Gen/Ethics? Organizational Ethics and Student and Instructor Conflicts in Workplace Training

This article takes a critical-analytical perspective on the concept of generational ethics at a corporate university site. Specifically, the article seeks to answer whether or not student-employees between the ages 21-35, commonly referred to as "generation x," hold different ethical stances than their instructors and older employees in the organization. Surveys were distributed to 68 students and 8 instructors at the facility to determine the extent to which students differed on six work-related values. Results indicate that students in the 21-35 age cohort did not exhibit popular expectations for "generation x." However, differences were found in the ways each generation reported work-related values. The study concludes that younger students conflicted with older students and instructors on issues involving organizational values. It is concluded that the younger students had not yet been fully socialized into the dominant organizational values of this company.