ArticlePDF Available

Abstract and Figures

The presence and cooperation of different age groups within the labor market is not only an interesting and unprecedented situation, but it is also a challenge for different groups of people: managers, human resources specialists, and co-workers. The youngest generation - called Generation Z - was born and raised in completely different circumstances than the other, older generations. Although representatives of Generation Z have only just joined the labor market, there are already opinions and characteristics of them. The aim of this paper is firstly to gather and analyses different opinions and characteristics of Generation Z present in the literature. The second aim is to verify those opinions and characteristics with a sample group of Generation Z representatives by asking them which of those opinions and characteristics they identify with. The results of the presented research may be useful for all those who interact with the youngest generation in the labor market.
Content may be subject to copyright.
Anna Dolot, The characteristic of Generation Z, “e-mentor” 2018, s. 44–50, http://dx.doi.
org/10.15219/em74.1351.
2018, nr 2 (74)
New trends in management
44 e-mentor nr 2 (74)
The presence and cooperation of different age groups
within the labor market is not only an interesting and
unprecedented situation, but it is also a challenge for
different groups of people: managers, human resources
specialists, and co-workers. The youngest generation
– called Generation Z – was born and raised in completely
different circumstances than the other, older generations.
Although representatives of Generation Z have only just
joined the labor market, there are already opinions and
characteristics of them. The aim of this paper is firstly to
gather and analyses different opinions and characteristics
of Generation Z present in the literature. The second aim is
to verify those opinions and characteristics with a sample
group of Generation Z representatives by asking them
which of those opinions and characteristics they identify
with. The results of the presented research may be useful
for all those who interact with the youngest generation in
the labor market.
Although every human is an individual, there have
already been many attempts to make generalizations
and define different groups of people. One of the
results of generalization is the creation of the term of
“generations”. Generations are defined as an identifi-
able group that share birth years, age location, and
significant life events at critical developmental stages
(Kupperschmidt, 2000, p. 66). Mannheim brought
crucial input to the development of the term “genera-
tion”, highlighting the fact that the phenomenon of
generations is one of the basic factors contributing to
the origin of the dynamics of historical development
(Mannheim, 1952, p. 320).
Spending lives under equitable conditions (e.g.,
economical, historical), being exposed to the same
events (e.g., cultural, environmental), and being im-
pacted by similar technologies may influence people
enough that they think, make decisions, and behave
in a similar way.
It should be highlighted that defining generation
boundaries is problematic. To date, most research
into generational differences has been conducted in
the US, UK, and Canada (Cennamo and Gardner, 2008,
p. 892). Meanwhile, because of the significance of the
issue – its influence, for instance, on the economy,
labor market, and organizations’ marketing strategies
– emerging new generations and their characteristics
are considered with interest all over the world. Age
and generation differences and management is and
will be even more a necessity for enterprises operat-
ing in the environment and economy (May, 2015,
pp. 104–106),
At least five different generations are identified in
the modern world:
a) The traditionalists (Silent Generation or the
Greatest Generation), born between 1928 and
1944, who value authority and a top-down
management approach,
b) The Baby Boomer Generation, born between
1945 and 1965, who tend to be workaholics,
c) Generation X, born between 1965 and 1979,
a generation who is comfortable with authority
and view the work-life balance as important,
d) Generation Y, born between 1980 and 1995 and
who generally grew up in prosperity and have
technology savvy,
e) Generation Z, born after 1995 (Cilliers, 2017,
pp. 189–190).
However there is no consensus in the area of
defining abovementioned generations’ age range
(Aniszewska, 2015, p. 3; Bednarska, Grobelna, 2017,
pp. 109–110; Żarczyńska-Dobiesz, Chomątowska,
2014, p. 407; Steinerowska-Streb, Wziątek-Staśko,
2016, p. 80), Generation Z seems to be the most
problematic in defining its age range, and it is still not
so well examined, as it is the youngest generation on
the labor market.
Generation Z – age range and
characteristic in the literature
Generation Z age range varies considerably. In
table 1 examples of different ranges are provided.
It should also be highlighted that another genera-
tion follows Generation Z, known as the Alfa gen-
The Characteristics
of Generation Z
Anna Dolot*
* Cracow University of Economics
e-mentor nr 2 (74) 45
eration – people born after 2010 (Csobanka, 2016,
pp. 66–67, Stunża, 2017, p. 88).
None of previous generations have as many terms
as Generation Z, for example: iGeneration, Gen Tech,
Online Generation, Post Millennials, Facebook Gen-
eration, Switchers, “always clicking”. Generation Z
is also known as:
C Generation – this expression comes from:
“connected”, as its representatives are “con-
nected to the internet”; “computerized”;
“communicating”; “content-centric”; “commu-
nity-oriented”, “changing” (as it is said that this
generation likes changes) (Świerkosz-Hołysz,
2016, p. 440; Hysa, 2016, p. 389; Dudek, 2017,
pp. 144–145),
R Generation – this expression comes from
Responsibility generation (Csobanka, 2016,
p. 67).
For a better understanding of Generation Z and its
digitization, it should be highlighted that “they were
born in the 1990’s and raised in the 2000s during the
most profound changes in the century who exists in
a world with web, internet, smart phones, laptops,
freely available networks and digital media” (Singh,
Dangmei, 2016, p. 2). There is an opinion that “this
generation is about to spend their youth and adult
years in an era of economic and social renewal”
(Sidorcuka, Chesnovicka, 2017, p. 809).
