CULTURE SHOCK

Generation Y and their managers around the world

Executive Summary

Sue Honor Carina Paine Schofield November 2012

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank everyone who participated in this research, not only for generously giving up their time but for their free and frank views on a topical subject. Participating organisations are listed in the Appendix. We would particularly like to acknowledge the interviewers and survey distributors: Rebecca Coatswith, Rory Hendrikz, Pushpa Prashara, Trudi West, Linda Elomari (Emirates Foundation) and the team at Petronas Leadership Centre in Malaysia. Also our colleagues: a special mention for Eileen Mullins; Judy Curd, Ayiesha Russell, Helen Lockett, Emma Bradbury, Annette Weston, Khaldoon Al Doory and Jackie Carter, as well as the Institute of Leadership and Management for their partnership in the UK survey in 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the individuals who were interviewed in compiling this report and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Ashridge.

Ashridge Business School

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Ashridge Business School Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 1NS United Kingdom www.ashridge.org.uk ISBN 978-0-903542-87-6

Gen Y is the same across the world. It is the gap with their managers that creates the differences

INtroDuctioN
Who is Generation Y?
Generation Y (Gen Y) is the group of people under 30 years old. In recent years there has been much publicity about how widely different this generation is from those who have gone before. Gen Y is often classified negatively as consisting of disenfranchised, antisocial technophiles with short attention spans and poor communication skills. Media articles therefore focus on character traits, motivating young people and how older generations can adapt to Gen Y. The reality for the workplace is far more complex. Overall, there is a consensus that Gen Y: has grown up in a very different environment to previous generations comes to the workplace with different skills is motivated by different things thinks differently about learning and development approaches work relationships differently. Gen Y is not a group of homogenous clones. It is made up of individuals with a wide range of skills and behaviours. Yet some common trends are appearing in both this generation and the workplace that require attention and analysis.

INTRODUCTION

Four years ago I was quite sceptical about how dramatic changes would be with Gen Y in the workplace. Now I can see them, really see them
European HR executive
International perspective
The world has changed dramatically, so both the global economy and local culture have had an impact on Gen Y. As one of our interviewees said: Each generation grows up with an economy that influences the perception of what the world is and what the future will be. Rapid changes in technology, communication, human resourcing and business models, combined with shifting political and cultural norms provide a very different background to Gen Ys workplace when compared to that of their parents. Although Ashridge research has found many aspects of Gen Y that apply around the world, such as their focus on self, peer orientation rather than respect for hierarchy and a preference for a strong work/life balance, there are other areas of local emphasis (Fig. 1). In India, technology is a strong driver of Gen Y in the work environment. In the Middle East, the multi-national aspect of business combined with an increasing number of locals educated abroad and returning is affecting how Gen Y approaches work. In China the one child policy has created a very strong view of a spoilt and cossetted generation. In the UK a lack of career direction with frequent job experimentation and orientation towards fun at work is noticeable. In Malaysia, although more loyal to their companies than elsewhere, Gen Y seeks international experience and varied careers. None of these characteristics is unique to a geographical region. They apply everywhere, but have a stronger emphasis in different parts of the world. The economic and cultural changes in the last forty years have in fact impacted more on the managers of Gen Y who have had to live through those changes. It has also meant that Gen Y is dealing with bosses who struggle to adapt to the approach to work that young people bring. There is puzzlement and sometimes frustration on both sides, who view the world of work through different lenses. As the Baby Boomers and Generation X make way for the leaders of the future, all generations need to review their differences and find new ways of working for the future. As a manager in the UK National Health Service put it: They are so energetic and refreshing. But how do you harness it in a way that benefits the company and Gen Y?

