Üsküdar Üniversitesi and (BOSİAD) jointly conducted a study on Generation Z employees in the Bursa Organized Industrial Zone within the framework of the Z Plan Project. According to the research, which included 330 blue-collar and white-collar employees, young people want a job that excites them, is fun, provides financial support, and where they will be appreciated, to be motivated in their careers. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan pointed out that the leadership quality sought by Generation Z in the workplace is positive leadership and trustworthiness, stating that Generation Z values having their ideas appreciated and is motivated by it. Tarhan, stating that Generation Z is now starting to take its place in business life, also noted that employers should be flexible and adapt to the spirit of the times instead of adhering to traditional thinking.
Üsküdar Üniversitesi and BOSİAD researched Generation Z in business life
Bursa Organized Industrial Zone Industrialists and Business People Association (BOSİAD), within the scope of the Z Plan Project, conducted a study with 330 blue and white-collar Generation Z employees, aged 18-25 with an average age of 23, in the Bursa Organized Industrial Zone, under the direction of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Faculty of Communication, Department of New Media and Journalism Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal, to understand Generation Z and establish a connection between them and the business world.
Research results announced
The research results were announced at a meeting held in the Senate Hall of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Central Campus. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, BOSİAD Chairman of the Board Rasim Çağan, BOSİAD Board Member Özgür Şahin, BOSİAD Board Assistant Güzin Özdemir, BOSİAD Secretary General Meltem Turan Koylu, BOSİAD Press Consultant Elif Sezgin, Üsküdar Üniversitesi Secretary General Selçuk Uysaler, Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aylin Tutgun Ünal, and Üsküdar Üniversitesi Head of Corporate Communications Department Tahsin Aksu attended the meeting.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “The working group was addressed for the first time”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, in his evaluation of the research results, stated that the data obtained from the study involving 330 people was very important. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “For the first time, blue and white-collar workers up to the age of 30 were included in the research. The social media usage of employees belonging to Generation Z was examined. Up until now, usually only students had been studied. This research addressed the differences and similarities between blue and white-collar workers. In addition to the needs and expectations of young people, the potential dangers they face were also among the topics evaluated.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “They are ready to be the first customers of the Metaverse”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that Generation Z's expectations are focused on excitement and entertainment, saying, “They are very satisfied with liberation and digitalization. They are ready to be the first customers of the Metaverse. They want to work less and earn more. They are in search of innocence and want to stay away from evil.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Working Generation Z is experiencing prolonged adolescence”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that it is noteworthy that 38.8% of work motivation in Generation Z is excitement and entertainment-oriented, saying, “Even though young people in this generation are employed, their high school excitement continues. We can say that a significant portion of them are experiencing prolonged adolescence, even if they are business professionals. They value excitement, but this generation is also aware of its responsibilities. Typically, the sense of responsibility comes to the forefront after age 40, and work motivation is provided. Excitement and entertainment, however, provide work motivation during adolescence. Responsibility, excitement, and freedom should go hand in hand. For this group, we can say that the results are above average.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “High risks of loneliness”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the research also revealed the risks faced by Generation Z, warning, “Their risks of loneliness are high. Being hasty and impatient, they can easily make wrong decisions. They struggle to learn empathy. There is a very high expectation (74.5%) of living abroad.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Young people can easily tolerate differences”
Emphasizing that young people of Generation Z are very open to tolerating differences, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “As a society, due to our culture, we can tolerate differences very easily. For example, it is not possible to see English signs in France and Germany because they do not accept differences, nor do they prefer to speak another language besides their own. This is generally the case in Italy as well. In our society, however, we are open to every language. We are more advanced than the West in terms of tolerating differences. This ability to tolerate is at a more advanced level among our youth. 74.5% of our youth want to go abroad. Their excitement-oriented nature and high rate of tolerating differences play an important role in this desire.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Their needs must be met”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the research also revealed the needs of Generation Z, saying, “They want to feel valued. They need to learn long-term happiness, not short-term. They also need trustworthy role models who are companions. They need to learn high meaning and purpose.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Autocratic individuals cannot be entrepreneurs”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the most important characteristic of innovation and entrepreneurship is the ability to tolerate differences, adding, “Being open to different ideas and criticism is also very important. Autocratic individuals cannot be entrepreneurs. They set a goal and strive to achieve it. Democratic individuals progress by incorporating different ideas and through teamwork. When implementing entrepreneurship programs, we focus on how to ignite their desire to produce. Doing PR among young people regarding entrepreneurship is not very effective right now.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Tolerance decreases as social media usage increases”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that social media usage decreases as the rate of tolerating differences increases, and continued:
