Leadership Style Preferences Across Generational Cohorts in Silicon Valley-Type Technology Organizations: A Quantitative Study from Lahore, Pakistan

Abstract

The global technology sector has become one of the most multigenerationally diverse arenas in the modern workforce. Yet the empirical literature on how generational cohort membership shapes leadership style preferences and how such preferences relate to job satisfaction and work engagement remains sparse, particularly in emerging South Asian technology hubs. The present quantitative, cross-sectional study investigated differences in leadership style preferences among Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z employed across four Silicon Valley-type technology organizations in Lahore, Pakistan (Tkxel, PureLogics, Systems Limited, and Bykea; N = 200). Anchored in Generational Cohort Theory, the Full Range Leadership Model, and Servant Leadership Theory, leadership style preferences were assessed using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Servant Leadership Scale. Job satisfaction and work engagement were measured via the Job Satisfaction Survey and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. One-way multivariate analysis of variance, hierarchical regression, and moderated regression analyses were conducted. Results revealed statistically significant generational differences across all leadership preference dimensions. Millennials and Generation Z exhibited significantly stronger preferences for transformational and servant leadership relative to Baby Boomers and Generation X, who demonstrated relatively stronger transactional leadership preferences. Transformational and servant leadership preferences were the strongest predictors of both job satisfaction and work engagement with generation serving as a significant moderator of these relationships. Findings carry significant implications for leadership development, talent retention, and human resource management in Pakistan's rapidly expanding technology sector.