IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v15y2025i1p29-d1567995.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Factors Motivating Generation Z in the Workplace: Managerial Challenges and Insights

Author

Listed:
  • Camelia Surugiu

    (Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
    National Institute for Research and Development in Tourism, 050741 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Marius-Răzvan Surugiu

    (Institute of National Economy, 050711 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Cătălin Grădinaru

    (Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania)

  • Ana-Maria Grigore

    (Faculty of Administration and Business, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania)

Abstract

The paper aims to identify the powerful forces of Generation Z’s (Gen Z) work motivations, considering four key drivers: recognition, appreciation, well-being, and skills. Four hypotheses were developed, and Gen Z-triggering motivational factors at work were analyzed using a survey approach. Using the collected data, a logistic regression model was constructed to investigate the effects on work motivation. An in-depth interview of managers from different companies was applied to identify Gen Z’s perceptions about the workplace. All four predictors proved to influence work motivation significantly. According to the answers of Gen Z’s members, wage is the primary motivator for them to increase work efficiency, with other financial and non-financial factors being less significant. Gen Z is generally not teamwork-oriented and prefers working alone to demonstrate their abilities and achieve greater efficiency. Gen Z switches jobs frequently and shows low loyalty to organizations, often prioritizing personal preferences over long-term commitment. This study explores Romanian Gen Z-triggering motivational factors and shows the motivators for increasing work efficiency. It provides unique insights into a less teamwork-oriented, low loyalty to organizations segment, filling a literature gap and offering business recommendations for connecting with this generation.

Suggested Citation

  • Camelia Surugiu & Marius-Răzvan Surugiu & Cătălin Grădinaru & Ana-Maria Grigore, 2025. "Factors Motivating Generation Z in the Workplace: Managerial Challenges and Insights," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-24, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:1:p:29-:d:1567995
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/1/29/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/1/29/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gabrielova, Karina & Buchko, Aaron A., 2021. "Here comes Generation Z: Millennials as managers," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 489-499.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chaojun Li & Xinjia Huang, 2022. "How Does COVID-19 Risk Perception Affect Wellness Tourist Intention: Findings on Chinese Generation Z," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Aurora Eleonora TWAROWSKI & Nicolae BIBU & Laura BRANCU, 2024. "New Management Paradigms Determined By The Pandemic: The Digital Revolution In The Opera Sector," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 33(1), pages 655-660, July.
    3. Shwetha M. Krishna & Somya Agrawal, 2024. "Creative Performance of Millennials and Generation Z: What Matters More, Intrinsic or Extrinsic Rewards?," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-31, December.
    4. Mihail Ovidiu Tănase & Puiu Nistoreanu & Răzvan Dina & Bogdan Georgescu & Virgil Nicula & Cosmin Nicolae Mirea, 2023. "Generation Z Romanian Students’ Relation with Rural Tourism—An Exploratory Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-21, May.
    5. repec:hal:journl:hal-04836005 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Judit TÖRÖK-KMOSKÓ & Krisztina DAJNOKI, 2024. "Adapting Leadership Development For Smes In The Era Of Remote Work From The Perspective Of Generation Z: Modern Approaches And Challenges," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 33(1), pages 645-654, July.
    7. repec:ers:journl:v:xxiv:y:2021:i:special2:p:17-34 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Agnieszka Laskowska & Jan Franciszek Laskowski, 2022. "“Silver” Generation at Work—Implications for Sustainable Human Capital Management in the Industry 5.0 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25, December.
    9. Chin-Wen Chang & Sheng-Hsiung Chang, 2023. "The Impact of Digital Disruption: Influences of Digital Media and Social Networks on Forming Digital Natives’ Attitude," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(3), pages 21582440231, August.
    10. Agnieszka Laskowska & Jan Laskowski, 2021. "Expectations of Young People Towards Their Future Work and Career After the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Outbreak in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 1), pages 17-34.
    11. Hyo-Sun Jung & Hye-Hyun Yoon, 2021. "Generational Effects of Workplace Flexibility on Work Engagement, Satisfaction, and Commitment in South Korean Deluxe Hotels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-13, August.
    12. Wang, Zi & Yuan, Ruizhi & Luo, Jun & Liu, Martin J. & Yannopoulou, Natalia, 2023. "Does personalized advertising have their best interests at heart? A quantitative study of narcissists’ SNS use among Generation Z consumers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    13. Zhou, Cheng & Chang, Qian, 2024. "Informational or emotional? Exploring the relative effects of chatbots’ self-recovery strategies on consumer satisfaction," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    14. Mariusz Jedliński & Katarzyna Sosik-Filipiak, 2022. "The Role of Crosswalks in the Smart City Concept Implementation from the “iGen” Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, August.
    15. Natália Vraňaková & Zdenka Gyurák Babeľová & Andrea Chlpeková, 2021. "Sustainable Human Resource Management and Generational Diversity: The Importance of the Age Management Pillars," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:1:p:29-:d:1567995. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.