Specialists highlight the fact that Generation Z
can function in both the real and virtual worlds.
They can easily switch between these two worlds,
as they perceive them as complementary to one
another (Żarczyńska-Dobiesz, Chomątowska, 2014,
p. 407). The consequence of this circumstance is
that representatives of Generation Z can easily
source and check the information they need. They
also quickly share information with others. Com-
munication processing among them is continuous,
as they use wide variety of communication devices
or social media. “The active social media users have
many contacts and they mainly live their everyday
relations through these channels (personal meet-
ings are also important to them, however, keeping
the online contacts have an equally important role)”
(Csobanka, 2016, p. 68). Generation Z uses differ-
ent mobile devices, they comment on reality, the
environment, and the surroundings they live in, they
manifest their opinions and attitudes using Twitter,
blogs, and internet forums, and they share photos
(Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat) and films (YouTube,
Instagram, Snapchat). Facebook can be used for all
of abovementioned activities. Generation Z not only
uses the content of the Internet, but they also create
and control it (Hardey, 2011, pp. 750–753).
It is emphasized by researchers that “due to ap-
plications that support multitasking, being precise or
being able to concentrate, memorize something in
the long term” has become more difficult for Genera-
tion Z (Tari, 2011, after: Csobanka, 2016, p. 69).
The literature on the subject of Generation Z
also points to characteristics suggesting that repre-
sentatives of this generation would like to achieve a
spectacular professional career immediately, without
any effort. It is difficult for them to face the vision
of long lasting professional career development by
means of small steps. These are people who look for
a job not only in their closest surroundings, but all
over the world, as their characteristic features are
mobility and knowledge of foreign languages. What
constituted a threat for older generations is an object
of fascination and experimentation for Generation
Z. They do not care about stability at work; they
easily change their workplace, looking for versatility
and to escape from routine. They are the most edu-
cated and sophisticated generation ever (Hysa, 2016,
p. 390, Steinerowska-Streb, Wziątek-Staśko, 2016,
pp. 81–82). Young people consider self-employment
as a way of professional activity, especially because
they consider it as better paid and as giving a sense
of independence (Pocztowski, Buchelt, Pauli, 2015,
p. 19).
On the basis of a literature analysis, Generation
Z (probably due to its young age and limited pres-
ence on the labor market) is much less frequently
described and characterized in professional literature
than other generations. This is a generation that
(depending on quoted age brackets) has already
entered the labor market or is just entering it (hav-
ing their first job, internship), or is studying and not
working yet.
Table 1. Z Generation age range – literature review
Age range Author(s)
born 1990 or later Świerkosz-Hołysz (2016, p. 441); Żarczyńska-Dobiesz and Chomątowska (2014, p. 407);
Wiktorowicz and Warwas (2016, p. 22); Wojtaszczyk (2013)
between 1990 and 1999 Half (2015)
between 1991 and 2000 Tulgan (2009, p. 5)
between 1993 and 2012 White (2017)
between 1993 and 2005 Turner (2013, p. 18)
after 1995 Opolska-Bielańska (2016, p. 37); Ensari (2017, p. 53); Dudek (2017, p. 144)
Source: author`s findings.
The Characteristics of Generation Z
New trends in management
46 e-mentor nr 2 (74)
Research methodology and characteristics
of the research sample
The research subject is an attempt to obtain an-
swers to the following questions: What kind of genera-
tion is Generation Z? How does it characterize itself?
Which descriptions existing in professional literature
are those that this generation identifies with? Are new
technologies really an indispensable element of their
lives? Are a fast career and lack of loyalty towards their
employers their characteristic features?
To achieve this goal, an inquiry into the profes-
sional literature was conducted, which served as
a theoretical basis for the empirical analysis. To
obtain information from primary sources, empirical
research was also conducted. The study was carried
out as a survey. A questionnaire was used as the tool
for collecting the data (Babbie, 2004, pp. 206–207).
It contained closed-ended questions. The research
made use of classic tools, including a questionnaire
prepared in paper form and (because of the nature
of examined respondents) an Internet questionnaire
(Andrałojć, 2006, p. 109).
The study was carried out in cooperation with
Grupa ATERIMA, a Polish employment agency, deliver-
ing recruitment services. The research was conducted
between May and July, 2017, in Poland.
1162 respondents took part in the research. The
majority of them (72%) were women. The respondents’
age group still needs to be described more precisely.
Referring to the differences in defining the age brackets
for Generation Z described above, the research adopts
the widest age brackets; that is, people born in 1990
and later (implying that the sampling was purposive).
There are two reasons for this decision. The first one
is that the widest definition gives us an opportunity
to observe characteristics of people who – because of
their age – have already had a few years of job experi-
ence, so their opinions may be based on their practical
observations and experience. The second reason is that
it is possible to compare answers between representa-
tives born in 1990–1995 and after 1995 (as year 1995
seems to be a line in much of the research: Opolska-
Bielańska, 2016, p. 37; Ensari, 2017, p. 53; Dudek,
2017, p. 144) and check if they differ somehow.
One should pay attention to and comment on the
activity level of the respondents taking part in this
research – they seem to be active in their lives. The
vast majority were students (93%) of different fields of
studies: economics (79%), humanities (10%), technol-
ogy (7%), and nature (1%). At the same time, when it
comes to professional activity, the biggest percentage
of the respondents researched is employed (45%); the
second largest works part-time (physical work or work
not connected with further professional development
– 29%) and unemployed people constitute 26% of the
group. It means that as many as 69% of the respond-
ents study and work at the same time.
