Employers have been unable to deter

Employers have been unable to determine whether generational membership
directly impacts career motivation and career decisions. A review of the literature found a paucity of research on the existence of a causal relationship (Benson & Dundis, 2003; Crumpacker & Crumpacker, 2007; Finkelstein, Gonnerman, & Foxgrover, 2001) or correlational relationship between the two variables which indicated a need for further study on the topic (Bergston, Furlong & Laufer, 1983; Maslow, 1970; Wolf, 1970; Zemke, Raines & Filipczak, 2000). This lack of understanding has presented some challenges for business leaders to meet the needs of a multigenerational workforce. Therefore, the problem is that while continued generational diversity is unavoidable in U.S. workforce, there is insufficient knowledge about differences in career motivation and career decision between the cohorts. Addressing this problem may increase
8 organizational leaders’ generational competence as they formulate recruitment and
retention strategies that support generation differences. This will be further explored in chapter 2.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this quantatative research study of fulltime employees in the
continental United States was to determine whether generational cohort membership, characterized by four generational groups, impacted career motivation and career decisions in one’s current occupation. Research has shown that motivational differences between generational groups exist based on attitudes and values, and perhaps offer insight on how organizations can better accommodate a diverse multigenerational workforce (Feldman & Bolino, 2000). Miller (2006) reported in a survey measuring generational career differences, that 73% of employers believed that it was important to create an environment where employee development was encouraged while only 49% of employees believed that such work environments really existed. Furthermore, 86% of employees stated that feeling valued by their employer was important to career happiness whereas only 37% believed that their current work environment actually valued their employees. In brief, these statistical findings by Miller suggest that while most employers agree that the development of their existing workforce is important, this message of importance has not resonated with the employees; thereby causing them to feel less valued by the company (Pitt-Catsouphes & Matz-Costa, 2008).
Business managers are increasingly challenged by the incomparable career motivation and career decision needs of an aging workforce, especially since many
9 benchmark leadership practices are transitioning from a hierarchical management style to
a collaborative management style. This study assessed the impact of generational cohort membership on career motivation and career decisions. Appelbaum, Serena and Shapiro (2005) asserted that seeking professional guidance from experts on generational differences has become common for many business leaders in an effort to maintain recruitment competitiveness. Failure to properly recruit, manage, develop, and motivate existing talent in the workplace can prove to be detrimental to the growth of an organization (Durkin, 2004; Hammill, 2005; Klenke, 2005). This study sought to fill an existing gap in the literature by offering scholarly knowledge on the impact that generational membership may have on career motivation and career decisions with employees within the United States. This study also sought to increase the acumen of business leaders, human resource professionals, and managers to assist with their attempts to meet the demands of a multigenerational workforce.