Millennial Entitlement from a Millennial Perspective
Class
Article
Graduation Year
2017
College
Jon M. Huntsman School of Business
Department
Management Department
Faculty Mentor
Aaron Brough
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
The purpose of researching Millennial Entitlement from a Millennial perspective was to see whether or not Millennials are more entitled than previous generations. This type of research has been done before, but has not accounted for certain biases. One of the biases that this study tries to account for is the generational difference in empowerment. Are Millennials more predisposed towards an internal locus of control than Baby Boomers due to the modern-day emphasis on an individual’s ability to create positive change? Does having a stronger internal locus of control lead to individual empowerment, and does that empowerment get mistaken for entitlement? These, and other questions, were explored during the course of the study.
The methods to gather the data needed to answer these questions included: reading expert secondary research on the subject of entitlement and Millennial attitude, conducting focus groups for both Baby Boomers and Millennials to determine the difference in perspectives based on situational factors, and an experimental survey sent out to both Baby Boomers and Millennials to gather quantifiable data on a mass scale. Survey participants did not know that other surveys distributed had slight changes added to the situational factors, leading to different responses to essentially the same situation.
The scope of the project included 15 people sampled in the focus groups and 300 people sampled for the experimental survey. The focus group consisted of only local residents who met the age definition, with the Millennial group consisting of a mix of students and non-students. The experimental survey was available across the United States and could be taken if inclusion criteria, like age, were met.
Location
Room 204
Start Date
4-13-2017 1:30 PM
End Date
4-13-2017 2:45 PM
Millennial Entitlement from a Millennial Perspective
Room 204
The purpose of researching Millennial Entitlement from a Millennial perspective was to see whether or not Millennials are more entitled than previous generations. This type of research has been done before, but has not accounted for certain biases. One of the biases that this study tries to account for is the generational difference in empowerment. Are Millennials more predisposed towards an internal locus of control than Baby Boomers due to the modern-day emphasis on an individual’s ability to create positive change? Does having a stronger internal locus of control lead to individual empowerment, and does that empowerment get mistaken for entitlement? These, and other questions, were explored during the course of the study.
The methods to gather the data needed to answer these questions included: reading expert secondary research on the subject of entitlement and Millennial attitude, conducting focus groups for both Baby Boomers and Millennials to determine the difference in perspectives based on situational factors, and an experimental survey sent out to both Baby Boomers and Millennials to gather quantifiable data on a mass scale. Survey participants did not know that other surveys distributed had slight changes added to the situational factors, leading to different responses to essentially the same situation.
The scope of the project included 15 people sampled in the focus groups and 300 people sampled for the experimental survey. The focus group consisted of only local residents who met the age definition, with the Millennial group consisting of a mix of students and non-students. The experimental survey was available across the United States and could be taken if inclusion criteria, like age, were met.