despite each generation holding differing leadership expectations and needs, no translation guide had been to developed promote leadership effectiveness across the generational spectrum.Through consultation of the National Leadership Education Research Agenda (NLERA) and the texts used in the undergraduate Organizational Leadership major at a Midwestern state university, essential elements of leadership were identified. Using one sample t tests and two factor ANOVAs, faculty members perceptions’ of the essential elements of leadership were measured across the generational spectrum and among different genders within each generation. The findings of this study revealed that faculty members at a Midwestern state university perceived the essential elements of leadership in a comparable way. Results of this study additionally found that generation and gender played only a very minimal role in faculty members’ perceptions of the essential elements of leadership.