Group norms in contemporary workplaces and generational contexts

¶ … group norms that define your generation or norms that are apparent to you in your current work situation. Describe from what you believe is the source of these norms.

Norm 1: Technology is important

Even many recent graduates or undergraduate students with relatively poorly-paying jobs will invest in having a smartphone. Technology is an important part of a person's identity today and having access to technology 24-7 is considered a vital necessity. Also, amongst members of my generation there is a high degree of tolerance for talking on your cellphone, checking messages, etcetera. My generation has grown up with technology, and many of our most important interactions take place online. In contrast, I have noticed that members of older generations tend to view technology with greater suspicion, and complain about rather than embrace new features on their phones and computers. They are also much more hostile about people talking on their phones in public settings. While I agree that this can be taken to an extreme, I believe that some complaints about the use of cellphones and texting are actually often a subliminal form of fear of new technology.

Norm 2: Work should be fulfilling

Many graduates who are dissatisfied with their first jobs upon leaving college are going back to graduate school for a better education. Although this is to some degree financially related, most people my age say that they want a career, not simply work that pays the bills.

Norm 3: Work is not an 8-5 proposition

Most members of my generation expect that they will have to work hard, given the scarcity of jobs today. Employers are demanding that workers work more and harder, often for less pay. Many graduates must take low-paying jobs or unpaid internships to boost their credentials. The availability of technology means that workers are expected to be connected to the office at all times, and to take work home with them after hours and even on weekends.

Norm 4: I will not be working at the same job or company throughout my working life.

Job security is a thing of the past. Workers know that the economy is fragile, because of recent economic events and they can be "let go" at any time. It is not uncommon even for securely-employed workers to be looking at Help Wanted advertisements, and to seek to build their skill sets so they will be more marketable, if they lose their jobs.

Norm 5: My quality of life will not be as good as my parents'.

Many members of my generation feel that they have gotten a "rough deal" because of the current state of the economy. They fear that their earning potential will be affected because they began their careers at relatively low ebb in the nation's economic timeline. There is a great deal of worry about what the future will look like. Workers expect to struggle to pay off student loans, to get a mortgage, and they fear they will have to work longer than their parents had to before retiring.