It should be highlighted that the study findings
should not be generalized, as the structure of the
research sample is not representative.
Results and discussion
Analyzing the abovementioned professional activ-
ity, it may be observed that the first characteristic of
research sample of Generation Z is that, despite their
young age, they are already professionally active. This
may influence their lifestyle and life decisions and
make them more independent and mature. It would be
an interesting direction for future research: what is the
real impact of such an early professional activity and
combining study and work – what are the advantages
and disadvantages of this situation for them, as well
as for their employers.
Moving to the crucial part of the research, it
should be explained that statements characterizing
Generation Z were mostly based on the above quoted
literature. Respondents were asked to choose as many
characteristics as they identify with out of 15 on the
questionnaire.
As the results indicate (figure 1), the most im-
portant characteristic of this sample of Generation
Z representatives is feedback from someone who
delegates tasks to them (72%). It is clearly visible
that young people, using the Internet, especially
social media, have gotten used to “liking” different
things, commenting on reality, evaluating what they
buy and use, where they spend time, etc. They have
gotten used to expressing themselves. They give
feedback, but they also expect feedback and perceive
the communication process as bidirectional. There
is another important aspect of this particular result.
Expectation of feedback seems to be of great value
to this generation. Two important characteristics of
young people are that they need to learn a lot (as
a result of a lack of experience) and that they make
mistakes. Openness to feedback is a crucial element
of every development process. However, there is an
interesting potential direction for further research:
how does Generation Z understand feedback? Are
they open for developmental areas and constructive,
but critical, information?
For more than half of the research sample, new
technologies seem to be part of their day-to-day
environment – Generation Z representatives like
to know and use them (56%). However, this doesn’t
mean that a majority of them need unlimited access
to all the applications on their phone when working
(instead only 19% of them do). Generation Z has been
characterized as mobile, but according to the results
of this research, their mobility is rather doubtful.
Although more than a half of the research sample
is willing to take foreign business trips (56%), they
are not so willing to relocate (up to or above 100
km from their current home) for work (29% and 28%,
respectively). On the other hand, 23% are considering
moving abroad permanently. It is hard to say whether
that is a significant percentage or not. Although it is
the minority, if almost a quarter of 27 year-olds and
younger people in Poland had suddenly gone abroad,
it would be certainly a loss for the country. It should be
highlighted that although Generation X was perceived
e-mentor nr 2 (74) 47
Figure 1. Characteristics of Generation Z representatives
Source: author`s findings.
as reluctant to move, Generation Y was described as
willing to this engage in this kind of change (Smolbik-
-Jęczmień, 2013a, p. 91). Nevertheless, Polish repre-
sentatives of Generation Y are less mobile than they
are in other countries (e.g., in the rest of Europe and
North America) (Smolbik-Jęczmień, 2013b, p. 231). It
is possible that Polish members of Generation Z are
also not so willing to move.
Generation Z perceives itself as well organized
– more than half representatives taking part in this
research (53%) declared that, when planning activities,
they use calendars and that they can focus on one
activity and continue until it is finished (51%).
The fact that 40% of Generation Z representatives
feel concern about their job search and their work
may come from the abovementioned fact that the
childhood of Generation Z was spent during an eco-
nomic crisis – they could observe people (maybe even
parents or other family members) losing their jobs or
even their businesses. According to the conducted
analysis, respondents who are not professionally ac-
tive feel more concerned about the job search.
It should be highlighted that Z Generation’s priority
of having a fast career is a myth. Only 17% of people
taking part in this research agree with this statement,
and this was the most rarely chosen one. Almost half
of the respondents separate their private and business
lives (47%), and only 31% like change – these char-
acteristics may handicap a fast career. The fact that
young people live in both the real and digital worlds
has already been emphasized. Facebook is the most
common social media among young people and is
usually used to share information about their private
lives (e.g., hobbies, personal activities, free time).
This may be the reason that young people are not as
focused on their career – they may be more focused
on their personal interests. This direction would be
an interesting aim of further research.
As there are different ideas about the age range
of Generation Z, the abovementioned characteristics
were also analyzed in two other age range categories:
representatives born between 1990 and 1995 and
those born after 1995 (figure 2).
Although there are no big differences between
these two age range groups, the results seem to be
important. The younger generation seems to be more
mobile (in the younger group, willingness to change
place in order to work or going abroad permanently
is higher). The younger group of respondents more
often feels concern about the job search and their
work, and they seem to be even more interested in
new technologies and having access to them. They
The Characteristics of Generation Z
New trends in management
48 e-mentor nr 2 (74)
are also more eager to work in a group, rather than
on their own. For the older group in the research
sample, feedback is even more important. The older
group seems to be better organized: they claim that
they plan activities using a calendar and can focus on
one activity and continue until they finish.
The fact that differences between these two age
groups are small means that including people born
from 1990 in Generation Z is likely to be justified.
As it is often noted in the literature, people belong-
ing to Generation Z change their jobs frequently, and
therefore, the participants of the study were asked to
indicate their preferred employment period. The sum-
mary of the answers to this question was unexpectedly
different, not only from the commonly expressed opin-
ions about Generation Z, but also from the research
presented in the literature. Quite a high number of
respondents taking part in this research (39%) claimed
that if a job were attractive, they could work in one
company for their entire life. It should be highlighted
that the way this question was constructed (the only
question with an assumption “if the job is attractive”)
was deliberate. The aim was to see if the youngest
people on the labor market would consider working
for one company for their entire life, especially since
there are so many opinions about their disloyalty.
