As residents of one of the world’s hottest centers of economic growth, young people in India are breaking new ground while surrounded by traditions. Providing the best workplaces for these workers starts with understanding what their generation is all about.
They have some things in common with each other and their Generation Y counterparts in the U.S. Most notably, they’re all participants in a convergence of technology that has flattened the globe, created new supply chains and shifted distributions of wealth.
At the same time, because of unique histories, traditions and memories, the newest generation of workers in India and China remains distinctly themselves with their own sets of aspirations, expectations, and needs.
India and China alone will account for more than 62 percent of Asian urban population growth and 40 percent of global urban population growth from 2005 to 2025.Understanding these workers and their impact on the workplace is important for any organization that seeks to succeed in the hugely hot centers of business opportunity that India and China represent today. Although there’s efficiency gained with global real estate standards, it’s also true that workplaces that support distinct worker needs ensure better productivity and increase the ability to attract and retain the best people anywhere in the world. The sheer power of demographics makes this an especially important consideration for the two countries, which now represent in combination one-third of the total global population. China’s economy is expanding by almost 10% annually, and India is predicted to become the world’s 4th largest consumer economy by 2025. Urbanization in both countries is happening at an unprecedented rate. India and China alone will account for more than 62 percent of Asian urban population growth and 40 percent of global urban population growth from 2005 to 2025.
On the basis of sheer numbers alone, these vast populations are already exerting tremendous influence on work and the workplaceThe fundamental shifts have implications for local cultures and the world economy. Clearly, these Asian countries are key growth markets with significant influence and demands that are just starting to be unlocked. And, On the basis of sheer numbers alone, these vast populations are already exerting tremendous influence on work and the workplace, just as Baby Boomers did when they entered workplaces in North America. As the clout of young people in India and China climbs, they’re changing their countries and the world.
To better understand the newest generation of workers in these two important countries, Steelcase completed primary research projects in India and China, building on methodologies and insights from a previous study of Generation Y workers in North America. That study documented a significant influence on both work and the workplace that’s underway in the U.S. due to Gen Y characteristics and their pervasive influence on the other three generations of workers in North American workplaces.
The India and China research projects were designed to gain first-hand insights into the characteristics of workers aged 20-30 in India and China. (There is no Gen Y in China; the equivalent population is called Post-80s and it spans just one decade.) The objective was to discover these two populations’ cultural context and attitudes, how these translated into emerging behaviors and expectations at work, and then to assess the scope and types of workplace shifts underway as a result.
As part of the synthesis of findings, the researchers uncovered key insights and extrapolated design principles for meeting these young workers’ expectations and needs in the workplace. Though separate studies, both research projects were organized using common filters — culture, politics, economics, and technology — to provide opportunities for deeper insights through comparison and contrast.
The study in India included 416 workers at 16 companies in six cities, 11 of which were multinationals and five Indian-owned. Both studies involved a cross-section of industries, from consulting to manufacturing.The study in China included observations, workshops and personal interviews with 162 workers at eight multinationals and one Chinese-owned company in four cities. The study in India included 416 workers at 16 companies in six cities, 11 of which were multinationals and five Indian-owned. Both studies involved a cross-section of industries, from consulting to manufacturing. Workers of different ages were included, but the primary focus was on the youngest generation that entered the workforce within the past 8-10 years.
Generational differences within each country were synthesized into major shifts affecting the workplace.In this paper, Steelcase presents the research findings to inspire ideas for creating more effective workplaces for these fast-growing worker segments. (The findings may also be helpful to companies that employ young Indian or Chinese immigrants in westernworld locales.) First, they discuss dimensions of culture, politics, economics, and technology to provide a context for understanding the youngest generation of workers in each country. And then present findings of the primary research, including how the subjects described themselves and the behaviors that were observed. Generational differences within each country were synthesized into major shifts affecting the workplace. Finally, we offer some strategies for designers and employers to consider when planning workplaces for these young workers.
THE CONTEXTS OF CULTURES
Every generation is to some degree a product of its culture, even in times of unprecedented change. One way of understanding cultural differences between countries is a framework developed by a Dutch sociologist, Geert Hofstede, in the 1970s for IBM. Hofstede identified five dimensions/cultural attributes that impact cultural understanding. His study demonstrated that national and regional cultural groupings affect the behavior of societies and organizations. Subsequent studies have yielded similar results, indicating stability of the dimensions across decades.
Comparing India, China, and the U.S. with Hofstede’s model shows these differences:
Indians and Chinese expect to be more removed from decision-making power than Americans.
Power Distance Index (How removed from decision-making power do people expect to be?):
Indians and Chinese expect to be more removed from decision-making power than Americans.
Individualism (How reliant is a culture on relationships with people?):
Reliance on relationships and their obligations are strongest in China and individualism reigns in the U.S.
Masculinity (How distinct are emotional gender roles?):
All three countries are relatively close in the middle of the scale, indicating that these roles are not distinct.
Uncertainty Avoidance Index (What’s the degree of anxiety about the unknown?):
Society in India has a slightly lower tolerance for ambiguity than China, but still higher than the U.S.
Long-term Orientation (How much focus is there on growth, perseverance, and the future?):
India ranks in the middle between the U.S. and China.
Generation Y in India and the Post-80s generation in China are products of their cultural contexts. While some of the attributes may eventually become blended in a vast cultural melting pot in our hyperconnected world, today there remain distinct differences, especially in older generations. Understanding this context is a valuable first step toward understanding where the youngest generations of workers are coming from — and what they may be in the process of changing. Educated, ambitious and highly tech savvy Indian Gen Yers are eager to prove that they are as competitive as their global counterparts.