Perception of Generation Z towards Leadership in the Workplace (A Study at HIJ Company)
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Published
Mar 10, 2025
Abstract
This study investigates Generation Z's perceptions of workplace leadership, emphasizing the core dimensions of Self-Determination Theory (SDT): autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The research aims to explore how these dimensions influence job satisfaction, motivation, and engagement among Generation Z employees. Through qualitative interviews, the study examines how individuals view leadership that promotes autonomy, challenges their capabilities, and nurtures meaningful relationships. The findings reveal that Generation Z highly values autonomy, feeling more motivated and trusted when granted the freedom to make decisions. Competence also emerges as a significant factor, with participants favoring tasks that test their abilities and constructive feedback that supports their growth. Additionally, the relatedness dimension proves crucial, as employees feel more engaged and loyal to leaders who understand their personal aspirations and cultivate inclusive, supportive environments. These insights carry important implications for leadership practices, suggesting that effective leaders should empower employees by fostering autonomy, providing opportunities for development, and building strong interpersonal connections. The results offer valuable contributions to understanding how to successfully manage and motivate Generation Z in the modern workplace.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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How to Cite
Nugraha, F., Prasetyo, B. E., Sugiarti, R. and Suhariadi, F. (2025) “Perception of Generation Z towards Leadership in the Workplace (A Study at HIJ Company) ”, Ranah Research : Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 7(3), pp. 1856-1866. doi: 10.38035/rrj.v7i3.1557.
References
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Suifan, T. S., Abdallah, A. B., & Al Janini, M. (2018). The impact of transformational leadership on employees’ creativity: The mediating role of perceived organizational support. Management Research Review, 41(1), 113-132.
Tang, M., Wang, D., & Guerrien, A. (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis on basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in later life: Contributions of self-determination theory. PsyCh Journal, 9(1), 5-33.
Wulandari, A., Listiarini, A., Palit, G. M., & Rohman, A. (2023). Burnout, leadership, and turnover intention among Generation Z in the mining industry. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 17(2), 1-26.
Yang, B. (2019, December). Job satisfaction of inclusive leaders and new generation employees: A regulated mediation model. In 2019 International Conference on Economic Management and Model Engineering (ICEMME) (pp. 295-301). IEEE.
Yuspahruddin, A., Abbas, H., Pahala, I., Eliyana, A., & Yazid, Z. (2024). Fostering proactive work behavior: Where to start?. PLOS One, 19(5), e0298936.
Zehetner, A., Zehetner, D., Lepeyko, T., & Blyznyuk, T. (2022, November). Generation Z's expectations of their leaders: A cross-cultural, multi-dimensional investigation of leadership styles. In ECMLG 2022 18th European Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance (pp. 447-455). Academic Conferences and Publishing Limited.
Zhou, G., Gul, R., & Tufail, M. (2022). Does servant leadership stimulate work engagement? The moderating role of trust in the leader. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 925732.
Creswell, J. W. (2019). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4(1), 19-43.
Duan, L., Song, H., Huang, X., Lin, W., Jiang, Y., Wang, X., & Wu, Y. (2023). The influence of feedback on employees’ goal setting and performance in online corporate training: A moderation effect. Information and Learning Sciences, 124(11/12), 442-459.
Fong, C. J., Patall, E. A., Vasquez, A. C., & Stautberg, S. (2019). A meta-analysis of negative feedback on intrinsic motivation. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 121-162.
Forner, V. W., Jones, M., Berry, Y., & Eidenfalk, J. (2020). Motivating workers: How leaders apply self-determination theory in organizations. Organization Management Journal, 18(2), 76-94.
Greene, R. R. (2017). Eriksonian theory: A developmental approach to ego mastery. In Human behavior theory and social work practice (pp. 85-112). Routledge.
Hooff, M. L., & Pater, I. E. (2019). Daily associations between basic psychological need satisfaction and well-being at work: The moderating role of need strength. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 92(4), 1027-1035.
Janssen, D., & Carradini, S. (2021). Generation Z workplace communication habits and expectations. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 64(2), 137-153.
Karatepe, O. M., & Aga, M. (2016). The effects of organization mission fulfillment and perceived organizational support on job performance: The mediating role of work engagement. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 34(3), 368-387.
