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The ever-growing workforce and representation of multiple generations at companies
continue to expand as retirement age extends, and younger generations begin to work. There are
noticeable differences in expectations amongst working groups of individuals. It is important for
organizations to understand the need to adapt and understand the workforce expected to
represent its organizations mission. Presently, close to twenty-five percent of the working force
in 2025 is Generation Z employees (Ammon, 2023). While the past decade has been utilized to
understand millennial expectations in the workplace, further research needs to be dedicated to
Generation Z employees who are known to stray from typical motivational factors and are
associated with decreased retention rates
Research Questions
The decision to pursue an advanced degree was due to personal challenges I had faced as
a millennial leader at a healthcare organization. I felt I often faced adversity in speaking up
against the noticeable behavioral challenges presented by the multi-generational workforce.
Discussing the topics of Gen Z and motivation rates was often dismissed and returned with
expectations of all employees having ownership of emotions and responsibilities, without other
organizational leaders wanting to understand the why behind the behaviors and motivations of
this younger generation. My professional identity as a leader is a component of my research
study. My goal is to have the research and data needed to support requirements for updated
policies and implementation for long term success when managing a multi-generational
workforce. My refined research questions are the following:
1. Why are the key motivational factors for Gen Z employees in the workplace different
from other generations?
2. How do motivational factors influence the retention rates of Gen Z employees?
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3. Why are companies and organizations delaying strategy implementation to accommodate
a multi-generational workforce?
Literature
To examine this phenomenon of motivational factors in Generation Z employees and
understanding what organizations are doing to adapt to the evolving workforce, I will explore the
following buckets of literature:
1. Literature showing understanding of the unique characteristics of Gen Z, such as their
digital nativity, diversity, and social consciousness, can provide insights into their
motivations.
2. Reviewing theories of motivation, such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs or Leader-
Member-Exchange Theory, can provide a theoretical framework for understanding Gen
Z's motivations.
The research framework was built upon various theories, including the Attraction-Selection-
Attrition and Self-Determination Theory, which serve as psychological bridges between Gen Z
and job satisfaction scores (Aggarwal et al., 2022). The study found a correlation between
organizational policies, practices, and the significance of job satisfaction. Other theories, such as
the Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory, were also employed as research frameworks. The
success of an organization is influenced by numerous factors, with employee performance being
one of them. This performance is linked to the relationship between a supervisor and their
subordinate. The findings from the LMX theory suggest that employees gain from intrinsic work
values and diverse leadership styles. This research aligns with other studies that have examined
leading theories like the Two-Factor Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory. These
theories also explore intrinsic and extrinsic workflows and their impact on Gen Z employees
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from a psychological perspective, particularly in terms of emotional influence (Ganguli & Padhy,
2023). The study observed many similarities between Millennials and Gen Z, which is why the
LMX theory was examined (Gabrielova & Bucko, 2021). Factors such as leadership style,
motivation, teamwork, and social interaction are crucial to the success of the LMX theory.
However, while the research results indicated that some strategies from these theories can be
applied by organizations, it was also found that Gen Z requires a more individualized approach
and greater communication than previous generations.
3. Literature on the differences between generations, such as Baby Boomers, Gen X,
Millennials, and Gen Z, can provide insights into the challenges and opportunities of
managing a multi-generational workforce.
4. Reviewing literature on strategies for managing multi-generational workforces, such as
promoting intergenerational collaboration and creating inclusive work cultures, can
provide insights into how organizations are adapting.
I will use existing research to guide my research design. From my initial scan of the
literature, it appears that much of the research around Generation Z is either limited due to it
being the recent change in employment dynamics, in addition, limited research studies have
sample sizes directly pulled from the United States, however, present information and referenced
material is from Europe, the Middle East or Asia. A study performed in 2022 reviewed how
intrinsic and extrinsic work values affected different nationalities of the Gen Z population. These
were over 1,000 students sampled from China, Germany, Thailand and The Netherlands. It was
discovered that nationality does have a factor on influencing work appeal (DeBoer & Bordoloi,
2022), therefore a focus on a sample size within the United States would be important.
Data Sources
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Data sources I plan to collect will be via questionnaires with Generation Z employees in
the present-day workforce within the United States. Then potentially I would like to consider the
opportunity to review workplace employment of the Generation Z employee participants and
analyze applicable policies of those workforces depending on the results of the questionnaires to
spot check if any noticeable differences in policy, structure, subsequently impacted retention
rates of said participants.
Methods and Research Design Overview
Narrative design research methods are often used when reviewing humanities and social
sciences. Social sciences review how people interact with one another and behave in society.
Narrative designs are appropriate to use when focusing on collection and research interpretation
of personal stories and experiences (Creswell & Poth, 2023). This research design is important as
it allows researchers to understand the individuals and expand how it impacts them holistically.
The data is analyzed to find any noticeable patterns or relationships between variables. In this
scenario it would be to see what the impact of organizations has on intrinsic and extrinsic
motivational factors of Gen Z employees.
Questions for Reader(s)
1. Does this proposal sound like two potential research studies versus one?
2. Should I consider reviewing theory-based data in correlation with motivational factors on
Generation Z employees. Then, a future potential or different study would be tor review
retention rates of Generation Z employees at notable organizations for policy review
analysis?
3. How large should the sample size of the Generation Z employees be?
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References
Aggarwal, A., Sadhna, P., Gupta, S., Mittal, A., & Rastogi, S. (2022). Gen Z entering the
workforce: Restructuring HR policies and practices for fostering the task performance
and organization commitment. Journal of Public Affairs, 22(3).
https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2535
Ammon, R. (2023, August 23). Gen Z will make up twenty-four precent of all employees by
2025. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gen-z-make-up-twenty-four-percent-all-
employees-2025-roses-ammon
Creswell, J. W. & Poth, C. N. (2023). Qualitative inquiry & research design: Choosing among
five approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
De Boer, P., & Bordoloi, P. (2022). Nationality differences in Gen Z work values: An
exploratory study. Journal of International Education in Business, 15(2), 373-392.
https://doi.org/https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JIEB-09-2021-0088
Dwivedula, R., & Singh, P. (2020). What motivates Gen Z at work? An empirical analysis.
Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(2), 40-53. https://doi.org/1335-3888
Gabrielova, K., & Buchko, A. (2021). Here comes generation Z: Millennials as managers.
Business Horizons, 64(4), 489-499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.02.013
Ganguli, R., & Padhy, S. C. (2023). Moderating effect of demographic factors on the relationship
between work motivation and employee retention of Gen Z. Sage Journals, 31(2), 145-
156. https://doi.org/10.1177/09711023231197819
Zahari, S. N. S., & Puteh, F. (2022). Gen Z workforce and job-hopping intention: A study among
University students in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business
and Social Sciences, 13(1), 902-927. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i1/15540
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