Examining the Impact of Generational Age, Gender, and Ethnicity on Corporate Culture Perception in a Knowledge Worker Environment

Organizations with positive corporate cultures are effective in promoting the intellectual contribution of today's highly skilled multicultural workforce. A review of the literature reveals the existence of a gap with respect to whether diversity affects the employee's perception of the corporate culture. The specific research problem under evaluation is the prevention of organizational cohesiveness due to negative corporate culture perception by multicultural employees. The purpose of this study was to determine if group mean differences in cultural perception exist between people of different generational ages, gender, and ethnicity. The research questions address whether group mean differences in perceived cultural dimension exist based on gender, generational age, or ethnicity. The methodology consisted of a comparative quantitative design that included electronic surveying of the workforce. A stratified sample of 110 respondents was used to perform multivariate analysis in assessing group mean differences. Data were collected from public and private sector employees at a government facility and were used to answer the research questions. The theoretical framework consisted of Herzberg's two factor motivation and McGregor's theory x and y. The findings of the inferential statistical analysis indicated no significant group mean differences in cultural dimension for gender, generational age, or ethnicity. In addition, the findings displayed in the organizational profile charts suggest that highly skilled workers prefer a family oriented participative culture. The results of this study are important to public, private, and military organizations and may enable leaders to improve organizational structures and shift cultural norms that can result in increased workforce productivity, global competitiveness, and social change.