Experimenting

Intelligent

Technology

Questioning

Ambitious

Gen Y
Flexible

INTRODUCTION

Connected

Multi-national

Mobility

Fig. 1: Shared and local cultural strengths in Gen Y

Life experience sums it up. Gen Y are intelligent but lack life skills
UK manager

Our current research behaviours and international comparisons

This phase builds upon our previous Ashridge research into Gen Y (see Appendix for earlier reports). Based on our findings to date, on questions repeatedly asked by existing and potential clients, and from open debate in the media, we decided to: 1. explore the manager-graduate relationship in the first few years of work and expectations of managers, graduates and organisations for their future leaders 2. investigate Generation Y outside the Western world, focusing on the Middle East, India, Malaysia and China in order to provide: in-depth examples/case studies international comparisons recommendations and suggestions based on experience. An interview template was developed based on the findings from our previous research, questions of interest expressed from existing and potential clients and existing literature. Topics for both the survey and interviews included: expectations of work preparation for work and recruitment induction and development including new models/approaches attitudes towards work motivation and career progression relationships between graduates and managers perceptions of managers or graduates key graduate/manager behavioural differences.

Research method
The current research phase took place between October 2011 and August 2012. An online survey was sent to international respondents and made available via the Ashridge website. This survey mirrored the one used in the UK and Western nations in early 2011. The only difference between the two surveys is that the international version was designed to be 100% multiple-choice rather than have open questions, in order to make processing easier. The options for the questions were based on the replies given in the 2011 survey. The international survey was available in English and Arabic. Interviews/focus groups were also conducted with recent graduates with fewer than five years of full-time work experience, together with managers/HR staff and senior executives who have experience of working with Generation Y employees. The interviews were mostly face-to-face although some were conducted by telephone.

Research population and demographics

A total of 96 people took part in the interviews/ focus groups, split evenly between recent graduates and managers/senior executives. They came from the UK, Middle East, India, Malaysia and China. The survey was completed by 2895 respondents of whom 1106 were managers and 1789 were graduates. Please see the note below about the actual countries involved in this research. The survey demographics are: Age The managers were mostly in Generation X (aged 30-50 years) and most were under 40 (58% in Middle East; 62% in India and Malaysia but only 43% in UK). From all four regions 85%-87% of the graduates were under 30. Gender Although the UK manager population showed a balance of genders, the other managers were mostly male. Apart from India (73% male), the graduate population was more evenly spread in terms of gender.

INTRODUCTION

The biggest disbelievers about the change in working life are the Board, and they have the power in this organisation
UK manager
Business sector In the Middle East, the respondents were mostly in the public sector. The Indians and Malaysians were strongly private sector workers, but the UK had a more even public/private split. Complete demographic data is available in the full report on this research. To obtain a copy of the full research report or for more information, please contact: rebecca.coatswith@ashridge.org.uk Note that throughout this report, international data is grouped into four core regions. The first is the Middle East: mainly the UAE, but also Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries; the second is mostly India but includes Sri Lanka, and the third largely Malaysia but includes Singapore/Hong Kong. The final region is labelled as UK, but also includes North America and continental Europe. These regions are listed throughout this report as Middle East, India, Malaysia and UK but are not exclusive to specific countries. The Chinese data was not large enough to include in the survey results so all Chinese information is based on interviews.

Key themes
Up

ng ingi br

Expectations and turnover Attitudes and behaviour

oc
S

Techn ol

The world of work

Experience

y og

iety

Culture
World
eve

By combining the results from the survey and the interviews, four key themes emerged from this research. The content of the four sections is explored in more depth in the full report and includes: Expectations of work, employee turnover and external influences Work experience, development and maturity

National and corporate culture Attitudes and behaviour, relationships and work/life balance.

This document is a summary of the research. Each section of the full report contains a commentary, case studies/real experience, quotes from our interviewees, statistics from the survey and some summary recommendations.

nt s

INTRODUCTION

I dont know if it is Gen Ys expectations that are wrong, or if it is the workplace

International business leader

EXPectAtioNs AND turNoVer

Up

ng ingi br

Expectations and turnover Attitudes and behaviour

oc
S

Techn ol

The world of work

Experience

y og

iety

Culture
World
eve

There also appears to be less focus in young graduates in what they want from a job and where they are happiest. It may be due to the rapid pace of change in todays world or to less of an emphasis from young people on the importance of work in their overall lives. The job market has moved on from when the managers started work. As an international business leader comments: The world has changed. Industries may become obsolete overnight, which wasnt the case 20-40 years ago. The graduates left us with the impression of uncertainty in terms of work. A typical comment from one young interviewee was: When I left

