PurposeGenerational research has been critiqued for lacking either rigour or empirical evidence; however, it has prevailed, shaping expectations in the workplace. Seeking to adopt a study that is empirically rigorous, we... [ view full abstract ]
Purpose
Generational research has been critiqued for lacking either rigour or empirical evidence; however, it has prevailed, shaping expectations in the workplace. Seeking to adopt a study that is empirically rigorous, we considered a sample of U.S. military children, otherwise known as “military brats”, in the assessment of whether generational differences in work values exist. This sample is fundamental in addressing this research question, as theory suggests military children control for the generational effects of age, period, cohort, socialisationand cultural context.
Research Design
The study conducted three semi-structured focus groups and brief demographic surveys among a sample of ten military children.
Findings
The results indicated military children share a similar cultural context and are socialised similarly, therefore serving as a unique sample for exploring generational differences in work values.
Research Implications
Although the sample was not representative, this study suggests that generational differences, through the exploration of work values needs to be investigated in a more empirically rigorous manner.
Practical Implications
If left unchecked, generational generalisations could result in explicit and implicit attitudinal bias and faulty attribution errors, which is detrimental to organisational culture.
Social Implications
In addition, these generalisations could impact pre-employment expectations and selection decisions for incoming generations, which has considerable effects on the potential talent pool available to organisations.
Originality
Exploring generations and work value differences among a sample of military children provides the first platform to empirically examine generations and possible work value differences.
Keywords: Generations, Work Values, Generational Differences, Organisations, Military
