Generation Y employees' retail work experience: The mediating effect of job characteristics

• Published in: Journal of business research Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 548 - 556
• Main Authors: Kim, HaeJung, Knight, Dee K., Crutsinger, Christy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Elsevier Inc 01-05-2009; Elsevier; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Series: Journal of Business Research
• Subjects: Employees; Generation Y; Generation Y Job characteristics Job crafting Job satisfaction model Retail work experience; Job characteristics; Job crafting; Job satisfaction; Job satisfaction model; Management theory; Millennials; Retail trade; Retail work experience; Retailing; Students; Studies; U.S.A; Work environment; Working conditions; United States > US; Retail work experience; Job characteristics; Job satisfaction model; Job crafting; Generation Y
• ISSN: 0148-2963; 1873-7978
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.06.014

This research examines Generation Y employees' retail work experience. Based upon Brown and Peterson's [Brown SP, Peterson RA, Antecedents and consequences of salesperson job satisfaction: meta-analysis and assessment of causal effects. J Mark Res 1993; 30: 63–77; Brown SP, Peterson RA, The effect of effort on sales performance and job satisfaction. J Mark 1994; 58: 70–80.] job satisfaction model, Gen Y employees work experience framework encompasses the work environment variables of role conflict, role ambiguity, supervisory support, and work involvement to predict job performance, job satisfaction, and, ultimately, retail career intention. Drawing from the job crafting perspective in management theory [Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001], this research tests the mediating effect of job characteristics between work environment and job outcomes using structural equation modeling. Study participants were members of a national sample of students (
n
=
803) from 14 universities in the United States. The findings indicate that job characteristics have a critical mediating role on the relationships for Gen Y employees, suggesting a paradigm shift from passive to active employees who craft their jobs, roles, and selves within a retail organizational context.