




































AGORA INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMICAL SCIENCES, 
AIJES, ISSN 2067-3310, E - ISSN 2067 – 7669, VOL 10 (2016) 

30 

 

MILLENNIALS AND CORPORATE CULTURE IN MULTINATIONAL 

COMPANIES  
 

 

Judeu Viorina Maria
1
 

  

Abstract  

 
Globalization is not what it was a decade ago. What links the world together has changed fundamentally. For 

many companies, succeeding in this new operating environment will require rethinking many past decisions and 

assumptions.Multinational companies hire Millennials because they appreciate their energy and initiative. On the 

other hand, Millennials greatly values the personal time and are not willing to provide the tray dedication and 

energy. When organizational structures expect these things to come by itself, may be disappointed. Millennials 

are carefully selected and their involvement. Millennials have to be earned, not to be taken for granted. 

 

Keywords  
Globalization, Millennials, multinational companies, corporate culture  

 

 

Millennials  generation and their benefit from the economic recovery  

 
Strauss & Howe's book titled Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation describes the Millennial 

generation as "civic-minded", rejecting the attitudes of the Baby Boomers and Generation X.
2
  

Generally speaking, Millennials are the children of Baby Boomers or Generation Xers, while some 

older members may have parents from the Silent Generation. A 2013 poll in the United Kingdom found that 

Generation Y was more "open-minded than their parents on controversial topics".
3
  

In 2015, the Pew Research Center also conducted research regarding generational identity.
4
 It was 

discovered that Millennials, or members of Generation Y, are less likely to strongly identify with the 

generational term when compared to Generation X or to the baby boomers, with only 40% of those born between 

1981-1997 identifying as part of the Millennial Generation. Among older Millennials, those born 1981-1988, 

Pew Research found 43% personally identified as members of the older demographic cohort, Generation X, 

while only 35% identified as Millennials. Among younger Millennials (born 1989-1997), generational identity 

was not much stronger, with only 45% personally identifying as Millennials. It was also found that Millennials 

chose most often to define itself with more negative terms such as self-absorbed, wasteful or greedy. In this 2015 

report, Pew defined Millennials with birth years ranging from 1981 onwards.
5
  

Economic prospects for some Millennials have declined largely due to the Great Recession in the late 

2000s.
6
 Several governments have instituted major youth employment schemes out of fear of social unrest due to 

the dramatically increased rates of youth unemployment. In Europe, youth unemployment levels were very high 

(56% in Spain,  44% in Italy, 35% in the Baltic states, 19.1% in Britain and more than 20% in many more 

                                                           
1Agora University of Oradea, Tineretului Square nr.8, 410526, Oradea, Romania, 

viorina@univagora.ro   
2
  Howe, Neil, Strauss, William Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, A Vintage Original, 2000, p. 

352 
3
 Phillips, Martin. Future's bright: Young Brits upbeat over working lives. The Sun. London. Retrieved 26 

July 2013 
4
 Most Millennials Resist the Millennial Label. Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. Retrieved 13 

October 2015. 
5
 Anderson, Kurt, Pop Culture in the Age of Obama. New York Times. (5 August 2009). Retrieved 29 

November 2012 
6
 Yen, Hope, Census: Recession Turning Young Adults Into Lost Generation, (22 September 2011),  Huffington 

Post. Retrieved 22 September 2011 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Generation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youth_unemployment
mailto:viorina@univagora.ro
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/22/census-recession-young-adults_n_975476.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffington_Post
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffington_Post


31 

 

countries). In 2009, leading commentators began to worry about the long-term social and economic effects of the 

unemployment.
7
  

Millennials are the most highly educated and culturally diverse group of all generations, and have been 

regarded as hard to please when it comes to employers.
8
 To address these new challenges, many large firms are 

currently studying the social and behavioral patterns of Millennials and are trying to devise programs that 

decrease intergenerational estrangement, and increase relationships of reciprocal understanding between older 

employees and Millennials. The UK's Institute of Leadership & Management
9
 researched the gap in 

understanding between Millennial recruits and their managers in collaboration with Ashridge Business School.
10

 

 The findings included high expectations for advancement, salary and for a coaching relationship with their 

manager, and suggested that organizations will need to adapt to accommodate and make the best use of 

Millennials.  

Millennials have benefited the least from the economic recovery following the Great Recession, as 

average incomes for this generation have fallen at twice the general adult population's total drop and are likely to 

be on a path toward lower incomes for at least another decade.  

In 2014, Millennials were entering an increasingly multi-generational workplace.
11

 Even though 

research has shown that Millennials are joining the workforce during a tough economic time they still have 

remained optimistic.  

 

Globalization and this new generation  

 

Globalization is not what it was a decade ago. What links the world together has changed 

fundamentally. For many companies, succeeding in this new operating environment will require rethinking many 

past decisions and assumptions. The 20th-century version of globalization was defined by rapidly growing trade 

in goods, as major multinationals created supply chains that spanned the world. Globalization turned aut to be 

digital. Cross-border data flows have grown by a factor of 45 over the past decade, and they’re projected to post 

another ninefold increase by 2020. 

