The cultural values of early millennials and late millennials

Abstract

Millennials are the quickest growing part of the workforce, as by 2020 they will comprise 50% of the global workforce (Mateo, 2015). This study compared early millennials' and late millennials' cultural values. The independent variable was the generation of the millennials while the dependent variable was their cultural values. The Value Survey Module 2013 (Hofstede & Minkov, 2013) was used to measure their cultural values. A one-shot survey was implemented through nonprobability, purposive sampling. Mann-Whitney U was used for comparison of means; the calculation of cultural value indices for the comparison of indices; Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's test for the comparison of means by demographic; and Chi-square for the identification of associations. Findings showed that overall there was no significant difference between early millennials' (n = 50) and late millennials' (n = 55) cultural values (equality vs. inequality, p = .32, collectivism vs. individualism p = .81, femininity vs. masculinity, p = .56, uncertainty vs. certainty p = .70, short- vs. long-term orientation p = .93, restraint vs. indulgence p = .53). The early millennials and late millennials did not differ significantly in all the dimensions of cultural values. There were statistically significant differences between their cultural value means by tenure, but there was no statistically significant association between their cultural values and demographics. These findings verify the generation theory by Karl Mannheim (1952), which was the basis of the study's framework. It states that people who belong to the same generation share the same worldview. In this case, early millennials and late millennials belong to the same generation, thus there is no difference in their values. Findings from the calculation of indices showed that both early and late millennials value collectivism, femininity, short-term orientation, uncertainty, equality, and indulgence It is recommended that future research compare cultural values of different generations, which might yield different results if the generation theory is to stand true. A sample equal distribution across the demographics is also recommended to see if demographics are indeed not a factor. Most important, a qualitative exploration of each dimension of cultural value, especially collectivism vs. individualism and femininity vs. masculinity, is recommended. It is also recommended that human resource managers, organization policyshapers, and decision-makers take into consideration the cultural values of millennials. A flatter organizational structure, more collaboration, gender equality actions, more effective adaptation to globalization, and more leisure time are recommended to be considered should organizations want to tailor fit organizations to millennials. It is recommended as well that millennials consider adjusting to the current working setup, for a more harmonious and compatible relationship with organizations.