Leadership Styles and Generational Differences in Manufacturing and Service Organizations

Background and purpose The purpose of this study was to examine generational differences and leadership style preferences in service and manufacturing organizations in south-eastern (SE) Slovenia. The focus was on preferred leadership approaches and generational differences. Methods Quantitative research was conducted using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) to collect data on a sample of 208 employees in manufacturing and service organizations in SE Slovenia. The questionnaire was distributed online and responses were analysed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Shapiro-Wilk test, and the Kruskal Wallis test. Results The results showed that the transformational leadership style was most preferred by the respondents, followed by the transactional and the least preferred was the laissez-faire style. A significant generational difference was found in the preference for the transactional leadership style, with Baby Boomers showing the highest preference and Generation Z the lowest. Conclusion Although the study was limited to SE Slovenia and generalizability is limited, the results suggest that organizations should provide leadership training adapted to generational preferences to promote effective leadership. Future research should consider longitudinal and sector-specific studies, as well as the inclusion of variables such as cultural background and organizational culture.