An Investigation into the Factors that Impact on the Retention of Generation Y Workers in Nestle South Africa - Dissertation Example

89). Other terms have been used synonymously to pertain to the same group, such as “Millenials”, “Echo-Boomers”, or the “iGeneration”. These young individuals possess a set of common characteristics and expectations distinct from older generations who have preceded them. This generation can create considerable impact both as employees and consumers, meriting an investigation of the factors that influence their cognition, affect, and behaviours at work. The Nestle brand has continuously created an extensive range of products with superior quality, targeted towards consumers at a global scale.

The multinational organisation, has been acknowledged internationally, owing to their research and development capabilities, geographic presence, and the premium that they place on their employees and their culture. Over 3,300 employees work for Nestle, 82% of whom are Black and 32% being females. Because of the organisation’s concern towards enhancing employee performance and well-being, Nestle has devised employee assistance programs that promote emotional and psychological support and financial stability, among others, towards maintaining employee wellness and effectively reducing employee turnover.

Owing to the substantial influence of Generation Y employees on achieving the organisational bottomlines, the current research aims to ascertain the factors that influence their retention. . Individuals who have grown up at different periods of time are likely to be characterized by a unique set of attitudes, values, beliefs, and expectations which exert a significant impact on their mindsets, behaviours, and their response to the culture of the workplace they belong to. As members of Generation Y enter employment, work forces have become more generationally diverse, being composed of four generations, spanning over 60 years- the Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y (Glass, 2007, p. 98). Generation Y, which represents the latest generation to join the workforce, can be considered as the “most technically literate, educated, and ethnically diverse generation in history” (Eisner, 2005, p. 6). Gen Yers value personal development, achievement, and continual learning.

There are inherent challenges in teaching and learning Generation Y employees in the contemporary workforce (Jonas-Dwyer and Pospisil, 2004). Differences exist among these generations particularly as regards their preferred work culture, and such leanings are reflected in their preferred values, work styles and management (Eisner, 2005). As argued by Westerman and Yamamura (2007, p. 150), a profound understanding of work environment preferences, work motivation, and other work-related outcomes, is essential at strategizing for effective recruitment, training, retention and rewarding of the young generation.

The current study thus further examines the factors that contribute to the motivation and retention of Gen Y employees in the South African context, specifically in the Nestle organisation. 1.3 The Research Problem There has been no systematic