Figure 2. Characteristics of Generation Z representatives in two age range categories: those born between 1990 and 1995
and those born in 1996 or later
Source: author`s findings.
e-mentor nr 2 (74) 49
It is worth mentioning that the respondents did
not get any clues about how to understand the
attractiveness of their job, and therefore the answers
were based on their intuitive and subjective under-
standing. This result suggests that it is worth carrying
out further research on how Generation Z perceives
attractiveness of jobs. The presented results are a part
of a broader research in the area of Generation Z.
Motivational factors were also an area of interest, but
the results of this part of research will be presented in
a separate paper in the future. Nevertheless, it seems
that in-depth interviews concerning the attractiveness
of workplaces would be an interesting direction for
further research.
As mentioned in the theoretical part of this pa-
per, there are different (negative) opinions about
the youngest people in the labor market. They are
considered to be people who cannot concentrate on
one thing. The results of this research do not support
this observation, but it is also difficult for people to
admit to one’s own weaknesses. A potential interest-
ing direction of further research (which is planned) is
a comparison of the above results to the opinions of
the respondents’ co-workers, from different genera-
tions.
Summary
Although one should never forget that people are
different even when they belong to the same age
group (Steinerowska-Streb, Wziątek-Staśko, 2016),
defining people by age range is becoming more and
more popular. It probably results from an attempt to
understand people whose personality and attitude
may be created under different environmental cir-
cumstances. Those circumstances are often signum
temporis, and they do influence people’s personality
and lifestyles.
In the literature, as well as in business practice,
there are different opinions about Generation Z. This
research (which cannot be generalized, as the sample
is not representative) validates only part of them. It is
true that for Generation Z communication is important
– they expect feedback on the results of their work.
The research confirms the fact that new technologies
are a natural environment for them. Although they are
willing to take foreign business trips, they are not so
willing to relocate for work. Although it is underlined
in the literature that Generation Z is not necessarily
loyal to their employers, according to these research
results, they are willing to be employed for a longer
time by one employer (even for their entire life), but
the work needs to be attractive. Surprisingly, for 1162
respondents, having a fast career as a priority is the
most rarely chosen characteristic (17%).
It seems that, for successful business cooperation,
it is critical to get to know young people and under-
stand them better. Cooperation between the genera-
tions is inevitable. Willingness to share knowledge
and learn from one another can be advantageous in
today’s competitive labor market.
Acknowledgments
This article was financed with subsidies for main-
taining research capacity granted to Krakow University
of Economics.
References
Andrałojć, M. (2006). Zalety i ograniczenia ankiety
internetowej jako metody zbierania materiału badaw-
czego w dziedzinie zzl. Zarządzanie Zasobami Ludzkimi,
5, 109–123.
Aniszewska, G. (2015). Zmiany pokoleniowe a decyzje
i wybory konsumenckie. Marketing i Rynek, 1, 2–7.
Babbie, E. (2004). Badania społeczne w praktyce. Warsaw:
Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Bednarska, M., Grobelna, A. (2017). Zmiana poko-
leniowa na rynku pracy w turystyce. Studia Oeconomica
Posnaniensia, 5(4), 104–125.
Cennamo, L., Gardner, D. (2008). Generational differ-
ences in work values, outcomes and person-organisation
values fit. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(8), 891–906.
DOI: 10.1108/02683940810904385.
Cilliers, E.J. (2017). The challenge of teaching genera-
tion Z. People: International Journal of Social Sciences, 3(1),
188–198. DOI: 10.20319/pijss.2017.31.188198.
Figure 3. The Z generation optimum employment period
0
10
20
30
40
If the job was
attractive I could
work in one
company even
entire life
Between 2 and
5 years Up to 2 years Above 5 years Up to a year Up to half a year
39% 35%
16%
6% 3% 0%
Source: author`s findings.
The Characteristics of Generation Z
New trends in management
50 e-mentor nr 2 (74)
Csobanka, Z.E. (2016). The Z Generation. Acta Tech-
nologica Dubnicae, 6(2), 63–76. DOI: 10.1515/atd-2016-
0012.
Dudek, J. (2017). Oczekiwania osób z generacji Z ko-
rzystających z pomocy korepetytorów. A. Lipka, M. Król
(Eds.). Gospodarowanie wielopokoleniowym kapitałem ludz-
kim. Warsaw: CeDeWu.
Ensari, M. (2017). A study on the differences of en-
trepreneurship potential among generations. Research
Journal of Business and Management, 4(1), 52–62. DOI:
10.17261/Pressacademia.2017.370.
Half, R. (2015). Get Ready for Generation Z. Retrieved
from: https://www.roberthalf.com/workplace-research/
get-ready-for-generation-z.
Hardey, M. (2011). Generation C: Content, Creation,
Connections and Choice. International Journal of Market
Research, 53(6), 749–770. DOI: 10.2501/IJMR-53-6-749-
770.
Hysa, B. (2016). Zarządzanie różnorodnością pokole-
niową. Zeszyty Naukowe Politechniki Śląskiej, seria Organi-
zacja i Zarządzanie, 97(1964), 385–398.
