Work Values Among Different Generations In Shanghai In Comparison With The United States

Extensive research has been made in organizations on the values issue caused by cultural differences and Western researchers conclude that generational groups of employees have different work values. However, very little research has been conducted on the existence or characteristics of different work values among different generations in Shanghai. The problem with the few cross-cultural studies on generational values change that have been conducted is that they used common age groups or median year of birth as proxies for generation rather than the socio-historical events that more accurately define a country's generations. This paper endeavours to contribute to an understanding of contemporary work values of different generations in Shanghai in comparison with existing theories in the United States. The objective of this study is to investigate if generational work value shifts found out by Western research apply equally to Shanghai's workplaces and if we are developing a convergence of global work values between Shanghai and the United States by conducting work value survey and statistical analysis of the data.