Generations Z in Europe: Inputs, Insights and Implications brings together differing geographic perspectives from a range of researchers to present the complex picture of contemporary reality for 'Gen-Z' workers, demonstrating the diverse issues faced by the new global workforce.
Using a variety of perspectives from social science, media theory and literary studies, the book creates a showcase of existing and new theoretical and scientific approaches to exploring current challenges relating to Generation Z workers. The voices of theorists such as Karl Mannheim, Jean Baudrillard and Neil Postman are utilized to understand and reflect on the different social, cultural and political contexts for Generation Z in Europe and the need to sensitize organizations to the needs of these young future employees.
Chapters offer analysis exploring nine different national contexts from Spain, Great Britain, France, The Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Serbia, Bulgaria and Russia. Key themes highlighted across these studies include: digital socialization, intellectual capital, social engagement, aging organizations and the digital divide. The discussion of future implications and the conclusions offered make this book an illuminating read for both researchers and practitioners working within areas of Business and Human Resource Management.
Preface; Christian Scholz and Anne Rennig Chapter 1. The Generations Z in Europe - An Introduction; Christian Scholz
Chapter 2. Input: What great thinkers would let us know
1. How Karl Mannheim would have talked to us about Generation Z; Christian Scholz
2. How McLuhan would have talked to us: the extension of generation in the global village; Daria Vyugina
3. How Luhmann would have talked to us: Generations Z as Unique Subsystem; Tobias Scholz
4. How Baudrillard would have talked to us: Generation Z and the hyperreal world; Danica Čigoja Piper and Slavko Alčaković
5. A literary voice: how Romain Rolland would have talked to us; Anne Rennig
6. How Berger and Luckmann would have talked to us; Tobias Scholz
7. A short note on Generation Z: total flexibility without the nostalgia for solidity. How Zygmunt Bauman would have talked to us; Miguel Chaves
8. About generations itself as a radical social change - an article not written by Julián Marías Aguilera; Aart Bontekoning
9. Generation Z and the end of culture - an article never written by Neil Postman; Christian Scholz
Chapter 3. Insights: What the experts tell us
1. The Generation Z in Spain: Digital socialization and intellectual capital; María Victoria Sanagustín Fons and Ángeles Rubio Gil
2. Generation Z in the UK: More of the same - High standards and demands; Emma Parry and Valentina Battista
3. Generation Z in France: Reverse socialization and social engagement; Elodie Gentina
4. Generation Z in The Netherlands: Updating aging organizations; Aart Bontekoning
5. Generation Z in Italy: Living in a soap bubble; Sebastiano Benasso and Valentina Cuzzocrea
6. Generation Z in Germany: The (un)typical German?; Christian Scholz and Lisa-Dorothee Grotefend
7. The Generation Z in Serbia: Ready for the great opening; Slavko Alčakovič
8. The Generation Z in Bulgaria: Challenging conservative organizations; Mariya Karaivanova and Kristine Klein
9. Generation Z in Russia: The digital divide of the Generation Putin; Daria Vyugina
Chapter 4. Looking into the future: What are we expecting from the Generation Z? Thoughts on the Generation Z; Tobias Scholz and Daria Vuygina
Christian Scholz is Professor emeritus for Organizational Behaviour, Human Resource Management and Information Management at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany. He has published several books, including
Human Resource Management in Europe (2006),
Generation Z (2014) and
Mogelpackung Work-Life-Blending (2018).
Anne Rennig is Managing Director of the Collegium Europaeum Universitatis Saraviensis (CEUS), an institution coordinating interdisciplinary research on Europe at Saarland University. She is the co-editor of Europa jenseits des Konvergenzparadigmas: Divergenz-Dynamik-Diskurs (2019) alongside her fellow editor, Christian Scholz.