Skip to main content
Log in

Ethical Determinants for Generations X and Y

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study examines student perception of protagonist behavior in three case vignettes. One demographic group consists of professionally employed MBA students who show characteristics of Generation X. The second cohort consists of Generation Y business undergraduates. Differences emerge between the groups. Even when they propose similar action, their respective rationale differs. Generation Xers show themselves to be astute pragmatists whose focus is on self rather than society. Yet the younger cohort, in its quest to find fulfillment, may give short shrift to some seasoned tenets of corporate conduct, including organizational mission, organizational politics, and organizational loyalty.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ambrose, M. L. et al.: 2008, ‘Individual Moral Development and Ethical Climate: The Influence of Person-Organization Fit on Job Attitudes’, Journal of Business Ethics 77(3), 323-333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bigliardi, B. et al.: 2005, ‘Organizational Socialization, Career Aspirations and Turnover Intentions among Design Engineers’, Leadership and Organizational Development Journal 26(6), 424-441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D. P. and T. L. Kainen: 2005, ‘Power Strategies for Middle Managers’, in S. M. Natale (ed.), The Fate of Empires: Education in a Consilient World, (Oxford Center for the Study of Values in Education and Business and Global Scholarly Publications, New York, NY), pp. 95-109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, D. P. and M. Yilmaz: 2007, ‘Stewardship as a Factor in the Financial performance of Mutual Funds’, Journal of Business and Economics Research 5(3), 11-18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hira, N. A.: 2007, ‘Attracting the Twentysomething Worker’, Fortune (May 15)

  • Johnson, L. K.: 2005, ‘The New Loyalty: Make it Work for your Company’, Harvard Management Update 10(3), 1-5.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, D. L. et al.: 2006, ‘Academic Dishonesty in Graduate Business Programs: Prevalence, Causes, and Proposed Action’, Academy of Management Learning and Education 5(3), 294-306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nader, C.: 2003, ‘Generation Y: Complex, Discerning and Suspicious’, The Age (October 9)

  • Pham, V. H. et al.: 2008, ‘Generation Y Perceptions Study’, (Career Center California State Fullerton and Spectrum Knowledge, Fullerton, CA), pp. 1-32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorkin, A. R.: 2009, ‘Is It Time to Retrain B-Schools?’, New York Times (March 16)

  • Trevor, C. O. and A. J. Nyberg: 2008, ‘The Effects of Downsizing on Voluntary Turnover’, Academy of Management Journal 51(2), 259-276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wayne, L.: 2009, ‘A Promise to be Ethical in an Era of Immorality’, New York Times (May 30)

  • Wood, J. A. et al.: 1988, ‘Ethical Attitudes of Students and Business Professionals: A Study of Moral Reasoning’, Journal of Business Ethics 7(4), 249-257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yahoo! Hot Jobs and Robert Half International: 2008, ‘What Millennial Workers Want: How to Attract and Retain Gen Y Employees’, (Robert Half International, Menlo Park, CA), pp. 1-18.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Boyd.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Boyd, D. Ethical Determinants for Generations X and Y. J Bus Ethics 93, 465–469 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0233-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0233-7

Key words

Navigation