Gender Differences in Values among Representatives of the Millennial Generation

130

Abstract

This article examines gender differences in basic individual values among representatives of the millennial generation and older generations. Values are stable characteristics of a person that determine goals, judgments, actions, and behavior. The structure of values depends on various factors, such as age, gender, social status, education, etc. Generational differences influencing the formation of values are of particular interest. The main focus of the work is aimed at studying the generation of millennials, who now make up the most active part of the population. In total, the study involved 949 people, 528 women and 421 men aged 18 to 70 years. The respondents were divided into 3 groups according to the years of their birth: the generation of stagnation (315 people, 46 % women), the reform generation (310 people, 61 % women), the generation of millennials (324 people, 59 % women). The Portrait Questionnaire by S. Schwartz was used to assess personal values. The questionnaire reveals 10 basic values: Security, Conformity, Tradition, Self-Direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power, Benevolence, and Universalism. The main results of the study include the identified gender differences in the group of millennials in the Self-Direction, Security, and Power. Men of the reform generation (who grew up in the 1990s) have significantly higher preference of Stimulation than women of the reform generation and representatives of the generation of stagnation. Conformity, Tradition, Hedonism, and Achievement have the same value among men and women regardless of age in our society. In general, compared to older generations, young millennials prefer the values of Self-Enhancement and Openness to Change as opposed to the values of Conservation and Self-Transcendence.

General Information

Keywords: values, generation differences, gender differences, millennial, Portrait Questionnaire by S. Schwartz

Journal rubric: Empirical and Experimental Research

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu16.2022.302

For citation: Rzhanova I.E., Alekseeva O.S., Albov A.S., Burdukova Y.A. Gender Differences in Values among Representatives of the Millennial Generation. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Psychology, 2022. Vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 249–264. DOI: 10.21638/spbu16.2022.302. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

References

Alekseeva, O. S., Rzhanova, I. E. (2021). Value orientations in representatives of four age groups of Russians. Novye psikhologicheskie issledovaniia, 3, 121–133. https://doi.org/10.51217/npsyresearch_ 2021_01_03_06 (In Russian)

Cahill, T. F., Sedrak, M. (2012). Leading a multigenerational workforce: Strategies for attracting and retaining millennials. Frontiers Of Health Services Management, 29 (1), 3–15.

Connolly, F. F., Goossen, M., Hjerm, M. (2020). Does gender equality cause gender differences in values? Reassessing the gender-equality personality paradox. Sex Roles, 83, 101–113.

Daniel, E., Benish-Weisman, M. (2018). Value development during adolescence: Dimensions of change and stability. Journal of Personality, 87 (1), 620–632. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12420

Erikson, E. H. (1997). The Life Cycle Completed. New York, Norton. Fedotova, V. A. (2016). Values and attitudes towards innovation among different generations of Russian people. Sotsial’naia psikhologiia i obshchestvo, 7 (2), 82–92. https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2016070206 (In Russian)

Freestone, O., Mitchell, V. (2004). Generation Y attitudes toward ethics and internet-related misbehaviours. Journal of Business Ethics, 54, 121–128.

Glotov, M. B. (2004). Generation as a category of sociology. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniia, 10, 42–49. (In Russian)

Goldyreva, V. A. (2013). The relationship of values and ideas about business ethics among different generations of Russians. Psikhologicheskaia nauka i obrazovanie, 1, 94–103. (In Russian)

Hellevik, O. (2002). Age differences in value orientation — life cycle or cohort effects. International journal of public opinion, 14 (3), 286–302.

Inglehart, R. (1997). Modernization and postmodernization: Cultural, economic, and political change in 43 societies. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.

Kaifi, B. A., Nafei, W. A., Khanfar, N. M., Kaifi, M. M. (2012). A multi-generational workforce: managing and understanding millennials. International Journal of Business & Management, 7 (24), 88–93.

Kon, I. S. (1967). Sociology of personality. Moscow, Politizdat Publ., 1967. (In Russian)

Koroleva, N. Ye. (2011). Priorities of value orientations of a modern Russian. Kostromskoi gumanitarnyi vestnik, 1, 36–39. (In Russian)

Korzh, N. V., Shchanina, Ye. V. (2016). Comparative characteristics of value orientations of different generations of Russians. Obshchestvennye nauki. Sotsiologiia, 1 (37), 143–152. (In Russian)

Levada, Yu. A. (2001). Generations of the 20th century: research opportunities. Monitoring obshchestvennogo mneniia: ekonomicheskie i sotsial’nye peremeny, 5 (55), 7–14. (In Russian)

Li, Tszykhan (2016). Personal values of Chinese students: gender differences. Obshchestvo: sotsiologiia, psikhologiia, pedagogika, 4, 1–6. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/lichnostnye-tsennostikitayskih-studentov-mezhpolovye-razlichiya (accessed: 01.03.2022) (In Russian)

Lyons, S., Duxbury, L. Higgins, C. (2005). Are gender differences in basic human values a generational phenomenon? Sex Roles, 53, 763–778. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-005-7740-4

Magun, V. S., Rudnev, M. G. (2008). Life values of the Russian population: similarities and differences in comparison with other European countries. Vestnik obshchestvennogo mneniia, 1 (93), 33–58. (In Russian)

Magun, V. S., Rudnev, M. G. (2010). Basic values of Russians in the European context. Obshchestvennye nauki i sovremennost’, 4, 5–17. (In Russian)

Philips, M. (2014). The 23-year-olds will save America. Bloomberg Business Wee, June 30 — July 6, 15–16.