The picture is not all negative. There are organisations and individuals that thrive with graduates in their midst, who retain them and where both experienced and new staff learn from each other. There are other organisations which have understood their value as excellent developers of people even if those young people move on. We had plenty of examples of managers who have gone back to the roots

EXpectations and turnoVer

The biggest concern for the worldwide managers we interviewed is the issue of retention of young people. Compared to the past, they see that graduates have little patience with a job and will leave quickly if they feel it doesnt meet their own personal ideals. As one UK manager notes: They dont always deal well with the unexpected and revert quickly to the plan as it relates to their own personal expectations rather than the need of the organisation.

university I didnt have a clue. I just wanted to save money and travel. Managers feel strongly that todays graduates lack work experience compared to previous generations, although these comments are probably translatable into life skills rather than hands-on work tasks, as many managers admitted having little experience of work when they started. The graduates have high expectations of responsibility, progression and challenging, interesting work where they can make changes. The managers have expectations of excellent skills, teamwork and adaptation to the organisation. There is a mismatch.

nt s

22% of Indian graduates intend to leave

their jobs as soon as possible
of their talent pipeline to work with educational institutions to better prepare young adults for work. There has also been a growing phenomenon of networking outside the organisational walls driven by young people, to the benefit of all.

Key research findings on this theme

Members of Gen Y tend to stay in a job for two years. Only 57% intend to remain for two years in the UK; the figure is 62% from India and 75% from the Middle East. Malaysia has the most loyal graduate employees with 87% intending to remain for two years. 22% of Indian graduates intend to leave their jobs as soon as possible. Unmet expectations of work cause graduates to leave. Managers find graduates want promotion to management before they are ready. Responsibility and seniority was the greatest gap in expectations between graduates and managers. The overwhelming motivator at work for both managers and graduates is challenging and interesting work. Experience of work is the weakest point in new graduates. Graduates think they lack technical skills; managers think graduates lack people skills.
UK Middle East India Malaysia 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

100% 90% Percent of graduates remaining 80% 70%

EXpectations and turnoVer

ay

AP

ar

ar

ar

ar

ar

ar

To d

AS

ye

ye

ye

ye

ye

ye

1-

2-

3-

4-

av

5-

10

Le

When intend to leave

Fig. 2: Intention to stay in current job graduates response

6-

10

ye

ar

There is an element of come in, get a bit of experience, then Oh, Im going to follow that shiny red balloon over there
International executive

Missing skills in graduates as seen by graduates and managers by country

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% Percent 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% grads mgrs Middle East grads mgrs India grads mgrs Malaysia grads mgrs UK Foreign languages Interpersonal and communication skills Technical and professional Leadership and management Experience of work

Fig 3: Missing skills in graduates

EXpectations and turnoVer

Graduates do not aspire to the jobs of their more mature colleagues. Graduates have strong external peer networks which managers should exploit more. Graduates struggle however with building internal work networks of non-peers.

Graduates cite university as most influential in preparing them for work. Managers think universities do not develop key skills for the workplace. Organisations facing the reality of high turnover are looking to gain reputation and brand as a great people developer company.

If things do not work out at one organisation, they will move on. They dont feel a need to go through the pains of rectifying the problems
Indian executive

EXPerieNce
Up

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Expectations and turnover Attitudes and behaviour

oc
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Techn ol

The world of work

Experience

y og

iety

Culture
World
eve

One key issue that emerged from our research was the lack of experience in young people, possibly due to frequent job changes and lack of life skills. Globally, managers are seriously concerned that leaders of the future are not gaining real experience, either first hand or from others, to allow them to judge risk and make better decisions. Managers discussed a number of different approaches to ensure that graduates gained experience quickly. Many companies are developing internal world of work courses for new graduates. Others are looking at improved methods of coaching and mentoring.

