Strategic Leadership and Generational Differences: Effects on Employee Commitment and Performance in Malaysian Organizations

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of three strategic leadership styles such as coaching leadership, shared leadership, and ambidextrous leadership on employee commitment and employee performance in Malaysian organizations, with generational cohort (Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z) examined as a moderating variable. As Malaysian workplaces become increasingly multigenerational, differences in values and expectations may influence how employees respond to leadership behaviours. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 150 employees across multiple industries in Malaysia. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed due to the exploratory nature of the study and the complexity of the proposed moderation model. The findings indicate low indicator reliability, largely attributable to homogeneous response patterns that may reflect collectivist cultural norms within Malaysian organisations. The structural model revealed no statistically significant direct effects between the examined leadership styles and employee commitment or performance. Furthermore, generational cohort did not significantly moderate the relationships under investigation. These results suggest that leadership effects in the Malaysian context may operate indirectly through relational mechanisms such as trust, communication quality, and team climate rather than through direct behavioural pathways. The study underscores the importance of culturally adaptive measurement instruments and highlights the need for future research incorporating mediating variables, larger samples, and multi-group analytical approaches.