Pishchik, V. I. (2019). Value measurements of generations through actualized fears. Sotsial’naia psikhologiia i obshchestvo, 10 (2), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2019100206 (In Russian)

Postnikova, M. I. (2010). Psychology of relations between generations: theoretical and methodological aspect. Arkhangelsk, Pomorskii universitet Publ. (In Russian)

Radaev, V. V. (2018). Millennials compared to previous generations: an empirical analysis. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniia, 3, 15-33.

Rikel, A. M. (2019). Generation as a social-psychological research object: playing at home or an away match? Sotsial’naia psikhologiia i obshchestvo, 10 (2), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2019100202 (In Russian)

Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. New York, NY, The Free Press.

Rzhanova, I. E., Alekseeva, O. S. (2017). Differences in values between men and women. Psikhologicheskie issledovaniia, 10 (55), 8. Available at: https://psystudy.ru/index.php/num/article/view/353 (accessed: 08.07.2022). (In Russian)

Rzhanova, I. E., Alekseeva, O. S. (2018). Preferences in values of two generations. Psikhologicheskie issledovaniia, 11 (60), 6. Availabe at: https://psystudy.ru/index.php/num/article/view/275 (accessed: 08.07.2022). (In Russian)

Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. In: M. P. Zanna (ed.). Advances in experimental social psychology, vol. 25 (pp. 1–65).

San Diego, CA, Academic Press. Schwartz, S. H., Rubel, T. (2005). Sex differences in value priorities: Cross-cultural and multi-method studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89 (6), 1010–1028.

Schwartz, S. H., Rubel-Lifschitz, T. (2009). Cross-National variation in the size of sex differences in values: Effects of gender equality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97 (1), 171–185.

Sivrikova, N., Ptashko, T., Chernikova, E., Moiseeva, E., Roslyakova, S. (2020). Generation and gender factors of the structure of value orientations. E3S Web of Conference (p. 17015). Les Ulis. https://doi. org/10.1051/e3sconf/202021017015

Smith, P. B., Schwartz, S. H. (1997). Values. In: J. W. Berry, M. H. Segall, C. Kagitcibasi (eds), Handbook of cross-cultural psychology, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (pp. 77–118). Boston, Allyn & Bacon.

Smola, K. W., Sutton, C. D. (2002). Generational differences: Revisiting generational work values for the new millennium. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 363–382. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.147

Stevens-Long, J. (1990). Adult development: Theories past and future. In: R. A. Nemiroff, C. A. Colarusso (eds), New Dimensions in Adult Development (pp. 125–165). New York, Basic Books.

Strauss, W., Howe, N. (1991). Generations: The History of America’s Future. New York, Quill William Morrow.

Tsoy, G., Lebedeva, N. M., Tatarko, A. N. (2017). Comparative analysis of the relationship between values and socio-economic ideas of Korean and Russian students. Vestnik Kostromskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser. Pedagogika. Psikhologiia. Sotsiokinetika, 3, 101–107. (In Russian)

Twenge, J. M. (2010). A review of the empirical evidence on generational differences in work attitudes. Journal of Business Psychology, 25, 201–210.

Twenge, J. M., Campbell, W. K., Freeman, E. C. (2012). Generational differences in young adults’ life goals, concern for others, and civic orientation, 1966–2009. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102 (5), 1045.

Weber, J. (2017). Discovering the millennials’ personal values orientation: A comparison to two managerial populations. Journal of Business Ethics, 143, 517–529.

Westerman, J. W., Bergman, J. Z., Bergman, S. M., Daly, J. P. (2012). Are universities creating millennial narcissistic employees? An empirical examination of narcissism in business school students and its implications. Journal of Management Education, 36, 5–32.

 

Information About the Authors

Irina E. Rzhanova, Research Fellow, Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8100-8917, e-mail: irinarzhanova@mail.ru

Olga S. Alekseeva, Research Fellow, Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0794-2327, e-mail: olga__alexeeva@mail.ru

Aleksandr S. Albov, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3152-403X, e-mail: albovas@mgppu.ru

Yulia A. Burdukova, PhD in Psychology, Assistant Professor? chair of Differential Psychology and Psychophysiology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4827-2040, e-mail: julia_burd@inbox.ru

Metrics

Views

Total: 179
Previous month: 10
Current month: 0

Downloads

Total: 130
Previous month: 6
Current month: 2