Knowledge management, particularly with experienced Baby Boomers leaving organisations, is gaining more attention. For those organisations with the infrastructure and people to manage such schemes, in at the deep end programmes giving graduates high levels of responsibility early on with fall-back support are successful. Fast-track talent management initiatives are also being reviewed to ensure that reflection and learning are sufficient to give depth as well as breadth to leaders of the future. There is one question that managers ask how do you get graduates to realise that staying put to gain experience is more valuable than constantly moving jobs?

nt s

EXperience

Progression is based on competence and performance, not on time

UAE manager

Key research findings on this theme

Graduates are missing out on in-depth experience at work due to rapid job changes and are not gaining the decisionmaking skills needed as future leaders. Gen Y needs development in soft skills, particularly face-to-face behaviour. Office etiquette, respect, teamwork and political behaviour are important areas for development. Managers need to review the existing behaviour norms in an organisation and understand which are value-added and which are just historical habits. Graduates often intimidate managers by their forthright behaviour and questioning stance. In many cases graduates are not as confident as they seem.

Graduates ideal relationship with manager

100% 90% 80% Allocator of work 70% 60% Percent 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Friend Coach/mentor Peer Invisible

Ea

In

id dl

Fig. 4: Cumulative percentage of graduates who want their managers in certain roles

It is important to provide on-boarding education in expectations of behaviour at work early on in a graduates employment.

EXperience

Graduates want and need coaching and mentoring from other staff to improve these people skills and to help them take more ownership for their own development. 40% - 70% of graduates want their managers as a coach or mentor, with the Middle East being the lowest and Malaysia the highest.

ala

ys

Thirty is the new Twenty. Graduates are enjoying their twenties exploring jobs and having a good work/life balance. They settle at thirty and will end up working later in life than their current managers.

UK

di a

st

ia

10

We can look out the window and see first world infrastructure. It is very easy to change buildings. It is very difficult to change people
UAE senior manager

Culture
Up

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Expectations and turnover Attitudes and behaviour

oc
S

Techn ol

The world of work

Experience

y og

iety

Culture
World
eve

There are two aspects to culture the national culture of the country or region, and the internal culture of the organisation. In the last 40 years or so there have been enormous global changes in business, with the rise of Asian manufacturing and back office support capabilities and the worldwide criticality of key resources such as oil and raw materials for technology. Our international interviews and survey showed that these changes were having a major impact and challenging some of the more traditional cultural behaviours as the global business world shrinks. At the same time national culture was seen as a core strength in business success and in particular in respectful conduct in todays fast-paced world. National culture plays a strong part in the behaviour of both the managers and graduates we interviewed, but mostly the managers. In the Middle East, India, Malaysia and China there is a greater respect for the hierarchy than in the US/UK/Europe. Decision-making processes are

therefore more likely to be restricted to a small senior team and not transparent or accessible to those lower down the organisation. This behaviour causes frustration in younger people, especially those who have worked in multinational organisations or lived abroad. Family ties for Gen Y are strong all over the world, more so than for previous generations, creating a reluctance for young people to move abroad to gain additional experience, but certain cultural aspects may make it more of a challenge for some communities. Women are beginning to make strong headway in parts of the world where very recently they had not been considered in more senior roles. Cultural traditions also impact skills such as the verbal culture in the Middle East and a strong written culture in India. Historical views on state-owned vs. capitalist business models affect career choices in young people in China and the Middle East, where the public sector is seen as more familiar and safe.

nt s

CuLture

11

I dont think we recruit young people who fit the culture of this company
UK manager
In reviewing corporate culture, we found several companies which had a strong culture and clear view of the types of individual and the behaviours required to make the organisation a success. There were also extreme frustrations from both graduates and managers in a variety of organisations, in both public and private sectors, where there was a misfit between the culture and the graduates, or between the perceptions of the culture by different people. Individual managers are questioning their corporate approach to recruitment of young people, especially in the UK. A number of organisations are looking at novel ways of engaging Gen Y and improving loyalty.

Key research findings on this theme

A rapidly changing culture and society in the Middle East and China have a major impact on the relationship between Gen Y and their managers. The cultural history impacts Gen Ys expectation of promotion, of women in management and of the business sector in which to work in the Middle East. Respect for elders is still strong in Eastern cultures, where it is highly valued. Western nations have more issues in this area concerning Gen Y. Similar cultural challenges may be found throughout the world; they just have different emphases in different countries.

