Generational Differences: A Myth or Reality?

Abstract

There is an increasingly prevalent assumption among some authors, management consultants, and popular press that there are substantive generational differences among Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y in today’s workplaces. Yet systematic research into intergenerational differences has been limited and largely U.S. centric. The purpose of present study was to investigate whether there are differences among generations in their job and organizational attitudes (i.e., organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and citizenship behavior), work ethics, and personal values by using multigenerational theory framework. Data for this study were collected from 731 Turkish employees working seven sectors in Ankara. The research hypotheses were tested with MANCOVA. Only three research hypotheses were supported out of 18. The results showed that there are significant differences among generational cohorts in their affective commitment and non-leisure work ethic. Thus, generational differences were relatively weak. Our Turkish results did not support the common perception that intergenerational differences exist among generations in work-related outcomes and personal values. Furthermore, the generalizability of the Western generational classification to the Turkish context is nonsensical and questionable.

Keywords

• Generations, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, Work attitudes, Values.

Kuşak Farklılıkları: Mit mi, Gerçek mi?

Abstract

Çalışma yaşamındaki üç kuşak arasında (Bebek Patlaması Kuşağı, X ve Y Kuşağı) önemli farklılıklar olduğu görüşü; bazı araştırmacılar, yönetim danışmanları ve popular medya tarafından sıklıkla dile getirilmeye başlanmıştır. Ancak kuşak farklılıklarına dair sistematik araştırmalar hem oldukça kısıtlı hem de bunların çoğu ABD kökenlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı; çoklu kuşak kuramından hareket ederek, farklı kuşaklara mensup işgörenlerin, iş ve örgüte ilişkin temel tutumlarının (örgütsel bağlılık, iş tatmini ve örgütsel vatandaşlık davranışı), bireysel değerlerinin ve iş ahlâkı değerlerinin farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığını tespit etmektir. Araştırmanın hipotezleri, Ankara’da yedi farklı iş kolunda istihdam edilen 731 işgörenden toplanan verilerle MANCOVA analizi kullanılarak test edilmiştir. Yapılan analizler neticesinde, 18 araştırma hipotezinden sadece üçü desteklenmiştir.  Araştırma bulgularına göre, yalnızca duygusal bağlılık ve iş ahlâkının “boşa zaman geçirmeme” boyutu bakımından kuşaklar arasında anlamlı farklılıklar olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Kuşaklar arası farklılıklara ilişkin zayıf kanıtlar elde edildiğinden, kuşakların değer ve tutumlarının farklı olduğuna dair yaygın olan algı destek bulmamıştır. Ayrıca, ABD kökenli kuşak sınıflandırmasının, Türkiye bağlamında geçerliliğinin kuşkulu olduğu söylenebilir.

Keywords

• Kuşaklar, Bebek Patlaması Kuşağı, X ve Y Kuşağı, İş Tutumları, Değerler.

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