Good news, everyone––New research says that millennials are not lazier and more entitled than baby boomers. In fact, we're a lot like them. Print this post out now and take it right to your parents.
According to Science of Us, the Journal of Business and Pyschology just published an analysis by Wayne State University and Ford Motor Company researcher Keith L. Zabel of 77 studies on age and work ethic. The verdict? There is no real generational difference between the work ethic of baby boomers and millennials.
The researchers were measuring Protestant work ethic, or PWE, which is "an ethic that stresses the virtue of hard work, thrift, and self-discipline." While the term may seem outdated, it's still very present in American life—You've probably been told since childhood that if you work hard enough you'll get what you want, and that's why you're taking five classes and trying to rack up leadership roles in as many different campus organizations as possible. That's the PWE at work. Religion may not have much to do with it anymore, but millennials still put a lot of value in hard work.
So, what are the takeaways of this study? Well, first of all, that people should stop bashing millennials for being losers. Second of all, that workplaces don't need to be constantly thinking about how to change up the workplace to appeal to our generation. We want the same things as everyone else—meaningful work at a great company where we can learn and grow.