Exploring Differences in Leadership Behaviors and in the Perceived Work Environment Between Younger and Older Managers in a Swedish Mining Company

Abstract

This study examines differences in leadership behaviors and in the perceived work environment between older and younger managers in a large Swedish mining company. The leadership behaviors and work environment of young managers in the mining industry will become more important in the future due to the changes taking place in the industry. Such changes include the older generation of managers reaching retirement age, while the industry generally finds it difficult to recruit a younger generation of employees. Moreover, rapid technology-centered transition, such as the green transition of the mining industry, is underway which may put young managers in particular under pressure. Meanwhile, research on young managers in the mining industry more broadly is sparse. Data for this study was mainly gathered via a questionnaire, complemented by data from interviews. The questionnaire included 48 validated self-rate questions on background variables, social and organizational working conditions, health, and leadership behavior. The survey was answered by 216 managers (response rate: 63%). Interviews were carried out with ten young managers (35 years or younger). The study found no statistically significant differences between younger and older managers with regards to workload, working hours, health, and work satisfaction. We found that older managers rate themselves higher, at a statistically significant level, for change-oriented leadership behaviors. However, when age is analyzed together with other variables that are significantly different between the two groups, only managerial experience and managerial positions show statistically significant associations with change-oriented and healthy and effective leadership behaviors. The interviews indicate that the young managers encounter challenges that are related to their experience and training, but few are related to their age. Given the influence of managerial experience on leadership behaviors, leadership training appears to be an important area of intervention, and conditions must be improved to enable change-oriented leadership among managers in the mining industry, with a greater focus on young managers.