Graduates view of organisation

90% Recommend this organisation as a great place to work I am proud to work here

80%

Percent

70%

60%

50%

M id Ea dle st

In

Fig. 5: Proud of organisation compared to recommending it as a great place to work

ala

ys ia

UK

di a

Lack of management transparency in decision-making is one of the major Middle East issues for Gen Y. It is also a challenge in Malaysia.

When recruiting graduates it is better to emphasise attitude to work and match to the organisational culture than degree level or university attended.

CuLture

12

Without eliminating the old practice we need to blend in both old and new
Malaysian graduate
Worldwide, graduates are proud to work for their organisations (72-87% agreeing/ strongly agreeing) but are less keen on recommending their organisation to others. Malaysia and India have the largest gaps between pride and recommendation. Gen Y craves public recognition for work well done. Young people also react well to motivational activities that embed them in the culture and exploit their interest in entrepreneurial activities. Young people can act as a valuable asset in detecting high quality people managers in the organisation. They compete to work for those key managers.

CuLture

13

I dont have experience of being brought up in a different time period. I wish I did. I could understand Gen Y better
UK scientific manager

AttituDes AND BehAViour

Up

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Expectations and turnover Attitudes and behaviour

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The world of work

Experience

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Culture
World
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Views on the graduate/manager relationship Attitudes to progression Respect and trust Communication Feedback both positive and negative Work/life balance Focus on self vs. focus on team/organisation.

In general our graduates felt that they got on well with their immediate managers, although they struggled with more senior executives due to differing communication styles. Many graduates found their immediate line managers who were close in age to be easier

Work/life balance is in the minds of both managers and graduates. Graduates do not live to work and want both interesting work and plenty of leisure time. Managers are now seeking more leisure, having worked hard since leaving school/university; some are burning out with stress. Graduates do not want this lifestyle and that creates a challenge for talent management and succession planning initiatives.

Attitudes and behaViour

There are a number of areas where young people and managers have widely different attitudes, and these differing approaches impact both productivity and longevity in graduate jobs. Key areas from this research include:

to communicate with, yet others found younger managers more competitive with them in terms of career progression. Graduates felt that many leaders were more focused on heading for retirement and unlikely to champion change. The managers on the other hand admired the intelligence and energy of their graduates but struggled on many other fronts with them. They saw them as seeking personal fame and recognition with less of a focus on teamwork and less respect for experience.

nt s

14

16% of graduates in the Middle East say

their managers are invisible

It is obvious that the world of work has changed considerably in the last 20 years, particularly impacting human behaviour and interaction. As a senior executive in India put it: In our day the management approach was paternalistic. We were taught how to behave and we would follow orders. There is now a new way of doing things. Good organisations and individuals are finding the best ways to move into this brave new world.

Key research findings on this theme

Managers admire graduates for their intelligence, new ways of viewing the world and their energy. They want them to fit into the workplace and work hard. Graduates admire managers for their experience and support. They value people who listen to them, operate an open-door policy and are available when they need them. On the negative side, graduates see managers as coasting towards retirement, uninterested in pushing through change, acting in a superior way, not communicating decisions and information, and unavailable. In some cases where managers are close in age, new graduates find that they may be competitive in terms of advancement. Managers dislike the self-focus of graduates, their forceful communication, over-confidence and lack of teamwork and respect. Graduates worldwide want a manager as a coach/mentor. Managers do see themselves as fulfilling this role, but their graduates do not think they succeed. Gen Y has grown up in an era of equality of status and like their managers to be a peer or a friend. Managers are less comfortable with this status. Gen Y sees their managers as a director/ allocator of work more than the managers think they are. 26% of Middle East graduates see their manager this way but only 6% of their managers believe they act as a directorial person. Graduates, with the exception of Malaysia, are less likely to do work at home than their managers.