Karsim, K., Susilowati, E., Setiawan, W. B., Syafii, M., & Rijal, S. (2023). Nurturing job satisfaction: Social interactions and work environment via empowering motivation. Jurnal Informatika Ekonomi Bisnis, 772-778.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2023). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary things happen in organizations. John Wiley & Sons.
Kovacs, C., Stiglbauer, B., Batinic, B., & Gnambs, T. (2018). Exploring different forms of job (dis)satisfaction and their relationship with well-being, motivation, and performance. Applied Psychology, 67(3), 523-556.
Li, L., & Grion, V. (2019). The power of giving feedback and receiving feedback in peer assessment. AISHE-J, 11(2), 1-17.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2019). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (4th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Mone, E., London, M., & Mone, E. M. (2018). Employee engagement through effective performance management: A practical guide for managers. Routledge.
Rahmadani, V. G., Schaufeli, W. B., Ivanova, T. Y., & Osin, E. N. (2019). Basic psychological need satisfaction mediates the relationship between engaging leadership and work engagement: A cross-national study. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 30(4), 453-471.
Rorije, M., Damen, S., Janssen, M. J., & Minnaert, A. (2023, October). Applying Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development to understand autonomy development in children and youths with deafblindness: A systematic literature review. Frontiers in Education, 8, 1228905. Frontiers Media SA.
Ryan, R. M., & Moller, A. C. (2017). Competence as central, but not sufficient, for high-quality motivation. Handbook of competence and motivation: Theory and application, 2, 216-238.
Ryan, W. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2019). Toward a social psychology of authenticity: Exploring within-person variation in autonomy, congruence, and genuineness using self-determination theory. Review of General Psychology, 23(1), 99-112.
Sarmah, P., Van den Broeck, A., Schreurs, B., Proost, K., & Germeys, F. (2022). Autonomy supportive and controlling leadership as antecedents of work design and employee well-being. BRQ Business Research Quarterly, 25(1), 44-61.
Schenarts, P. J. (2020). Now arriving: Surgical trainees from Generation Z. Journal of Surgical Education, 77(2), 246-253.
Sekowski, M., Wielogórska, M., & Lester, D. (2024). Psychosocial identity, intimacy, and suicidality in young adults. Archives of Suicide Research, 1-15.
Shih, C. T., Chen, S. L., & Chao, M. (2022). How autonomy-supportive leaders influence employee service performance: A multilevel study. The Service Industries Journal, 42(7-8), 630-651.
Sleiman, A. A., Sigurjonsdottir, S., Elnes, A., Gage, N. A., & Gravina, N. E. (2020). A quantitative review of performance feedback in organizational settings (1998-2018). Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 40(3-4), 303-332.
Slemp, G. R., Kern, M. L., Patrick, K. J., & Ryan, R. M. (2018). Leader autonomy support in the workplace: A meta-analytic review. Motivation and Emotion, 42(5), 706-724.
Suifan, T. S., Abdallah, A. B., & Al Janini, M. (2018). The impact of transformational leadership on employees’ creativity: The mediating role of perceived organizational support. Management Research Review, 41(1), 113-132.
Tang, M., Wang, D., & Guerrien, A. (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis on basic psychological need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in later life: Contributions of self-determination theory. PsyCh Journal, 9(1), 5-33.
Wulandari, A., Listiarini, A., Palit, G. M., & Rohman, A. (2023). Burnout, leadership, and turnover intention among Generation Z in the mining industry. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 17(2), 1-26.
Yang, B. (2019, December). Job satisfaction of inclusive leaders and new generation employees: A regulated mediation model. In 2019 International Conference on Economic Management and Model Engineering (ICEMME) (pp. 295-301). IEEE.
Yuspahruddin, A., Abbas, H., Pahala, I., Eliyana, A., & Yazid, Z. (2024). Fostering proactive work behavior: Where to start?. PLOS One, 19(5), e0298936.
Zehetner, A., Zehetner, D., Lepeyko, T., & Blyznyuk, T. (2022, November). Generation Z's expectations of their leaders: A cross-cultural, multi-dimensional investigation of leadership styles. In ECMLG 2022 18th European Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance (pp. 447-455). Academic Conferences and Publishing Limited.
Zhou, G., Gul, R., & Tufail, M. (2022). Does servant leadership stimulate work engagement? The moderating role of trust in the leader. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 925732.