Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
Harold Hayden
Committee Member
Sherry Burke
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
cohort analysis, delay of gratification, gender differences, generational cohorts, generational differences, hard work, morality and ethics, Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile, organizational behavior, self-reliance, workplace diversity, workplace relationships, work ethic, workforce generations, archival research, employee attitudes, gender comparisons, intergenerational relationships, variance analysis, workplace studies, worker perceptions, employee values, generational research, labor force, organizational culture, workforce development, workplace dynamics, respect across generations, skills transfer, knowledge sharing, employee behavior, occupational attitudes, workforce management, employee motivation, cohort comparisons, male workers, female workers, quantitative research, workplace ethics, employee development, organizational effectiveness, professional values, workforce engagement, demographic differences, employee characteristics, workplace performance, cross-generational collaboration, human resource management, work values, employee perspectives, multigenerational workforce
Abstract
This purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which differences in work ethic existed among four generations and two genders in the workplace. Data from four subsets of the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) were examined (delay of gratification, hard work, morality/ethics, and self-reliance). Popular press has raised awareness of differences in work ethic between generations; however, scholars have disagreed about whether generational differences existed in the workplace. The writer used archival data to examine the work ethic of four generations of workers.
Two research questions guided this study:
1. What differences in work ethic, if any, measured by (a) delay of gratification, (b) hard work, (c) morality/ethics, and (d) self-reliance using the MWEP, exist between male and female workers in each of the four generations in the workplace?
2. What differences in work ethic, if any, measured by (a) delay of gratification, (b) hard work, (c) morality/ethics and (d) self-reliance using the MWEP, exist between each generational cohort of workers in each of the four generations in the workplace?
An analysis of variance was conducted for each research question. The findings indicated that little difference existed quantitatively among generations or genders. The implications of the findings suggested developing a methodology to build respect across generations and leverage the knowledge and skills of each generation.