Work Values Over Generations
-
Upload
gyan-basyal -
Category
Documents
-
view
221 -
download
0
Transcript of Work Values Over Generations
7/28/2019 Work Values Over Generations
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/work-values-over-generations 1/2
Work Values over Generations
Work values over generations have changed in my family though some are still being carried out. Mygrandparents lived their whole life in village; my parents lived half of their life in village and are now in city.
Wherever they live they have carried certain values that the given generation shared upon and some aretransferred. Basically those values here are segregated in following headings:
Choice of profession: Grandparents believed that agriculture is the best profession. For them having toomuch land and too many cattle was a symbol of status and pride. For my father’s generation it was either government job, business or job in gulf countries that became a sense of pride and respect. But nowadays our generation including myself thinks that profession where education counts are better. So, we are slowlyshifting towards mentally challenging profession.
Achievement: Grandparents used to think that too much crops and too many begging hands for help in avillage is an achievement. For fathers’ generation, money, status and respect from people is an achievement.
But for our generation education, well paid job and respected career is achievement. Our generation is slowlythinking achievement at the profession where our personality and ability matches is better than going after
what society endorses.
Independence: Grandfathers used to do work collectively in groups, exchange labor and adhere to rules of society. Fathers’ generation became more mobile, they believe in individual wealth and income, and theywere satisfied to do what their boss wants them to do. Our generation view work as a private affair of life
where we want individual freedom, flexibility, creativity and autonomy.
Recognition: There is less change in values for recognition but the way recognition is to be depicted is
changed. Grandparents wanted recognition for their work from villagers’ endorsement and invitation in work season like plantation and harvesting. Parents wanted to be recognized as the rich person via paychecks and
respected citizen in the society. Our generation wants recognition as a promotion, special titles, involvement,
leadership role like assigning team leader, etc.
Relationship: Grandparents’ generation used to have strong intimacy between coworkers, know each other
closely and share family matters. Fathers’ generation started taking wor k with strict authority, specializationand chain of command. Our generation takes workplace as teamwork with less boundaries, higher privacy
and autonomy with less tolerance for status quo and power distance.
What shapes our view of work?
The education system, culture, family members, etc play a major role in shaping our work values. Because of education system that emphasizes more ethics and social responsibility, we are directly or indirectly inclined
to do jobs that benefits society. Cultural factor like caste, gender, lifestyle, religion, etc dictate how we seecertain work. For example, our culture do not view goldsmith as a profession of Brahmin people. Family
members do influence our work values. The child in Nepal has likely chance that s/he will carry over parents’ profession. But, individual psychological processes always has crucial role in shaping work values.
Implications
The way people perceive work has changed dramatically. Organizations should view today’s workforce notonly as followers of change but also as change agents. Our generation is becoming more knowledge basedworkforce. So, leaders should view them as not only as means of carrying out decisions but also as creator of
decisions. Today’s workforce wants to see themselves as the owner of their work. So firms should enrichthem with good leadership skills, job autonomy and responsibility. More importantly, firms should
restructure it by breaking the boundaries and create a culture where people are treated as humans notmachines as our father’s generation used to be.
7/28/2019 Work Values Over Generations
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/work-values-over-generations 2/2