| The 21st century workforce has the largest generational diversity of employees, each with unique values and needs. Developing the organizational commitment (OC) of this diverse workforce is a significant concern for managers who desire to attract or retain skilled employees. One of the purposes of an employee benefits strategy is to serve as a tool for attracting and retaining qualified workers while strengthening the commitment between employer and employee. The purpose of this quantitative-comparative study was to evaluate the differences between benefit importance, benefit level satisfaction, and affective, normative, and continuance organizational commitment for different generations of workers in small- and medium-sized companies. The eight participating companies for the final study were solicited based on their selection as the best companies to work for in the United States. The participants responded to a survey instrument of questions designed to measure benefit importance, benefit level satisfaction, and OC. Data were collected using a self-completion questionnaire that was posted on the Survey Monkey website during 2013. The analysis revealed that while there were some statistically significant differences between the generations, overall there were few, if any, real differences between the generations regarding benefits or commitment, although there was a relationship between benefits and commitment overall. Limitations of the study includes potential non-response bias, the use of only companies listed as one of the best workplaces in the United States, limiting the participants to full-time employees in small- and medium-sized businesses, and the use of an online survey instrument. Recommendations include surveying company employees to determine what benefits are most likely to attract, retain, and motivate employees. |