Attitudes and behaViour

15

Sometimes I think my manager feels threatened by me

Graduate

Biggest challenges for managers

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Middle East India Malaysia

Percent

M pe an ct ag at in io g At ns tra ct yo ing/ un re g tai pe nin Un op g d le ap er s pr ta oa n ch din of g w y o pe oun rk op g le m De iss ve in lop g sk ing ills gr M ou an p ag di in ffe g re ag nc e es

n M ot iva tio

ex

Fig. 7: Biggest challenges for managers of young people

Managers are seen as burning out through heavy workload. Graduates are more likely to value and ring-fence their leisure time than their managers. The biggest challenge for managers is managing the expectations of their graduates. 66% of Malaysian managers claim this is the case. 33% of Indian managers find attracting and retaining young people is their greatest challenge.

Both managers and Gen Y need to adapt to the changing world of work. They view the workplace through different lenses and both sides need to focus on seeing the other viewpoint.

Attitudes and behaViour

Between 54% and 81% of all employees do personal tasks at work, reflecting a more blended approach to the work day. 40% of Indian gradates however claim never to do any personal tasks during work time.

The best advice for young people worldwide from previous graduates is get work experience. Managers also recommend developing emotional intelligence and people skills.

de

ve

lo Car pm e en er t

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Middle East Graduates

Middle East Managers

India Graduates

India Managers

Malaysia Graduates

Malaysia Managers

Attitudes and behaViour

UK Graduates

UK Managers

Never

Up to 1-2 times a week

Usually/Always

Fig. 6: Doing personal tasks during work time

17

The difference between us is really a matter of perspective and attitude

UK Manager

CoNclusioN
There is a key message from each of the four themes explored in this report: Expectations Graduates expect responsibility and support and believe they need development in technical skills; managers expect them to fit into the culture, work hard and develop their emotional intelligence and people skills. Experience For success in leadership decision-making and risk-taking, graduates need to gain deeper experience. Organisations need to support graduates in gaining this experience, either first or second-hand. Graduates need to review their desire for frequent job changes. Culture National culture does have an impact on the way graduates and managers view the world of work, but in a global economy it impacts managers more than graduates. It is important to hire those who fit the corporate culture and to review that culture to see what is fundamental to the organisation and which practices are no longer important. Attitudes and behaviour Managers and graduates view the world through different lenses. Both managers and graduates need to be aware that they may be focused too much on their own view of the future and need to understand how they are perceived, define common goals and work together. The world is shrinking and the work environment is changing. Businesses are appearing and disappearing and job skill requirements are evolving. The Gen Y workers may want to explore many different types of job before they reach 30 and organisations may want to employ more temporary or contract labour. Loyalty to organisations has been replaced by loyalty to brands and to personal contacts or friends gained through social media. As one of our international business leaders commented: When I grew up cell phones and the internet didnt exist. Nokia were making rubber boots and tyres for cars. I cant tell you what the world will look like in 20 years time, but if you are well equipped to participate in the changes then that is the best advice I can give. Work/life balance has become more important for workers of all ages. Gen Y does not want to end up as the burnt-out senior managers they see today, and organisation leaders and HR executives are noticing that there needs to be a different work model. Gen Y members speak loudly and make their voices heard. The leaders of organisations need to have a hard think about what is essential in the business and what is not, how new methods of communication and behaviour can be adopted, how recruitment and progression are designed to fit the organisational culture and future direction and how they can mentor or coach young people in the people skills needed to become leaders of the future. Young graduates need to think more carefully about how and when they communicate, how to fit into the cultural and standards of respect of the organisation and how to become a team player. Most importantly they need to consider how to gain valued experience and emotional intelligence to make them more employable and to have the patience to gain that experience in depth. There is a future and it is different. Gen Y, with some help from their experienced colleagues, can lead the way.

CONCLUSION

18

The leaders are not staying with the times and many people are losing respect for them
Recent graduate

Hire, develop and retain those who fit

Manager recommendations Recruit for culture and work ethic as priorities. Set boundaries for behaviour and expectations early on in career. Develop those missing skills early mostly soft skills but may also include those missed from the education system such as languages, budgeting, risk-assessment and analysis. Provide quality coaching and mentoring that really works look at two-way mentoring to support senior staff as well as young staff. Volunteer if you have the skills. Provide challenging work with scaffolding to support young people if they look to be making major mistakes. Mix boring tasks with more interesting ones but explain the need for the boring activities. Provide public appreciation for excellent work by Gen Y. Have an open culture where the management process and decisions are shared with the company where feasible. Reward managers for development of young people but not for holding onto the rising stars for too long. Develop an HR brand of quality people development where appropriate. Reach out to universities/schools/clubs to help young people understand and be prepared for the world of work. Have a hard look at your own behaviour and prejudices and produce an action plan. Conduct a strategic review for how best to adapt the organisation for a multigenerational, multi-cultural workforce in an age of rapid change and changing attitudes to work. Make sure it supports all age groups and does not focus on just one.