According to a study research of  McKinsey Global Institute we find that over the last decade, global 

flows of goods, services, finance, people, and data have contributed at least 10% of world GDP, adding $7.8 

trillion in 2014 alone. Perhaps most striking is the fact that data flows already accounted for $2.8 trillion of this 

value  exerting a larger economic impact than the global trade in physical goods. This is a watershed moment, 

given that the world’s trade networks formed over the course of centuries, while cross-border digital flows barely 

registered just 15 years ago.
12

 

Already 12% of the global goods trade is cross-border e-commerce, and half of the world’s traded 

services are delivered digitally. These transformations enable small and medium-sized enterprises around the 

world to compete head to head with larger industry incumbents. Companies now have unprecedented 

opportunities to achieve both global scale and efficiency. But to realize them, many will have to shed old 

assumptions, particularly in the five areas outlined below. 

Globalization has removed many of the barriers to social and cultural work, and companies that offer 

employees the opportunity to interact with people around the world are more highly regarded, especially in the 

eyes of young people. 

Thus a percentage of 41 of those between 18-25 prefer to work in multinational companies, while the 

younger generation Millenials 26-34 years have already worked in multinational companies and want to use their 

experience to launch their own business (50%), according to a study made by iSense Solutions for  Lowe 

Group.
13

 

                                                           
7
 Travis, Alan, Youth unemployment figures raise spectre of Thatcher's Britain, (12 August 2009), The Guardian, 

London, Retrieved 3 May 2010 
8
 http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/03/07/7-surprising-ways-to-motivate-millennial-

workers/#27d2e85b4ed9 visited in 30th Octomber 2016   
9
 https://www.i-l-m.com  visited in 1st November 2016 

10
 Great Expectations: Managing Generation Y, 2011,  I-l-m.com. 8 July 2011, Retrieved 2 November 2011 

11
 Armour, Stephanie, Generation Y: They've arrived at work with a new attitude. (8 November 2005), USA 

Today. Retrieved 8 May 2014 
12

 http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/digital-globalization-the-new-era-

of-global-flows visited in 2nd of November 2016  
13

 http://www.isensesolutions.ro/category/comunicate-isense-solutions/ visited in 2nd November 2016  

http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/Digital-globalization-The-new-era-of-global-flows
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/aug/12/youth-unemployment-rate-bristol
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/03/07/7-surprising-ways-to-motivate-millennial-workers/#27d2e85b4ed9
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/03/07/7-surprising-ways-to-motivate-millennial-workers/#27d2e85b4ed9
https://www.i-l-m.com/
http://www.i-l-m.com/research-and-comment/generationy.aspx
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today
http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/digital-globalization-the-new-era-of-global-flows
http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/digital-globalization-the-new-era-of-global-flows
http://www.isensesolutions.ro/category/comunicate-isense-solutions/


32 

 

According to the study mentioned before those seeking to engage in a multinational company have clear 

objectives and relate to work here as an opportunity for development, they expect to learn from the best, to 

promote rapid and earn a wage that allows them to live good.  

At the same time, they want to experience and interact with other cultures and people from different 

countries and are willing to travel frequently on business.  

On the following lines will be presetend some of the main reasons why young people are so attracted 

multinational companies and what expectations they have from.  

 

They want to experience other countries lifestyle   

Many young people want to travel often for work, but also be given the chance to work at the headquarters in 

another country. Most young people want jobs in countries of Western Europe especially if they have a 

significant salary compensation and are offered an attractive package of benefits. In addition, they know that 

such a move gives credibility and weight to their resume so that would be most attractive in the eyes of other 

employers. 

Young people want more opportunities for development and a rapid career 

advancement 

Young people have become more interested in management positions and wish to occupy such a position in 

about three years after they are hired. They are no longer content with a job but they will work for a career full of 

successes and if they don’t get it they will not hesitate to go elsewhere. The same study shows that their loyalty 

to the workplace decreased. Thus, those aged 18-25 are already in the second job or third job, for those aged 26-

34 years. Young believes that leaving a better position in another company is the best way to advance faster and 

increase their salary, especially if they feel that the current job prospects for career advancement are removed or 

uncertain. 

They want a lasting job 

Even if changes more often than their predecessors jobs, young Millennials want a permanent job and believes 

that multinationals with at least 1,000 employees offered more stability. They want to escape the stress that 

might be dismissed or that the company might go through restructuring, so that they look more confidently to 

large corporations, where the flow of people is more dynamic. 

They want an innovative and prestigious working environment  

The giants have the resources to invest in the latest technology and to equip offices so as to facilitate the work of 

employees and to increase productivity. Young people want to work in an attractive environment, with modern 

desks, new computers have easy access to public transportation and to be surrounded by people with the same 

perspective. 

