Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2023-04-19
Abstract： The entry of members of the millennial generation cohort (i.e., individuals born after 1980) into the Chinese workplace has created a more diverse labor force. Researchers and practitioners alike have recognized that these younger workers hold different work expectations from workers in prior generational cohorts. Since the division between new generations and their older counterparts has become more salient, researchers have increasingly emphasized issuessuch as how to accurately understand and effectively manage multi-generation employees. To address these issues, the current study aims to explore work values in three generation cohorts (i.e., the pre-reform, the reform, and the post-reform generation cohorts) based on Inglehart’s evolutionary modernization theory and from different research designs, measures, analysis methods and angles. In study 1, we used a longitudinal nationwide quantitative survey (China Labor-force Dynamic Survey, CLDS). The sample size was 5,850 in total from CLDS 2012 to CLDS 2016. We used AgePeriod-Cohort (APC) analysis to separate the cohort effect in work values from the age effect and the period effect. Study 2 aimed to validate the results of Study 1, and further explored intergenerational differences and similarities in work values. Since study 1 used a simple questionnaire to measure work values, we adopted the work values measurement developed by Cable and Edwards (2004), which followed Schwartz’s basic individual values framework to explore the work values more systematically. We conducted Study 2 through Credamo, a Chinese professional data platform. 992 full-time employees participated in the study, and we used hierarchical regression modeling. We conducted Study 3 through interpersonal perspective to overcome the potential self- serving biases in study 1 and study 2, and we asked participants to assess the work values of each generation. We recruited a total of 361 participants from the platform Credamo. The analyses of Studies 1~3 showed both generational differences and similarities in work values, and by and large, the post-reform generation showed more differences with the other two generations. Specifically, members of the post-reform generation placed more importance on the post-materialism work values and less importance on the materialism work value than previous generations; the post-reform generations placed higher importance on the openness to change work value than their predecessors, but there was no significant difference on the self- transcendence work value among the three generations. In addition, studies also found that there were both age and period effects on work values, and finally, all generations still placed more importance on materialist than post-materialist work value in the current workplace. The research provides new evidence and nuanced insight for generational differences in work values, which enriches our understanding of evolutionary modernization theory by empirically testing it in the Chinese context. Moreover, we conducted three studies with different designs, measures, analysis methods and perspectives, which not only supportsthe robustness of our research findings, but also sets a multi-method research example for future studies on the evolution in generation cohorts. This study offers managerial implications for how to better understand the similarities and differences in generation cohorts, especially the characteristics of younger generation workers, and how to manage diverse employees effectively in the workplace. It also sheds lights on future research potential for work values in generation cohorts.
Subjects: Psychology >> Social Psychology submitted time 2022-02-19
Abstract：
There are 290 million rural migrant workers, and many exhibit work withdrawal behaviors that reduce their participation in work roles, such as work avoidance, reduced work effort, lateness, absenteeism, turnover, etc., which is of great concern to Chinese enterprises. Therefore, under the umbrella of COR theory, we seek to comprehensively predict work withdrawal behavior in rural migrant workers by integrating the multiple embeddedness and identity strain perspectives. In particular, we establish a measurement system which includes both implicit and explicit work withdrawal behaviors and propose that the level of rural migrant workers’ multiple embeddedness in their host city and their hometown respectively predict different work withdrawal behaviors. Furthermore, the strain of dual identity that rural migrant workers experience from their dual identities of “countryman” and “urbanist”, has indirect effects on their work withdrawal behaviors by their multiple embeddedness in the host city. Besides, based on specialized research focusing on Chinese rural migrant workers, we establish a “contextual” theory for predicting work withdrawal behaviors and thus contribute to literature on migrant workers and to the theoretical framework on identity strain, multiple embeddedness and work withdrawal behaviors.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Hits
YES
Hits
Downloads
Comment