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Generation Y’s Ethical Ideology and Its Potential Workplace Implications

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  • Rebecca VanMeter
  • Douglas Grisaffe
  • Lawrence Chonko
  • James Roberts

Abstract

Generation Y is a cohort of the population larger than the baby boom generation. Consisting of approximately 80 million people born between 1981 and 2000, Generation Y is the most recent cohort to enter the workforce. Workplaces are being redefined and organizations are being pressed to adapt as this new wave of workers is infused into business environments. One critical aspect of this phenomenon not receiving sufficient research attention is the impact of Gen Y ethical beliefs and ethical conduct in workplace contexts. It is widely accepted that distinct generational experiences shape ethical ideologies and ethical ideologies in turn affect the way people function in the workplace. Thus, Gen Y’s unique cohort experiences are likely to shape their ethical ideologies and consequent workplace judgments and actions. In this article, we examine Gen Y’s ethical ideology and study its impact on workplace functioning regarding leadership style, teamwork, and judgments about ethical violations. Our analyses indicate that Gen Y’ers tend toward situationalism (high idealism and high relativism), and their socially connected orientation produces more lenient judgments of collaborative vs. unilateral ethical violations. However, Gen Y’ers do exhibit individual variation. Relativist Gen Y’ers are more tolerant of ethical violations, whereas, Gen Y Idealists are less tolerant of ethical violations. High Idealists also show stronger teamwork and leadership characteristics. In addition, Gen Y’ers possessing servant leader traits exhibit incrementally better teamwork, and greater perceived unacceptability of ethical violations. We conclude by discussing implications of these findings for managing ethical climates and conduct. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Rebecca VanMeter & Douglas Grisaffe & Lawrence Chonko & James Roberts, 2013. "Generation Y’s Ethical Ideology and Its Potential Workplace Implications," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 93-109, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:117:y:2013:i:1:p:93-109
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-012-1505-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lora Reed & Deborah Vidaver-Cohen & Scott Colwell, 2011. "Erratum to: A New Scale to Measure Executive Servant Leadership: Development, Analysis, and Implications for Research," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 507-508, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Georgiana CRISTEA & Elena-Madalina VATAMANESCU & Andreea MITAN, 2017. "Managing People Dynamics Through The Lens Of Generation Y," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 11(1), pages 738-748, November.
    2. Alyahya, Mansour & Agag, Gomaa & Aliedan, Meqbel & Abdelmoety, Ziad H., 2023. "A cross-cultural investigation of the relationship between eco-innovation and customers boycott behaviour," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Bela Florenthal & Manar Awad, 2021. "A cross-cultural comparison of millennials’ engagement with and donation to nonprofits: a hybrid U&G and TAM framework," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 18(4), pages 629-657, December.
    4. Maximiano Ortiz-Pimentel & Carlos Molina & Guillermo Armando Ronda-Pupo, 2020. "Bibliometric assessment of papers on generations in management and business journals," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(1), pages 445-469, October.

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