Generational Cohorts and Leadership Preference: Basis for Understanding Generation Gap

The study is about the leadership preference of Generation X and Y faculty members of Liceo de Cagayan University-Main Campus. Specifically, it sought to determine the leadership preference of the faculty in terms of leaders’ leadership styles and personality traits of local leaders. The study aimed to discover if there is a significant difference in the preferred leadership styles of the respondents when grouped according to generation cohorts with the understanding that this will explain how the respondents define leadership and governance. The framework for analysis is based on Mannheim’s theory of Generations (1923), and the Five-factor model of personality traits initially developed in 1949 by D.W. Fsike and later by Norman (1967), Smith (1967), Goldberg (1981), and by Robert McRae and Paul Costa (1987). The study used a descriptive-quantitative research methodology. The descriptive method was used since it gathered data on the demographic profile of the respondents, and the quantitative since it utilized the Z-Test to analyze the collected data. A pre-tested and validated adapted research instrument was used to collect data. The study found out that the respondents’ most preferred leadership styles are Democratic and Transactional, and their most preferred leadership trait is Conscientiousness. It is also discovered that the respondents differ in leadership preference regarding leadership style and personality traits when grouped according to their demographic profile. Thus, generation cohorts, leadership styles, and personality traits influence leadership preference and the way individuals define leadership and governance.

Keywords: Generational Cohort, Leadership Style, Personality Trait, Generation Gap