A research on leadership awareness to generational differences in organizations in the new world system

This research aims to answer this question: "How should leadership awareness to generational differences that can meet the needs of each generation simultaneously in a multi-generational working environment in organizations?" In this research, qualitative research methods and phenomenology were used, and due to the nature of this research, an exploratory and inductive approach was followed. The phenomenon of leadership awareness to generations in the organizational environment has been approached from a holistic perspective. The scope of the research has been limited to the problems experienced by the behaviors of generations in working life due to intergenerational differences, the leadership behaviors of generations, the competencies that a generation-sensitive leader should have, the behaviors that these leaders should show, and the contributions of generational diversity to organizations. The research was conducted with employees of a publicly traded holding with a leadership development program. During the research process, interviews were performed with 19 participants representing Generations X, Y, and Z. Data analysis was performed using the MAXQDA 2022.2 program. After the coding, data analysis was completed by creating six themes within the framework of the research questions. According to the research findings, it has been seen that there are differences as well as common points in the leadership styles and leadership behaviors of the X and Y Generations. A generation-sensitive leader's competencies draw attention as the most basic behavioral competencies expected from employees and leaders in the 21st century. Findings showed that employees expect their leaders to display a human-oriented approach and communicate directly and deeply with them. In this context, it is proposed that generation-awareness leaders emphasize "human – centered competencies." It has been observed that three generations have common expectations in the context of leadership behaviors awareness to generations and different expectations entirely from other generations. The competencies and behaviors expected from the generation-awareness leader who manages the multi-generational team overlap with the "Transformational Leadership Style." For generations to work together by creating synergy, it would be more appropriate for HR and leaders to work together and to make efforts to break down prejudices. The main contribution of this research to the literature is to understand the intergenerational differences of leaders in the organizational environment and to deal with the behavior patterns and expected competencies of a leader covering all generations from a holistic perspective. Research findings can guide institutions, leaders, and educators when employee commitment is weak and can also be included in leadership training and development programs.