[Future Wave] The MZ Generation and Leaderphobia

Accustomed to Horizontal Organizational Culture
Rewards Fall Short Compared to Responsibility and Sacrifice
Avoidance of Promotion and Leadership Roles Intensifies
Weaker Desire for Social Mobility and Status Advancement
Relaxed and Easygoing, Prioritizing Personal Emotions

Seoyong Seok, Professor at the Graduate School of Future Strategy, KAIST

Recently, the phenomenon of ‘leaderphobia’?the avoidance of promotion and leadership roles?has become prominent among certain generations. There are cases where no candidates come forward for university student council president elections, and more employees are reluctant to take on team leader or managerial roles at work. It has also become difficult to elect resident representatives in apartment complexes, and many social groups and non-profit organizations report a tendency to avoid leadership roles.

The spread of leaderphobia in Korean society can be attributed to increased responsibility and sacrifice, strengthened individualism, and an imbalance between burdens and rewards. Although organizations have become more transparent and leaders’ authority has diminished, the burdens of responsibility and sacrifice associated with leadership roles remain significant. Additionally, in Korea’s intense competitive environment, the rise of individualism leads people to prioritize personal interests over organizational commitment, causing them to avoid leadership roles. Lastly, many feel that the rewards do not sufficiently compensate for the responsibilities and sacrifices of leaders, and this perception is a key factor deepening leaderphobia.

This leaderphobia is particularly noticeable among the so-called ‘MZ generation.’ From the perspective of ‘social generations,’ the historical and cultural environments experienced by the MZ generation differ, which may lead to differences in how they accept leadership roles. The German sociologist Karl Mannheim once defined social generations as ‘groups sharing historical experiences and consciousness.’ People born around the same time tend to share commonalities in consciousness and behavior patterns because they experience historical and cultural events during the same life cycle.

For example, the ‘Information Generation’ (born between 1972 and 1987), who are currently in leadership positions by age, are more accustomed to horizontal organizational cultures compared to previous generations. When they began their organizational lives, digital network environments such as computers and the internet were already in place, which significantly changed organizational culture. Decision-making was no longer confined to upper management but began to be distributed to lower levels, and organizational structures became more organically cooperative among various teams, departments, and partners inside and outside the organization. These changes ultimately led to a shift from the vertical leadership style of previous generations to a more horizontal leadership style.

Ultimately, differences in values and consciousness formed by historical and structural environmental changes experienced by each generation also affect leadership. The ‘Industrialization Generation’ (1935?1954) and the ‘Democratization Generation’ (1955?1968) are generations familiar with fierce competition amid poverty and hardship. Although the Information Generation also experienced intense competition, they are accustomed to horizontal organizational cultures. In contrast, the MZ generation, born after the 1980s, is smaller in size compared to previous generations and has experienced a relatively less competitive society with a higher standard of living. They lack the urgency and desperation of earlier generations and have weaker desires for social mobility or status advancement.

Japan experienced a similar social phenomenon in the 1980s. As income rose and living standards improved, the sense of purpose or goal to achieve something definite diminished. This change in the era is well illustrated by Japanese baseball manga such as Kyojin no Hoshi (Star of the Giants) and Touch. Kyojin no Hoshi, set in the 1960s, tells the story of a protagonist overcoming adversity to succeed. In contrast, Touch, set in 1980s Japan, portrays a relaxed and easygoing protagonist. While earlier Japanese baseball manga featured passionate and tenacious heroes, the protagonist of Touch is indifferent to whether the team wins or loses.

Today’s Korean MZ generation reminds one of the relaxed, easygoing protagonist of the Japanese manga Touch, who values personal emotions and life over the organization. However, this change is not necessarily negative.

Seoyongseok, Professor at KAIST Graduate School of Culture Technology and Future Strategy