“The rate of social media usage for 1-3 hours has been found to be 60.6%. Those who spend a lot of time on social media tolerate differences less. We can say that these individuals are introverted and lonely. Behind introverted loneliness lies egocentrism. Egocentric individuals use social media more. They are lonely on social media, and there is no situation where they need to empathize with others. The antithesis of selfishness is empathy. If a person does not always say 'I want my way' and wants to try to understand the opinions of others, they must aim to be 'us' while remaining 'I'. The higher social media usage among individuals who do not tolerate differences indicates a tendency towards egocentrism and loneliness in these individuals.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Generation Z is motivated by their ideas being valued”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that valuing their ideas motivates Generation Z, saying, “Valuing their ideas motivates them more. It is possible to say that this is one of the most striking results of this study. The results clearly show that managers appreciating, approving, and speaking kind words to them is more effective than giving them salary bonuses. These young people are not capitalists. Generation Z is always accused of being selfish and capitalist, but they are not. With these characteristics, we can actually evaluate them well.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Generation Z, uncomfortable with hierarchy, turns to social media”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that, according to the research results, those who are uncomfortable with hierarchy have high social media usage, stating, “People uncomfortable with hierarchy immerse themselves in social media. This means they are not happy. They use social media as a stress reduction method. They are not happy with hierarchy. They cannot tolerate differences. This means these individuals want to retreat into their own egos and worlds, and they turn to social media.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Bosses should stop-think-re-evaluate”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that Generation Z is now starting to take its place in the business world, emphasizing that employers should be flexible and adapt to the spirit of the times instead of traditional thinking. Prof. Dr. Tarhan said, “Bosses need to 'stop-think-re-evaluate' the habits of their own generations. If we are to nurture this generation, Generation Z, there is no other way. They represent the spirit of the times. This generation is a digital generation. Instead of reducing digitalization for this generation, we need to set the right goals. For example, how can you incorporate artificial intelligence into this work, how can you turn it into a software tool? How do we achieve better production here? We will incorporate this into our work. When we do this, we will correctly target their digitalization expectations and manage it in a way that increases productivity. Employers are concerned that digitalization will reduce productivity. How do we increase productivity with digitalization? They should aim for this.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Positive leadership and trustworthiness drive Generation Z”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that another result that caught his attention in the research findings showed that young people value positive leadership and trustworthiness in a manager, stating, “They don't want strong will. They want positive leadership and trustworthiness. This rate is 57.6%. Young people's leadership expectations have changed. The rates of those who want intelligent and visionary leaders have fallen behind. This is the manager version for Generation Z. Such leadership drives Generation Z.”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Metaverse cannot be escaped”
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the Metaverse cannot be escaped, saying, “Currently, the world is heading in this direction. When 5G, 6G printers, and internet infrastructures are established, when broadband emerges, and when crypto and quantum computers appear, this situation will accelerate. This is no longer a dream or science fiction. If we resist this, we will remain in the dustbin of history. Therefore, managers need to implement digitalization in a way that increases productivity and orient themselves towards it.”
What do young people want?
The research conducted under the leadership of Üsküdar Üniversitesi academics drew attention with its striking results. According to the research results, young people want a job that excites them, is fun, provides financial support, and where they will be appreciated, to be motivated in their careers.
Rasim Çağan: “To understand Generation Z, one must listen”
BOSİAD Chairman Rasim Çağan also thanked Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and the Üsküdar Üniversitesi academics who conducted the research, saying, “As with all our projects, we utilize science in this project as well. In this context, Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi, Bursa Technical Üniversitesi, and Bursa Provincial Directorate of National Education are also our stakeholders. With this concluded survey, while BOSİAD played a complementary role by forming the industrial side of Üsküdar Üniversitesi's Z+ Generation at University Project for the BOSİAD Z Plan, we combined our strengths for our common denominator: young people. To understand Generation Z, one must first listen and know what they want. The results of this research will guide us on what they want and ensure the healthier progress of our project. The project results will also provide clues to the business world on understanding Generation Z in the workplace. Our youth are very valuable to us. We will understand them and walk into the future with them.”