Assessing Generational Preferences in Characteristics of an Admired Leader Among Career Library Professionals

Authors

  • Amy Tureen University of Nevada Las Vegas
  • Susie Skarl University of Nevada Las Vegas

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5860/llm.v34i4.7415

Keywords:

leadership, generational differences, management, Baby Boomers, Millennials, Silent Generation, Traditionalists, Generation X

Abstract

This study utilizes Posner and Kouzes’ Characteristics of an Admired Leader (CAL) instrument to determine if there are generational preferences in characteristics of an admired leader among career library professionals. Data was gathered from nearly 800 respondents, coded into generational cohorts, and assessed from commonalities across generational lines. Additional assessment of the data sought trends across generational cohorts within the context of employment status, library type, library subfield, and generational identity. The authors concluded that while there is little generational difference in the characteristics of an admired leader, there are commonalities across the profession at large and suggest that library administrators and leaders prioritize developing the shared characteristics and competencies as they develop and engage in their own practice.

Author Biographies

Amy Tureen, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Amy Tureen (Assistant Professor) is the Head of the Library Liaison Program at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Susie Skarl, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Susie Skarl (Associate Professor) is the Urban Affairs Librarian at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

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Published

2020-09-28

How to Cite

Tureen, A., & Skarl, S. (2020). Assessing Generational Preferences in Characteristics of an Admired Leader Among Career Library Professionals. Library Leadership & Management, 34(4). https://doi.org/10.5860/llm.v34i4.7415

Issue

Vol. 34 No. 4 (2020)

Section

Peer Reviewed

License

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC-BY-NC 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.