 

The workplace and the Millennials
14

 

 
The statistics prove that the majority of Millennials want to be their own bosses, and that they value 

meaningful work. Besides that, millennials place high value on the following: 

- Open Communication. Millennials want to be heard. They believe in honesty and truth, regardless of 

seniority or level of authority within a business. 

- Witnessing leaders in action. Millennial workplace culture places a high value on action. They want to 

see their bosses in action and learn from what they see. 

- Progressiveness. Millennials crave the ability to work in a progressive environment where they can 

collaborate with their colleagues and complete meaningful work 

Generational diversity in the workplace has created a unique set of conflicts that arise. While generational 

conflict has always been present in the workplace, it has become increasingly apparent as the youngest 

generation has settled – and become comfortable – in the workforce. Some of the few common conflicts are as 

follows: 

                                                           
14

 http://www.aperianglobal.com/attracting-retaining-millennials-global-workplace/  visited in 3rd November 

2016  



33 

 

- Different values. Baby Boomers tend to seek money and status through a suitable career, while 

millennials aren’t looking for a lifelong job. The statistics show that millennials believe happiness is 

more important than wealth. 

- Opposing views about schedules. Boomers are statistically known for being workaholics, but 

millennials want work to be fun – and they subsequently place a higher value on their free time away 

from traditional work. 

- Differing views on teamwork. Baby boomers and members of Generation X tend to value autonomy 

while millennials typically want to brainstorm and work collaboratively. 

- Opposing views on the role of the boss. There’s an idea that the older generations tend to micromanage 

younger employees, but millennials want to be trusted to do their jobs without micromanagement. 

- Varying levels of comfort with technology. Baby boomers did not grow up with smartphones. The idea 

of work-life integration is strange to them. Millennials, though, embrace the idea of working from their 

phones. 

Young people in this generation are not very willing to work overtime. They want time to enjoy their 

families and hobbies. Not much gets along with no fixed schedule, 9.00 - 18.00, preferring, instead, a flexible 

schedule that you and him alone conceive. That does not mean that there will be nowhere to work. Moreover, an 

analysis cited by TIME magazine
15

 shows that they work more than the representatives of X generation.  When it 

comes to salaries will be paid so that they can enjoy life. Because they like so much to spend, they need and 

rarely accept wages as minimum wage. 

 

Conclusions  

For the multinational companies hiring new, young talent just out of college may be challenging some 

established practices of management and changing today’s corporate culture. With the shift of the younger 

employment force from Generation X to Generation Millennials companies are finding that there are different 

attitudes and work habits that need to be incorporated into the existing culture. With companies now having 

different generational mentalities and priorities, the corporate melting pot has new challenges ahead. New 

college graduates are entering the workforce, having never known a world without computers, cell phones, 

email, or instant messaging. They have been brought up in a fast-paced, instant world that is always moving and 

changing.  

While the times and your company’s employees are changing, it is important that not only the younger 

employees need to be understood, but also the more senior employees need help understanding and embracing 

the change. It is important to consider how your company will embrace, manage, promote, and retain, these new, 

highly technical workers because Millennials are not going away, they will only grow in the work force. 

 

References  

 
[1]  Anderson, Kurt, Pop Culture in the Age of Obama. New York Times. (5 August 

2009). Retrieved 29 November 2012 

[2]  Armour, Stephanie, Generation Y: They've arrived at work with a new attitude. (8 November 

2005), USA Today. Retrieved 8 May 2014 

[3]  Howe, Neil, Strauss, William Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, A Vintage Original, 

2000 

[4]  Phillips, Martin. Future's bright: Young Brits upbeat over working lives. The Sun. London. 

Retrieved 26 July 2013 

[5]  Travis, Alan, Youth unemployment figures raise spectre of Thatcher's Britain, (12 August 2009), 

The Guardian, London, Retrieved 3 May 2010 

[6]  Yen, Hope, Census: Recession Turning Young Adults Into Lost Generation, (22 September 2011), 

 Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 September 2011 

[7]  *** Great Expectations: Managing Generation Y, 2011,  I-l-m.com. 8 July 2011, Retrieved 2 

November 2011 

[8]  *** Most Millennials Resist the Millennial Label. Pew Research Center for the People and the 

Press. Retrieved 13 October 2015 

                                                           
15

 http://time.com/tag/millennials/ visited in 3rd November 2016 

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Today
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/aug/12/youth-unemployment-rate-bristol
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/22/census-recession-young-adults_n_975476.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huffington_Post
http://www.i-l-m.com/research-and-comment/generationy.aspx


34 

 

[9]  http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/digital-globalization-

the-new-era-of-global-flows  

[10]  http://www.isensesolutions.ro/category/comunicate-isense-solutions/  

[11]  http://www.aperianglobal.com/attracting-retaining-millennials-global-workplace/   

[12]  http://time.com/tag/millennials 

[13]  http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/03/07/7-surprising-ways-to-motivate-millennial-

workers/#27d2e85b4ed9  

[14]  https://www.i-l-m.com   

 

 