Get work experience

Gen Y recommendations Get as much work experience as possible before starting your key first job. Develop those people/communication/soft skills and work on developing emotional intelligence. Review how others perceive you and adapt where necessary. Spend time watching and learning in your early roles. Dont be afraid to ask for help. Respect experience and look to gain as much as possible yourself. Help support and develop managers where you have key strengths they are missing. Show a strong work ethic and commitment to success; you will be appreciated.

Adapt to new work paradigms

For both Managers and Gen Y Look through the other lens try to see how and why work colleagues behave the way they do. Change and compromise. As a Malaysian manager says: Have an open mind about other views and perspectives. At the end of the day it is just about the difference between people. It is not generation. Its just people.

ConcLusion

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APPENDIX
Interview and focus group participants
In addition to the companies we have met previously, and those who wish to remain anonymous, we would like to thank the following for contributing to our recent interviews on Gen Y for this report:

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Afton Chemical Corporation Aegis Media Ashridge Business School Association of MBAs BraveNewTalent Centrica plc Chiumento CPB Group CSC India Cummins Inc. Deloitte LLP Department for Economic Development, Dubai Emirates Foundation Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation Ernst and Young Federal Authority for Government Human Resources, UAE Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Google India Pvt Ltd. London Borough of Bexley London Fire Service London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine John Lewis Partnership Malaysian Institute of Management Mersey Care NHS Trust (and individuals from other NHS trusts) Petronas Leadership Centre Pyry Management Consulting Reckitt Benckiser Group plc SHL Group Ltd. Sony Inc. Statoil ASA The Home Office Time Warner Inc. UK Border Agency University of Warwick

APPENDIX

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Ashridge research into Generation Y

At Ashridge our research into Gen Y goes beyond the media hype and stereotypes and looks at any differences between the generations in depth. Our research investigates: Is Gen Y actually different from previous generations? What has made them the way they are? What does Gen Y want from work and from their managers? Where are the conflicts and issues between generations? What are the appropriate ways of working with and developing this generation? Our research programme has produced two previous reports as well as the current one, which can all be downloaded from www.ashridge.org.uk/genyresearch Great Expectations: Managing Generation Y Research conducted in 2011 in partnership with the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) explored Gen Ys expectations of work and the challenges of managing this generation. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey covering two groups of participants graduate employees and the managers who have day-to-day experience of working with and supervising them. Generation Y: Learning and Working In 2009 we conducted a research project into Gen Y learning and working. Qualitative (focus groups and interviews) and quantitative (online survey) methods were used to collect data from participants of all generations (from Gen Y to Baby Boomers), providing a multi-generational view of Generation Y learning and working including myths and realities about behaviour. Culture Shock: Generation Y and their managers around the world This current document is a summary report of the full findings of Culture Shock: Generation Y and their managers around the world.

To obtain a copy of the full report or for more information please contact: rebecca.coatswith@ashridge.org.uk

APPENDIX

About Ashridge Business School

Ashridge is a leading international business school based in Hertfordshire, England. Founded in 1959, Ashridge works with individuals and organisations from around the world in its three core areas of executive education, research and consulting. It is consistently highly placed in major business school rankings, including Business Week and the Financial Times. It is one of just a handful of business schools to be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); The European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) and the Association of MBAs (AMBA). Ashridges activities and areas of expertise include: Open and customised executive education programmes MBA, MSc, and Doctorate degree programmes Organisation development consultancy Executive coaching Applied research. Visit www.ashridge.org.uk for more information

Research Department Ashridge Business School Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 1NS United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1442 841178 Email: research@ashridge.org.uk www.ashridge.org.uk/research

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