THE INFLUENCE OF LEADERSHIP STYLES ON JOB SATISFACTION AND MOTIVATION AMONG GEN Z EMPLOYEES
Oyedele, Adenike (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052917881
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052917881
Tiivistelmä
Nigeria's current economic climate challenges the workforce, as many continue to grapple with low motivation, wages, and job satisfaction. The high rate of unemployment and limited alternatives have compelled many workers to stay in their jobs, which often leads to low job satisfaction and productivity.
Leadership can play a significant role in improving job satisfaction and boosting productivity. This is especially important as Generation Z begins to enter the workforce in substantial numbers. This thesis is focused on identifying the relationship between leadership styles, job satisfaction, and motivation among Gen Z employees, using a Nigerian organization as a case study. The objective was to help the organization understand how specific leadership styles impact the overall job satisfaction and motivation of Gen Z employees and how this generation can be well managed to improve productivity.
This study used mixed methods and qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The research process started with defining the thesis topic and the research questions. The next phase was to write the theoretical framework and data collection, which was conducted using interviews and a questionnaire. The data was then analyzed and interpreted before writing the results, key findings, and conclusions.
The results indicate that transformational, ethical, servant, and transactional leadership styles contribute significantly to employee motivation and job satisfaction. This suggests that relying solely on one leadership style may be insufficient. Instead, organizations should adopt a blend of leadership styles to achieve optimal job satisfaction and motivation, particularly with Gen Z employees. Key elements such as leader accountability, trust, transparency, and inclusivity were found to play critical roles in fostering trust and engagement and enhancing job satisfaction among Gen Z employees.
Keywords: Leadership Styles, Job satisfaction, GenZ employees, employee motivation.
Leadership can play a significant role in improving job satisfaction and boosting productivity. This is especially important as Generation Z begins to enter the workforce in substantial numbers. This thesis is focused on identifying the relationship between leadership styles, job satisfaction, and motivation among Gen Z employees, using a Nigerian organization as a case study. The objective was to help the organization understand how specific leadership styles impact the overall job satisfaction and motivation of Gen Z employees and how this generation can be well managed to improve productivity.
This study used mixed methods and qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The research process started with defining the thesis topic and the research questions. The next phase was to write the theoretical framework and data collection, which was conducted using interviews and a questionnaire. The data was then analyzed and interpreted before writing the results, key findings, and conclusions.
The results indicate that transformational, ethical, servant, and transactional leadership styles contribute significantly to employee motivation and job satisfaction. This suggests that relying solely on one leadership style may be insufficient. Instead, organizations should adopt a blend of leadership styles to achieve optimal job satisfaction and motivation, particularly with Gen Z employees. Key elements such as leader accountability, trust, transparency, and inclusivity were found to play critical roles in fostering trust and engagement and enhancing job satisfaction among Gen Z employees.
Keywords: Leadership Styles, Job satisfaction, GenZ employees, employee motivation.