Kupperschmidt, B.R. (2000). Multigeneration Em-
ployees: Strategies for Effective Management. Health
Care Manager, 19(1), 65–76. DOI: 10.1097/00126450-
200019010-00011.
Maj, J. (2015). Age management in Polish enterprises: CSR
or a necessity? Referred Paper Proceedings, Corporate So-
cial Responsibility and Human Resource Management in
V4 Countries International Scientific Conference, Nitra.
Mannheim, K. (1952). The Problem of Generations.
P. Kecskemeti (Ed.). Essays on the Sociology of Knowledge.
New York: Collected Works, Routledge.
Opolska-Bielańska, A. (2016). CSR – narzędzie prze-
mian na rynku pracy. Społeczeństwo i Edukacja, 21(2),
7–30.
Pocztowski, A., Buchelt, B., Pauli, U. (2015). Business
Start-Ups and Youth Self-Employment in Poland: a Policy
Literature Review (working papers). Brighton: University
of Brighton.
Sidorcuka, I., Chesnovicka, A. (2017). Methods of
attraction and retention of generation Z staff. CBU
International Conference Proceedings, 5, 807–815. DOI:
10.12955/cbup.v5.1030.
Singh, A.P., Dangmei, J. (2016). Understanding the
generation Z: the future workforce. South-Asian Journal
of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(3), 1–5.
Smolbik-Jęczmień, A. (2013a). Podejście do pracy
i kariery zawodowej wśród przedstawicieli generacji X i Y
– podobieństwa i różnice. Nauki o Zarządzaniu, 1(14).
Smolbik-Jęczmień, A. (2013b). Rozwój kariery zawo-
dowej przedstawicieli pokolenia X i Y w warunkach go-
spodarki opartej na wiedzy. Nierówności społeczne a wzrost
gospodarczy, 36.
Steinerowska-Streb, I., Wziątek-Staśko, A. (2016).
Effective Motivation of Multi-generation Teams-Pres-
entation of own Research Results. Proceeding of the
Management International Conference, Pula, Croatia,
1–4 June.
Stunża, G.D. (2017). Edukacja wersja beta. Pokolenie Z
i pokolenie Alfa a kompetencje uczestnictwa w kulturze.
Kultura popularna, Vol 4, Issue 50, 86–95. DOI: 10.5604/
01.3001.0010.0046.
Świerkosz-Hołysz, M. (2016). Pokolenie Z wkracza na
rynek pracy. Społeczeństwo i Edukacja, 21(2).
Tulgan, B. (2009). Not Everyone Gets A Trophy: How to Man-
age Generation Y. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Turner, A.R. (2013). Generation Z: Technology’s Po-
tential Impact in Social Interest of Contemporary Youth.
A Research Paper Presented to The Faculty of the Adler
Graduate School, 1–79.
White, J.E. (2017). Meet Generation Z. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Publishing Group.
Wiktorowicz, J., Warwas, I. (2016). Pokolenia na rynku
pracy. J. Wiktorowicz, I. Warwas, M. Kuba, E. Staszewska,
P. Woszczyk, A. Stankiewicz, J. Kliombka-Jarzyna (Eds).
Pokolenia – co się zmienia? Kompendium zarządzania multi-
generacyjnego. Warsaw: Wolters Kluwer.
Wojtaszczyk, K. (2013). Poziom kompetencji wirtual-
nych pokolenia Y i C – ocena na podstawie autodiagnozy
studentów. E-mentor, 2(49). Retrieved from: http://www.
e-mentor.edu.pl/artykul/index/numer/49/id/1003.
Żarczyńska-Dobiesz, A., Chomątowska, B. (2014). Po-
kolenie ,,Z” na rynku pracy – wyzwania dla zarządzania
zasobami ludzkimi. Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekono-
micznego we Wrocławiu, 350, 405–415. DOI: 10.15611/
pn.2014.350.36.
Abstract
Generation Z is going to be an important part of human resources within the labor market. As this generation was born and
raised under specific conditions different from the other generations in the labor market (e.g., they have always had ubiquitous
Internet access), questions arise about the characteristics of the youngest generation – what are they like? The results of this
study, based on 1162 representatives of Generation Z (using questionnaires), show that, for the Generation Z, feedback about
the results of their work is a crucial element that they most identify with and expect (72%). Additionally, new technologies are
a natural environment for them. In the context of their mobility, they willingly go on foreign business trips, but they are not so
willing to relocate for work. Although it is said that they easily change their jobs, according to the research results, they would
be happy to be employed for a longer period of time by one employer (even their entire life – 39%), but their work needs to be
attractive. A fast career as a priority for Generation Z was the most rarely chosen characteristic (only 17% identify with this
statement). The research sample is not representative.
Key words: Generation Z, Generation C, feedback, work-mobility, employment period
Anna Dolot (PhD) is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Labor Resource Management, Krakow University
of Economics. Her field of interest is human resources management, specially recruitment and selection process,
adult people development, and motivation. For 13 years she has been consulting with businesses, both as a busi-
ness trainer and an HR expert.
... Dolot [1] acclaimed that the new generation were known with many terms such as i Generation, Gen Tech or Online Generation but they were most likely to be associated as Generation Z or Gen Z. According to Beresford Research, this generation consists of those who were born from the year 1997 until 2012, varies from the age of 26 until 11 years old. ...
