Abstract:
South Africa has a struggling economy, and businesses are under pressure to perform amid strong external market pressures. Businesses, therefore, must investigate all opportunities, including looking internally at performance within the company. Internal performance shifts the focus to individual performance; hence, inclusiveness and diversification being some of the areas in the employment structure that should be better understood. Understanding the composition, work values, and behaviours of the different generations within the workforce are of the most undervalued elements of business, as these have been proven to increase performance if understood and maintained. The current era is exciting, where four generational cohorts operate in the same company at the same time. Understanding the underlying potential and improving interactions among the employees could be the solution to managing a successful business. This research aims to explore possible statistically significant differences among the work values and work behaviours of different generations within the South African fast-moving consumer goods industry, which is unique concerning its sociocultural diversity. A positivist research philosophy was adopted using a deducto-hypothetico approach and a cross-sectional time-horizon. To collect quantifiable evidence, a survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The instrument comprised a seven-point Likert-type scale for ease of completion to accommodate the diversity of educational levels within the workforce. Questionnaires were completed in the workplace with the assistance of trained colleagues. The results indicated more similarities than statistically significant differences. Generations Y and Z Africans and females, in particular, were, however, found to have stronger work values and more pertinent behaviours, although the interaction effect between generation, race, and gender is inconclusive. It, however, was found that Baby Boomers (the oldest generation) and Generation X females have stronger regard for self-discipline. The effect of the findings on business is profound, as we are more alike than we are different, which is comforting regarding strategies to motivate the workforce to perform optimally.
