Organizational Leadership and the Impact of Increasing Female Leadership: The Role of Diversity in Driving Effective Leadership

Andrale Jeanlouis^1,2*

• ¹Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
• ²University of Phoenix, Phoenix, United States

U.S. military policies and culture continue to evolve alongside broader social attitudes. This study examined whether beliefs about gender equity and social justice differ between Generation X and Millennial women with U.S. military experience. The researcher conducted a cross-sectional, exploratory, comparative survey of 148 female-identifying adults with U.S. military experience (Generation X: n = 55; Millennials: n = 93; 16.9% currently serving), measured with the Quick Discrimination Index (QDI) and the Social Justice Advocacy Scale (SJAS). Between-group differences were tested with Mann–Whitney U tests (α = .05). No statistically significant generational differences were observed on the QDI (U = 2133.50, p = .09) or on the SJAS composite (U = 2348.00, p = .51); however, Millennials scored higher than Generation X on the SJAS Confronting Discrimination subscale (U = 1922.50, p = .01). Descriptive statistics (means, SDs, and skewness) indicated generally positive endorsement of gender equity and social justice across cohorts. Given the MTurk recruitment, modest sample size, and the absence of multivariate controls (e.g., education, race) or independent service verification, findings are exploratory and should be interpreted cautiously. Null effects may reflect limited statistical power as well as true attitudinal convergence. Future research should draw verified samples of active-duty and veteran populations, incorporate data-quality and service-verification procedures, adapt measures for military specificity, and use multivariate models to test mechanisms with greater precision.