... They thrive in environments that incorporate digital tools and interactive activities, reflecting their comfort with technology and preference for engaging, hands-on educational experiences. Table 2 Definition of Generation Z Scholar/Reference Significance Dolot [1] The new generation were known with many terms such as i Generation, Gen Tech or Online Generation but they were most likely to be associated as Generation Z or Gen Z. ...
Article
The rise of digital media and entertainment had gradually become a part of the lifestyle among the Malaysian Gen Z. This abundance of digital contents was indeed enjoyable and giving them the availability for indefinite knowledge but most of them were deeply influenced by foreign influences. This subtle factor could bring a major significant to Malaysia’s Gen Z to be submerge with outside influence and gradually neglecting their own culture and losing their identity. This drives them away from understanding and appreciating the values of Malaysian culture especially regarding their own history and origins. Therefore, this study will use a qualitative method through contextual and literature analysis to study the method of re-introducing Malaysian historical figures to the new generation through animation media application in motion graphic style. Findings from this study is significant in enlightening Gen Z, thus preserving Malaysian heritage through online as a new digital content.
... International Journal of Psychology, 2025; 60:e70043 in forming close social relationships than previous generations (Dolot 2018). ...
... Their reliance on digital communication has led to a deficit in essential interpersonal skills. According to Dolot (2018), their social connections, while expansive due to technological advancements, often lack depth, and they encounter challenges in decision-making and assuming responsibility, particularly in complex and uncertain situations. The COVID-19 pandemic, which emphasised the significance of adaptability and resilience, illuminated the challenges faced by Generation Z in navigating global uncertainty, particularly intensified by limitations in their interpersonal communication (Ang et al. 2022). ...
Article
Full-text available
Drawing upon the Social Cure theoretical framework, this study explores the intricate relationship between social inclusion, meaning in life, and resilience among Generation Z during the Israel‐Hamas war. Notably, this cohort encounters heightened challenges in fostering close social relationships, resulting in a diminished sense of social inclusion. The study comprised 317 Israeli Generation Z adults who completed a structured online questionnaire. Results revealed a positive association between social inclusion and resilience, mediated by the presence of meaning in life. These findings underscore the importance of social inclusion in times of crisis in predominantly individualist contemporary Western societies.
... (Wijaya et al., 2020) In spite of their youthful age generation z is already skilled and active in their way of living making decisions like grown-ups. (Dolot, 2018) The internet technology has made so many applications like Netflix, prime video, YouTube, voot, mx player and many more for the entertainment and to spread knowledge. In this study researcher has done a survey on Netflix squid game series online gaming is the new culture spread among generation z. ...
... Members of Generation Z, or as they are also called, iGeneration, Gen Tech, Online Generation, Post Millennials, "always clicking", "digital natives" or "mobile natives" (Dolot, 2018), were born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s when the greatest changes in the world began to unfold with the web, the internet, smartphones, laptops, freely accessible networks, and digital media (Singh & Dangmei, 2016). As among the most notable characteristics of Gen Z are autonomy, individuality, technology addiction, and a need for speed, it is anticipated that they will exhibit qualities such as multitasking, efficient technology utilization, a preference for individualism, rather than teamwork, creativity, a global perspective, and a preference for unconventional and personalized tasks (Berkup, 2014). ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
As Generation Z has been entering the global workforce, it has become important for companies to understand not only their characteristics but also their career and wage expectations to meet the evolving needs and aspirations of this generation. This paper explores career expectations and how they relate to wage expectations among Gen Z students, and 119 students enrolled in undergraduate or master's programs at two universities, in the same field of study, but situated in distinct Central and Eastern European countries, the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Serbia, were included in the study. Data collection took place in April-May 2024. The results show that Life Balance, Freedom, and Expertise are the most important career expectations in Slovenia and Serbia, but not in the same order. At the same time, Organization Membership and Entrepreneurship are the lowest-ranked values in Slovenia and Entrepreneurship and Management in Serbia. Furthermore, regarding wage expectations, in both countries there is a positive and statistically significant relation between wage expectations after completing the studies and starting to work and the wage expectations when they have 10 years of work experience. In Serbia starting wage expectation is twice lower, but the expectation for a relative increase in the 10 years is almost 60% higher compared to Slovenia.
... Como contexto el estudio de las generaciones nace de la generalización de conjuntos poblacionales donde comparten años de nacimiento, por ende, edad y eventos significativos (Hemais y Rodrigues, 2023) en etapas críticas de su vida (Dolot, 2018). La generación que analizaremos nace de la disrupción tecnológica gracias al internet (Sun y Xing, 2022), las plataformas sociales, los teléfonos inteligentes y los avances en tecnología móvil, los eventos e innovaciones se comparten al instante y se difunden a nivel global (Ernst & Young, 2015), este grupo demográfico se sitúa por la mayoría de los autores según su nacimiento entre los años 1995 y 2010, los cuales representan el 32% de la población mundial conocidos como Generación Z, Post Millenials, Millenials jóvenes, Centennials (Mondres, 2019). ...
Article
Full-text available
El objetivo de esta investigación es conocer los factores más relevantes de la generación centennial para el consumo sustentable de la ropa en Norteamérica en un ámbito universitario durante el año 2024. El método estadístico utilizado fue modelización mediante la técnica de regresión simple, con una muestra de 567 jóvenes Centennial. Los resultados validan la hipótesis 1; que es, pese a diferencias de idioma y país, los Centennials muestran patrones de consumo similares. La relevancia de los hallazgos identifica los factores específicos de modelos de consumo sustentables en un ámbito de moda para la generación centennial en México, Canadá y Estados Unidos. Este trabajo posee la originalidad de estar incursionando en un estudio cuantitativo temas principalmente estudiados con enfoque cualitativo. Como limitación, los hallazgos no se pueden generalizar sin ampliar la muestra.
