Major Topic and Issue of the article
The article “What Gen Y really wants?” written by Penelope Trunk is concerned with quality of work life of the generation Y entrants into the market1. The issue in focus is work life balance in order to enhance quality of work life (QOWL) for employees. The work life balance issues have been revisited with the catapulted demand for new graduates or Generation Y employees. Organizational behavior is the study of how people or groups behave in an organization.
Quality of work life umbrellas the issue of work life balance and this shows that whether a job is favorable or not as seen by the employee. The major objective is to develop a facilitating work environment that assists employees and the organization in accomplishment of major goals. Quality of work life can be improved via improving the job design which includes work life balance2. For e.g. according to this article chosen for the analysis points out that friendship is the major motivational factor for Generation Y workers unlike the baby boomers or Gen Xers since their motivational factor was family and kids.
The major objective of QOWL is to satisfy employees and retain them since according to the two factor theory of Herzberg the hygiene factors which include working environment, compensation package etc and motivational factors that are different for all since for Gen Y workers its work life balance, their freedom and friendship that work as major motivators3. The idea of remote workers has aggrandized with time since Gen Y workers do not mind logging on to their Blackberry’s to work but not necessarily while in office.
Apart from the regular motivators personality factors, psychological well being and satisfaction of employees have stolen the limelight from other factors when it comes to QOWL in organizations4. The major issue covered via this article is quality of work life especially work life balance.
Major implications of the article
The article purports the idea of attracting, motivating and retaining Gen Y workers who are new graduates from universities. Gen Y workers demand a work life balance and since most of the baby boomers and Gen Xers have retired or are going to be then a short term implication of giving Gen Y what they want will be that positions will not go unfilled due to increased retirements. But the issue is to mould the organization and give Gen Y what they want since it is difficult to get them through the door.
Gen Y workers want work life balance, individuality and empowerment, personal growth and gold crusted compensation packages. Providing these is a cost to the company which is a long term implication. Gen Y workers have found a safety net as the article mentions in entrepreneurial ventures like Facebook since these are easy to launch and make big money so its difficult to attract these owners of the market in the future. A short term implication is that Gen Y has forced organizations to think creatively regarding work life balance but an organization that adapts to these new changes shall benefit in the long run.
Friendship is a major motivator for Gen Y so they will work where they have good friends and if their working environment fails to meet their social needs as suggested by Maslow in his hierarchy of needs then the long term implication for the organization is that these Gen Y employees will quit the company no matter how big the compensation package. Organizations have had to shift from traditional styles of work and remote workers have gained popularity since as a long term implication in order to attract or retain Gen Y employees a work life balance with remote work jobs is preferred.
Gen Y employees have to be motivated in a different manner especially when it comes to work life balance issues and adapting to these changes will have long term effects on the organization. Gen Y workers prefer volunteer work as a motivator since its valued and also community work so organizations must focus on corporate social responsibility which will have long term implications on the overall environment of the country.
A major long term implication of understanding Gen Y workers and giving them what they want because they will be the bosses of tomorrow and then things will work their way so now is the time to grow and change in order to adapt and attract Gen Y workers since they can implement these changes even better. This is a major issue because in no time Gen Y will be ruling the market and those organizations who work to adapt to the changes from now on will be blue chip organizations when the time arrives.
Implications of the issue on Organizational Behavior
The issue proposed in this article is what Gen Y workers want and that is related to issues like work life balance and QOWL but it’s a fact that these issues are directly related to the organizational culture which is an important concept of OB. The demands of Gen Y are basically to change the general organizational culture and this forms the framework on which the organization operates but if the framework is not apt and also backward then the organization will not be able to survive the growing surge of Gen Y in the market.
Gen Y is indicating towards more of a collegial model of OB which facilitates employee empowerment, since they need freedom to do as they wish and they are highly motivated when they are empowered. This model fulfils the self actualization need of the employees which is a major need for Gen Y workers. Gen Y workers own the future and it is better for organizations to start preparing from the current state. Gen Y workers want empowerment and individualization but they need high socialization since friendship is a major motivator for them and also high individualization in work which leads to creative individualism as shown in the diagram below5.
This shows that organizations will have to change their OB principles by empowering individuals unlike the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. This concept forms the basis for work life balance which is an issue raised in the article concerned with Gen Y workers. This concept of OB empowers individuals but also provides social networks, self respect, rewards and a striking career.
As far as organizational development as a concept is concerned which is about the behavior of employees and its objectives are work life balances, QOWL and adapting to the changing environment. Gen Y has forced organizations to focus on humanistic values which capitalize on the potential of capable employees who can be trusted. The Gen Y wants work life balance and personal growth so they want an excellent QOWL specifically job enrichment since it promises growth in career, position and compensation packages. In order to motivate Gen Y it is important for organizations to adapt to these changes or they can have negative implications in the long run.
All important concepts of OB have been touched in order to explain the implications of the issue in the article on the OB in organizations. An important concept of OB is change and adapting to change.
Workplace ethics require employers to motivate their employees but change has to be adapted within an organization for further growth and also survival at times. This article supports this concept since it purports the idea of change in the way things are done in order to make way for the owners of tomorrow that is Gen Y. Gen Y is highly motivated and they are confident individuals who need to be empowered and given their space so in order to attract and retain them work life balance which is a major demand by them needs to fulfilled. The organizations need fresh blood since baby boomers and Gen Xers are retiring thus the Gen Y’s are the bosses of tomorrow so things must change accordingly (Newstorm).
Works Cited
Herzberg F, Mausner B, & Snyderman B. The Motivation to Work. New York:Wiley, 1959.
Newstorm, J. & Davis, K. Organization Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993.
Schein, E. “Organizational Socialization and the Profession of Management,” Industrial Management Review, 9 (1968):1-15.
Trunk, Penelope. “What Gen Y really wants?” Time Magazine, 2007. Times Inc. Web.
Warr, P, Cook, J and Wall, T. Scales for the measurement of some work attitudes and aspects of psychological well being. Journal of Occupational Psychology. 52 (1979): 129-148.
Footnotes
- Trunk, Penelope. “What Gen Y really wants?” Time Magazine 5 July, 2007(published). Times Inc. 2009.
- Newstorm, J. & Davis, K. Organization Behavior: Human Behavior at Work. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1993.
- Herzberg F, Mausner B, & Snyderman B. The Motivation to Work. New York:Wiley, 1959.
- Warr, P, Cook, J and Wall, T. Scales for the measurement of some work attitudes and aspects of psychological well being. Journal of Occupational Psychology. 52 (1979): 129-148.
- Schein, E. “Organizational Socialization and the Profession of Management,” Industrial Management Review, 9 (1968):1-15.