Beyond cohorts: how age-based differences on work engagement challenge generational determinism among Spanish...

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Human Resource Management

Background:

• The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model provides a framework for understanding work engagement.
• Traditional views often assume generational cohorts influence professional behavior, a notion this study investigates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive validity of generational classifications on work engagement.
• To challenge the concept of "generational determinism" by exploring alternative explanatory frameworks.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study of 339 active professionals in Spain.
• Data collected via online survey using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17).
• Participants included Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in vigor were observed, with Baby Boomers scoring higher.
• Sociodemographic variables, like employment status, were stronger predictors of work engagement than generational membership.
• The resource-accumulation perspective of the JD-R model proved more effective than generational determinism.

Conclusions:

• Organizational HR strategies should focus on individual life stages and resource management rather than broad generational stereotypes.
• The findings support the JD-R model's resource-accumulation perspective in explaining work engagement.
• Evidence from the Spanish labor market suggests a shift from generational focus to individual-centric HR practices.