Broadening Our Perspective On Entitled Millennials

A New Attitude

There is hardly debate over the distinct generation gap between the younger generation, Generation Y also referred to as millennials; those born between the years of 1980 and 2000, and older generations such as the silent generation; those born between the years of 1930 to 1945, Baby Boomers; those born between the years of 1946 and 1964 and Generation X; those born between the years of 1965 to 1979 (DeVaney, 2015, p.11). Evidence of this distinctive generation gap in seen in various fields and aspects of life, including the workplace (Calk & Patrick, 2017), education (Espinoza, 2012) and communication (Hartman & McCambridge, 2011). This evidence is not solidly conclusive as to whether this distinctive generation gap has lead or is leading to a positive or negative change in society. Seeking to state such an extreme claim could be both irrational and unreasonable. When the matter of study is human behavior, the number of variables is incalculable making an extreme and generalized positive or negative claim very difficult to accurately support. With this stated, there are commonly shared traits and characteristics that can be observed with in a generations because they share similar experiences and ideas (DeVaney, 2015, p.11). One of the commonly shared characteristics among millennials is identified as having a sense of entitlement, but entitlement can be defined in many ways; entitled by right, self-satisfied, or determination toward self-purpose. The following will be a brief examination of two studies, one supporting the entitlement mind set and the other challenging it, as well as a summary over our understanding of entitlement and its contextual use.

a. When the matter of study is human behavior, the number of variables is incalculable making an extreme and generalized positive or negative claim very difficult to accurately support.

b. Entitlement is a refined term, possibly too refined to properly characterize a large social group such as a generation.

Entitlement

Entitlement is defined as the belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges (Merriam-Webster, 2005, p.416). But the understanding of entitlement goes further than the dictionary definition. Albert Casullo (2007) helps us with this understanding by organizing the works of Tyler Burge in an easily comprehensible manner; entitlement is a warrant that is supported by the beliefs of the subject, but does not have to be fully understood or logically justified by the subject (p.268). To reiterate, entitlement is a believed right but requires no logic based justification from the individual pertaining to why they deserve such right other than, essentially, they feel they deserve it. The term entitlement, as used when referring to millennials, is a used in a derogatory sense. When millennials are characterized as having a sense of entitlement they are being characterized as entitled, indulgent, and narcissistic (Casullo, 2007, p.216).

Supportive Study

A study was conducted by Alexander and Sysko (2012) on a convenience group of business degree seeking college students (18–22 years old) attending one of two colleges, Kings College and Illinois State University. The results of their study provided support to a shared sense of entitlement among millennials, as well as where the entitled mind frame may have derived from (Alexander & Sysko, 2012, p.63–67). But, their study failed to accurately represent millennials through the limitations of their sample group. The limitations of their sample include, but are not limited to, economic diversity, difference in educational background, and variation of interests. It is imputative to, to the best of your ability, use an accurately representative sample group when claiming to describe a social group (Herek, 2012), such as the “Millennial cohort” (Alexander and Sysko, 2012, p.67). Furthermore, question is raised pertaining to how the open-ended questions in the study were worded. The language used when presenting a question can easily distort the given response and decrease credibility of a study if bias or suggestive influence is present in the questions (Pew Research Center, 2018).

Challenging Study

A study conducted by Ayudhyaa and Smithson (2016) looked at what was identified as entitlement in the view point of having a solid awareness work-life balance (WLB) and feeling an employer should respect that balance. Their study consisted of UK Manchester students, specifically selected to represent the diversity in culture and ethnicity within in the school. The participants were asked questions pertaining to the expectations of employers and WLB support, as well as questions about their upbringing, education and influences. The study showed an understanding of responsibility, earned reward, and available opportunity within society along with an awareness of personal choice and preference. There was week evidence supporting an entailment mind frame but a sense of entitlement to WLB was supported (Ayudhyaa & Smithson, 2016, p.218–224). The lack of noted economic background and difference in educational background, as well as others, are limitations of the study. These limitations are shared with those of the supporting study (3) and make the two studies more equally comparable.

Personal Thoughts

From personal experience, I have seen where one could view millennials’ attitudes and views as entitlement. I have also seen and understood the reason and logic supporting some of these views. What can appear to be entitlement at times, when looked further into, reveals itself as a combination of other characteristics and traits; for example, a solid sense of self and awareness of opportunity, paired with the willingness to provide the necessary effort and endure the necessary trials, to achieve greater long-term happiness and personal satisfaction. Sharon DeVaney states, “Millennials want to be happy in their work.” as she explains the employment tendencies of millennials and their focuse on personal satisfaction. (2015, p.13). From additional personal experience, this mindset is not limited to the work atmosphere it. To use a simplified term such as entitlement as a label for a vast group is inaccurate and unreasonable. When attempting to study humans, there are variables that change from person to person making a generalized positive or negative claim very difficult to support effectively.

References

Alexander, C. S., & Sysko, M. J. (2012). A study of the cognitive determinants of generation y’s entitelment mentality. Academy of Educational Leadership Journal vol 16(2), p. 63–67. https://www.abacademies.org/journals/academy-of-educational-leadership-journal-home.html.

Ayudhy, U. C., & Smithson, J. (2016). Entitled or misunderstood? Towards the repositioning of the sense of entitlement concept in the generational difference debat. Community, Work & Family vol. 19(2), p. 216, 218–224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13668803.2016.1134116.

Calk, R., & Patrick, A. (2017). Millennials through the looking glass: workplace motivating factors. The Journal of Business Inquiry vol. 16(2). http:www.uvu.edu/woodbury/jbi/volume16.

Casullo, A. (2017). what is entitlement?. Acta anal, 216, 268. doi: 10.1007/s12136–007–0012-y.

DeVaney, S. A. (2015). Understanding the millennial generation. Journal of Financial Service and Proffesionsals, p. 11, 13. http://national.societyoffsp.org/page/aboutjfsp.

Espinoza, C. (2012). Millennial values and boundaries in the classroom. New Direction for Teching and Learning. doi: 10.1002/tl.20025.

Hartman, J. L., & McCambridge, J. (2011). Opptimissing millennials’ communication styles. Business Communication Quarterly vol. 47(1). doi: 10.1177/1080569910395564.

Herek, G. M. (2012). A Brief Introduction to Sampling. Retrieved from psychology.ucdavis.edu: http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/fact_sample.html#page_top.

Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th ed.). (2005). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. p. 416.

Pew Research Center. (2018). Questionnaire design. Retrieved from pewresearch.org: http://www.pewresearch.org/methodology/u-s-survey-research/questionnaire-design/.