Role of personal values in authentic entrepreneurial millennial leaders : a cross-cultural study

Chitran, Vivek and Ng, Raye and Mouratidou, Maria (2025) Role of personal values in authentic entrepreneurial millennial leaders : a cross-cultural study. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

This study explores the role of personal values as a foundational construct linking to authentic entrepreneurial leadership, specifically from the perspective of millennial leaders. Employing a quantitative methodology, the research utilizes three validated instruments: the Personal Values Framework (Sagiv & Schwartz, 2022), the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (Walumbwa et al., 2008), and the ENTRELEAD scale for entrepreneurial leadership (Renko et al., 2015). These tools were selected based on their theoretical relevance and appropriateness for the study’s cross-cultural context. The research addresses notable gaps in the existing literature. Prior studies have predominantly focused on millennial student samples, limiting practical applicability due to participants limited professional experience. Moreover, no cross-cultural investigation has yet examined the interplay between personal values and authentic entrepreneurial leadership among millennial leaders in the UK and Malaysia. The entrepreneurial roles of millennials remain underexplored, and comparative insights into their personal values across these two national contexts are scarce. This study aims to bridge these gaps by providing empirical evidence within a cross-cultural framework, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of value-driven leadership among millennial entrepreneurs. Literature in this field provided the opportunity for establishing five research questions. RQ1: Is there a direct relationship between personal values and authentic leadership of millennial leaders in the UK? RQ2: Is there a direct relationship between personal values and entrepreneurial leadership of millennial leaders in the UK? RQ3: Is there a direct relationship between personal values and authentic leadership of millennial leaders in Malaysia? RQ4: Is there a direct relationship between personal values and entrepreneurial leadership of millennial leaders in Malaysia? RQ5: Are there differences in personal values of authentic entrepreneurial leaders of Generation Y between the two cultures? Guided by a positivist philosophy and a quantitative methodology, this study collected data from 136 millennial leaders and 213 followers in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the United Kingdom and Malaysia. The findings indicate a positive correlation between personal values and authentic leadership, while the relationship between personal values and entrepreneurial leadership was moderate. Cross-cultural analysis revealed four divergent personal values: benevolence and achievement were more prominent among UK leaders, whereas stimulation, conformity and tradition were emphasised by Malaysian leaders. Interestingly, the power value was not associated with Malaysian leaders, contrary to previous literature. The study offers strategic implications for practice and research. For practitioners, the results highlight the need for tailored training programs that align with millennials’ value-driven behaviours, enabling organisations to develop future leaders effectively. Employers can leverage these insights to provide differentiated resources that meet millennial leaders’ expectations. For researchers and academics, the findings open avenues for further exploration of personal values across diverse cultural contexts and their integration with other leadership theories, contributing to the advancement of leadership studies.