... This generation comes after generation Y (Millennials) and is known as "digital natives" since they grew up with the internet [2]. The important characteristic of generation Z is familiarity with technology, the internet, and smart devices, enabling them to connect easily to each other through social media and various applications [3]. This generation is generally more diverse regarding ethnicity, culture, and gender. ...
Article
One of the significant challenges of our modern world is the generational differences, which can have profound effects on social, cultural, economic, health and welfare aspects of different generations, acting as a challenge to social epidemiology. Generation Z refers to individuals born between 1990 and 2010. This generation comes after generation Y (Millennials) and is known as “digital natives” since they grew up with the internet.
... Many theorists suggest explanations for this term, but for this paper, the authors use the definition by McCrindle (2014) -a generation is a cohort of people born in a certain period, 'united by age and life stage, conditions and technology, events and experiences' (p. 1). The contemporary literature identifies six different generations: Silent or Greatest Generation (born between 1928 and1944);The Baby Boomers (1945-1965; Generation X (1965-1979Generation Y (1980Generation Y ( -1995Generation Z (1995Generation Z ( -2010 and Generation Alfa (2010 -2024) Dolot, 2018;McCrindle & Fell, 2019). Each generation has unique characteristics that differentiate it from its predecessors. ...
Chapter
Full-text available
The main objective of this chapter is to compare the components of financial literacy and well-being of young adults in Poland with those in selected EU countries, as well as to identify and assess the financial attitudes and behaviours of young adults and compare them to older generations in Poland. This research is motivated by the growing importance of financial literacy in shaping the financial well-being of young adults, especially in the digital economy. The study uses two datasets: 2023 OECD data for a comparative analysis of financial literacy and well-being between Poland and selected EU countries and a 2020 CAWI survey of 1,153 Polish adults, examining attitudes and behaviours related to savings, debt, and digital financial services. Results indicate that although young Polish adults possess strong financial knowledge, they face challenges applying it practically and exhibit low financial well-being. They prefer liquidity, primarily saving in cash, often relying on informal debt from family and friends, and engaging more with digital financial services. Among experienced FinTech users, younger adults rate these services more highly than older generations. However, this heightened enthusiasm may present financial security and risk management challenges, underscoring the need for targeted financial education to strengthen practical financial skills and encourage responsible use of digital financial tools.
Article
Full-text available
Social media has emerged as an important part of daily life for many people, with potential implications for subjective well-being. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether time spent on social media, social media stress, and social media self-regulation failure are associated with emerging adults’ subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) and tested whether these links depended on participants’ Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and autonomy). A representative community sample of emerging adults (N = 343; 42.3% men; Mage = 24.82 years) completed self-report questionnaires. Consistent with the “Goldilocks hypothesis”, both too much and too little time spent on social media were associated with greater negative affect, with 45 minutes per day predicting the lowest negative affect. Moderation analyses revealed that time spent on social media was related to lower positive affect for participants low on extraversion. Social media self-regulation failure was related to lower positive and higher negative affect for participants with low agreeableness. Social media stress related to less negative affect for participants with low emotional stability, and to more negative affect for people with high emotional stability. These findings suggest that the impact of social media on emerging adults’ well-being may depend in part on their personality traits.
Article
Full-text available
Dynamiczne zmiany, jakie obserwujemy na rynku pracy, i towarzyszące im zmiany struktury zatrudnienia, zanikanie starych zawodów i powstawanie nowych stanowią nowe wyzwania dotyczące kształtowania kariery zawodowej zarówno dla pracowników, jak i pracodawców. Obecnie karierę zawodową wyznacza trend uczenia się i rozwoju przez całe życie. Wymaga to nowego podejścia do kariery zawodowej jako projektu życiowego i determinuje stworzenie warunków, w których każdy człowiek miałby łatwy dostęp do rzetelnych informacji o rynku pracy. Ponadto na rynku pracy obserwuje się duże zróżnicowanie grup wiekowych pracowników, co skutkuje znacznymi różnicami pokoleniowymi występującymi także w przejawianych postawach zarówno wobec pracy, jak i kariery zawodowej. Celem niniejszego artykułu będzie wskazanie nowych wyzwań w podejściu do własnej kariery zawodowej wśród przedstawicieli pokolenia X i Y (pokolenie X, czyli osoby urodzone w latach 1965–1980, natomiast pokolenie Y stanowią młodzi ludzie urodzeni po roku 1980). W artykule zawarto prezentację wyników badań i opinii pracowników dolnośląskich przedsiębiorstw (przedstawicieli pokolenia X i Y) oraz studentów i absolwentów Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu (przedstawicieli pokolenia Y) dotyczących prezentowanego zagadnienia.
Article
Full-text available
Abstract Generational affiliation significantly impacts the approach to life, work, or preferred values. Equally important is the degree of identification of representatives of particular generations with values preferred in a given generation group - i.e., the subjective assessment regarding their belonging to a given generation. Those facts entail significant challenges for employers, who should be aware of how the values offered in the workplace influence the effective employee selection process and building commitment. This article will aim to show to what degree the representatives of the examined generations BB, X, Y and Z identify with their generation's stereotypical characteristics and indicate the fundamental differences concerning the values they prefer in the workplace. Keywords: multigenerational, generation BB, X, Y and Z, labor market, work values, HRM.
