 Values of Chinese generation cohorts: Do they matter in the workplace?Ningyu Tang, Yumei Wang and Kaili Zhang Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 2017, vol. 143, issue C, 8-22 Abstract: Based on evolutionary modernization theory (Inglehart, 1997, in press), this study investigates generational differences in basic human values (Schwartz et al., 2012) in the Chinese workplace. A significant series of economic events was used to differentiate three generational cohorts: pre-reform, reform, and post-reform. Using a nationwide sample of employees (N=2010) from state-owned, private and foreign-invested companies, we explored intergenerational differences and similarities in basic human values. We found an increasing openness to change across cohorts, and a surprising upswing in conservation in the post-reform generation. However, we also found similarities in conservation, self-enhancement, and self-transcendence values between the pre-reform and post-reform generations. We also explored how the effects of values on employee behaviors changed across cohorts. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed. Keywords: Evolutionary modernization theory; Scarcity and socialization hypotheses; Chinese workforce; New generation; Generational cohorts; Basic human values; Values-performance relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:143:y:2017:i:c:p:8-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2017.07.007 Access Statistics for this article Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes is currently edited by John M. Schaubroeck More articles in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes from Elsevier |
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