“Generational differences in work values and attitudes among frontline and service contact employees” by Dogan Gursoy, Christina Geng-Qing Chi, Ersem Karadag
Gursoy, Chi, and Karadag wrote the article to show the differences in work values among three-generational employees. The theme of the article revolves around identifying the different work values and acknowledging the impact the different values have in the workplace.
To start their argument, Gursoy, Chi and Karadag state that, “Work values are the end-values such as satisfaction, quality or reward individuals seek from their work.” To support the argument, the authors introduce the three-generational employees and analyse what they value, as well as why they value the things they consider more important. The baby boomers are said to value routine and strict discipline. They follow the guidelines and rules set by their superiors, mainly because they were raised in the post-war era. Their highest-ranked values are hard work and sacrifice.
On the other hand, Generation X, who are mainly the children of the baby boomers, value independence and are very easy to adapt to new situations. The authors also present values held by the Millennials. The Millennials value empowerment, freedom, and experience. Resultantly, they are excellent at solving problems and crisis management.
The authors also conducted research to test their thesis. The research methodology involved the collection of data from a North American hotel with over 50 branches. The conclusion reached was that there were differences in work values among the three-generational employees. The content of the article relates to the other two articles because it focuses on generational differences in the workplace. The source is very reliable because it quotes other sources, in addition to providing a detailed study. Moreover, there is no evidence of bias in the article. Thus, the article proves that some of the key challenges in managing multi-generational differences in the workforce are the values held by the different generations.
Student Perceptions of the Importance of Employability Skill Provision in Business Undergraduate Programs by Denise Jackson
Denise discusses the importance of employability skills. The central theme of the article is the investigation and comparison of student perceptions of employability competencies. Denise analyses the results of a study done on 1000 students to determine their views on employability skills.
The statement, “skill development in higher education is, however, considered a significant contributor to employability” summarizes the article well. It is crucial to point out that the study experienced one major limitation; the students who were used in the study were mostly international students, coming from developing countries. This affected their values and the type of employability skills that were of interest to the researcher.
One of the main points cited is the argument that employers in developing countries complain that their employees do not meet business goals due to lower and different expectations. The differences are brought about by the inconsistency in employability. The author quotes scholars who have explained that one must have excellent skills in decision-making, leadership, critical thinking, and conflict resolution to be employable in a business company.
The article can be linked to the two other articles through the concept of employment. All the articles revolve around the workplace and the things that affect day-to-day work in the office.
After the study had been done, the author realized that different students had various employability skills. He also realized that employees in various countries had different expectations of employee employability skills. For instance, employers from developing countries cited hard work and critical thinking as the most important, while employers from developed countries cited teamwork and communication.
The article shows bias because it focuses mainly on developed economies. The results and solutions cited can, therefore, apply to developed countries only. Despite this, the article gives crucial information on the impact of employability skills.
Generational differences in the workplace: A review of the evidence and directions for future research by Sean Lyons and Lisa Kuron
Lyons and Kuron give a general overview of generational differences in the workplace. The authors aim to provide directions for future research and theory by analysing the evidence that has been provided on generational differences in the workplace.
The authors argue that “better understanding of the generations cohabiting the workplace can lead to better recruitment, retention, succession management, communication, employee engagement and conflict resolution.”
Lyons and Kuron use numerous works by other scholars to give a detailed discussion of the current situation regarding studying generational differences in the workplace. For example, they quote Karl Mannheim’s social forces perspective. The theory states that historical events lead to the development of new generational consciousness that, in turn, affect the skills acquired and needed by the community.
The authors argue that work values can be divided into four categories, which are intrinsic, extrinsic, social, and prestige. Acknowledging and understanding these four broad categories can allow the company to know which values the employees hold. It can also help the employer understand the best position the employee can work and excel.
The article has a very broad scope because it focuses on generational differences in the broader organisational context. It suffices to mention that the authors also give a detailed analysis of the evidence that has been presented over the years.
Lyons and Kuron conclude by stating that there are numerous factors that affect generational differences in the workplace, including personality, values, attitudes, and expectations. The article is not biased in any way, as it has provided scholarly evidence to support the argument. Additionally, it relates to the other two articles by providing a general overview of generational differences, while the other two articles focus on particular aspects of generational differences. In addition, the article is reliable because it is based on facts and not assumptions.