Article
Full-text available
The contemporary job market is facing the arrival of new type of employee –generation Z representatives, known as “digital natives”, who are described as technological, social, global and developed, the most connected, clever and educated generation thatever existed before, driven by social media, influenced by brands and musical culture. At the moment, this generation is considered to be two billion big.This study is looking at the existing methods of generation Z staff attraction and retention in the company Evolution (Latvia), where they make a majority. Further analyzing which of the methods are perceived as most efficient and which values of this generation are met by the company. Methods include company literature review, questionnaires and interviews. It was concluded the Gen Z have specific preferences in communication and can be reached through a variety of social platforms and special events provided by the company. As potential and current employees, they are not looking for life-long employment, put forward their specific values and expect the potential employer to attract them by meeting their needs in terms of flexible working hours, flexible (varied) jobs where their individuality can be applied, company excellent reputation, innovation, speed of change, platform for educational and promotional advancement, specific fringe benefits.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The interest of management practitioners, academics and researches in human capital management continues. Rapid changes in the business environment of contemporary organisation expand the scale and complexity of challenges faced by entrepreneurs. One of the challenges is a skillful management of employees of different age. Until now, the multigenerational character of employee teams has never been so often discussed by different forums. The importance of the issue has increased mainly through the extremely rapid development of modern technologies, which caused emergence of new management methods, new leadership models, modern techniques of communication and, last but not least, innovative motivation tools for people. The issue of effective motivating workforce of different age and an attempt, related to the issue, to create optimal models of motivation systems for multi-generation teams inspired respective empirical research (N=700) addressed by this paper
Article
Full-text available
Po raz pierwszy na rynku pracy obecne są trzy pokolenia pracobiorców i choć różnią się one pod wieloma względami, to podkreśla się, że szczególnym wyzwaniem dla współczesnego pracodawcy jest najmłodsza generacja pracowników, tj. pokolenie Y, którego wartości, zwłaszcza te związane z pracą, mogą się znacząco różnić w porównaniu z poprzednimi pokoleniami. Celem artykułu było zatem zbadanie wpływu różnic pokoleniowych na znaczenie wartości związanych z pracą w gospodarce turystycznej. Osiągnięcie celu umożliwił sondaż przeprowadzony wśród 1047 osób pracujących w obsłudze ruchu turystycznego. Badania wykazały, że zarówno cechy bezpośrednio związane z wykonywaną pracą, jak i atrakcyjność lokalizacji pracodawcy znajdują odzwierciedlenie w odczuwanej satysfakcji zawodowej. Ranga wskazanych czynników jest po części moderowana przez różnice pokoleniowe. W grupie pracobiorców reprezentujących najmłodszą generację na turystycznym rynku pracy najważniejszą rolę odgrywają relacje społeczne w miejscu pracy, a także aspekty lokalizacyjne pracodawcy.
Article
Full-text available
The article outlines the characteristics of the socalled generation Z - people born after 1995 and generation Alpha - people born after 2010. The description of these groups is accompanied by educational considerations on technology developments, which lead to create the generations that are commonly using mobile devices and treat them as the access points to the Internet. What are the pedagogical consequences of such new educational and social situations? Characteristics of generation Z and Alpha and information on media development and educational challenges will form the basis for reflection on the competencies which should be or not developed in order to build a participatory culture. I will also ask about competences needed for active participation in culture. Should we go beyond the relational model of digital literacy and promote more universal solution for all stages of formal education?
Article
Full-text available
Purpose – The paper aims to explore the differences between the factors that affect the entrepreneurship potential of the Baby Boomers and X, Y, Z generations. Methodolgy - To carry out this study, 532 individuals were reached with convenience sampling method and surveys were used for data collection. Findings - It is found that Z generation’s entrepreneurial potential is rather lower than Baby Boomers, X and Y. According to gender and marital status there are some differences in entrepreneurship potential, but not for the other demographics. Conclusion - As a result of findings, it is thought that, the results of this study will contribute to the literature relating to the question of “has the next generation better entrepreneurship potential or not at the time of the study conducted”, since the study for the first time takes into consideration Z generation.
Article
Full-text available
Incredible technology changes are defining our current reality, impacting on our approach to society, to planning and to breaking new ground in terms of education. There is a rise of a new generation that is "location-aware" and speaks a “technological-language”. This has a great impacts on the teaching-learning environment within the current university structures, as students (the new Generation Z learners) are more equipped with technology, than typical Generation X (lecturers), which increase complexity of education processes involving instruction, guidance, and supervision. This study investigated the preferences of the new Generation Z student, in terms of technology usage within formal educational systems, based on the surveys conducted among the Urban Planning students on the Potchefstroom campus of the North-West University, South Africa, over a 7 year period. It also tested perspectives and technology usage and preferences of current lecturers (of the same group of students), in order to reveal some of the complex realities and challenges faced when teaching Generation Z. The research concluded with the viewpoints of both groups and presented some solutions to bridge the gaps and enhance teaching-learning strategies.
Article
Full-text available
The author of this article seeks to define various circumstances that make a generation. The author points out the characteristics of new generations focusing on the so-called Z generation. As a literature teacher, she mentions personal examples to make the article alive. Her aim is to prove that it is important to take the new habits and specifics of teenagers into account in order to teach more efficiently.