Are “kids these days” working less hard than before? Are they less willing to make the sacrifices older generations did? Steve and Kim discuss the data and theory behind one of the most prominent workplace debates on this episode of Yes & No.

Paul Fairie: A brief history of “nobody wants to work”

NCES: Percentage of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college, by level of institution and sex and race/ethnicity of student: 1970 through 2016.

NBER: Rates of absolute income mobility have fallen from approximately 90% for children born in 1940 to 50% for children born in the 1980s.

Pew Research: During their young adulthood, Baby Boomers had unprecedented levels of divorce. Their marital instability earlier in life is contributing to the rising divorce rate among adults ages 50 and older today, since remarriages tend to be less stable than first marriages.

Association of Health Care Journalists: Baby boomers suffer more comorbidities than prior generations at similar ages.

Steve’s Notes

Ng, T.W., & Feldman, D.C. (2012). Evaluating Six Common Stereotypes About Older Workers with Meta‐Analytical Data. Personnel Psychology, 65, 821-858.

• Review of research testing the empirical validity of common perceptions about age, attitudes, and ability.

Finkelstein, LM, Voyles, EC, Thomas, CL, & Zacher, H (2020). A Daily Diary Study of Responses to Age Meta-stereotypes, Work, Aging and Retirement, Volume 6, Issue 1, 28–45.

• Study exploring how the existence of age based stereotypes impacts people at different ages regardless of the accuracy of the stereotypes.

Episode Summary

Should people bring their whole selves to work? Kim and Steve dig into the roots and lasting impacts of the authenticity movement in the workplace on this episode of Yes & No.

Elsevier Journal: Being authentic in the workplace promotes overall well-being and satisfaction. A meta-analysis of authenticity, well-being, and engagement.

Academy of Management: Empirical review of research and data relating to studies of authenticity in the workplace.

FL Law Review: Narrow definitions of “professionalism” are based on white male standards and conforming to these expectations can be damaging for employees of color, women, LGBTQ people, etc.

Forbes: Lack of cultural openness, adherence to white-dominant norms, and Americanized definitions of “professionalism” prevent many people from showing up authentically at work.

Lindsay Pollack: “People can be professional in many different ways, and it doesn’t have to look like a certain type of person.” New York Times bestselling author and speaker.

Steve’s Notes

Chawla, N., Gabriel, A. S., Rosen, C. C., Evans, J. B., Koopman, J., Hochwarter, W. A., Palmer, J. C., & Jordan, S. L. (2021). A person‐centered view of impression management, inauthenticity, and employee behavior. Personnel Psychology, 74(4), 657–691.

• Study examining the consequences, largely negative, of being in a job where people feel they must actively hide their inner feelings and true self.

Jones, K. P., Peddie, C. I., Gilrane, V. L., King, E. B., & Gray, A. L. (2016). Not so subtle: A meta-analytic investigation of the correlates of subtle and overt discrimination. Journal of Management, 42(6), 1588–1613.

• Review examining the pervasive and negative impact of implicit or subtle discrimination at work.

Ebrahimi, M, Kouchaki, M, & Patrick, VM (2020). Juggling work and home selves: Low identity integration feels less authentic and increases unethicality. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Volume 158,101-111.

• Study examining the impact, mostly negative of working in jobs that increase people’s feelings of inauthenticity.

Stergiou-Kita, M., Pritlove, C., & Kirsh, B. (2016). The “Big C” — Stigma, cancer, and workplace discrimination. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 10(6), 1035–1050.

• Examination of perceived and implicit biases toward employees who have survived cancer.