The FINANCIAL — New research from Ashridge Business School, Generation Y: Inside Out debunks some of the myths and preconceptions that have built up around Generation Y, the youngest part of today’s workforce (27 years and under).
"Based on a series of focus groups and a survey which gathered the views of people aged from 16 to 63, the research explores in detail the attitudes and behaviours of Generation Y, that have been the subject of so much speculation, often based purely on anecdotal evidence," Ashridge informs.
Several social stereotypes of Generation Y were substantiated by the research. These include:
Generation Y are challenging and demanding but they are behaving in a way that older generations would have liked to, but society didn't permit
Generation Y are ambitious, but in terms of self-fulfilment rather than job titles and kudos
Generation Y are driving change in learning – demanding mixed modes of delivery, personalised learning and the implementation of quality learning methods as prescribed by academic theorists for a long time
Generation Y are friendly and adaptable – they get on well with all ages and are not intimidated by the boss.
The research questions several preconceptions of Generation Y. These include:
Generation Y are not the technical geniuses portrayed in the media, possessing as varied technology skills as any other generation, although they do use social media more than any other generation
Generation Y have poorer self-awareness compared to previous generations. They are often unaware of their impact on others which may result in a rising level of friction in today’s workplace
Generation Y are not risk takers – family and friends play an incredibly important role in their lives and consequently they are far less adventurous than other generations
Generation Y are not overly driven by global environmental concerns – they are aware of many of the issues but often act based on other priorities in their lives.
Dr. Carina Paine Schofield, Research Fellow at Ashridge, comments:
“Generation Y appear to have been driven by a "no-fail" education system combined with “helicopter parenting”, where parents hover over their children, rushing in to prevent any harm or failure occurring. Their learning has been exam and result focused and consequently Generation Y is not interested in learning unless there is an immediate benefit to it. However, this generation pushes boundaries in the workplace, casting fresh eyes over universally accepted processes and everyone appears to benefit from the type of mixed learning modes that Generation Y demands.”
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