Introduction
The key findings of a detailed literature search are presented in the current paper. The author investigated the issue of young employee self-belief and its impact on workplace productivity. A total of 10 articles were picked to discuss evidence from several decades and trace the key trends in the field. The following table contains all queries generated to find relevant evidence on the given topic.
Insights from the 1980s and 1990s
The existing research from the 1980s represents several investigations where individual productivity and managerial rating were perceived as the core predictors of a worker’s self-belief and self-perception. For instance, Waldman and Avolio (1986) addressed the link between job performance and employee age to see if younger workers could perform better than their older counterparts. Hence, a professional attitude and positive relations with work peers could lead to more self-confidence and a higher performance grade.
Similar research was also conducted by McEvoy and Cascio (1989), who reported a tangible correlation between age and performance. Nevertheless, it was revealed that younger employees experienced more organizational pressure due to their lack of experience and an underdeveloped belief system.
Werber and Bedeian (1989) conducted a cross-sectional study to see how age and performance were connected. Young individuals generally had stronger self-belief tendencies, so it was logical to see that they could perform at an incredible level while showcasing their skills and mitigating the increasing turnover rate among older employees. As for the long-term implications, Chattopadhyay (1999) claimed that young employees’ self-belief could be associated with organizational citizenship behaviors and not just their mere professional skills.
Insights from the 2000s
Throughout the 2000s, the key topic of discussion was the benefit of continuous learning and demand control. These two variables were found to affect young employees to an extent where the latter could grow their confidence and avoid a decline in performance. According to Maurer (2001), the most under-recognized issue for younger employees was the need to interact with older colleagues and collect viable evidence relevant to their careers. This insight also proves that younger workers could participate less often in organizational activities if their self-confidence was lower than average.
At the same time, the self-efficacy of the youngest workers depended on how they responded to the management’s demand control efforts. For instance, if a new employee experienced a workload strain, they would become severely affected by anxiety or depression (Salanova, Peiró, and Schaufeli, 2002). It creates a cycle of constant stress that must be broken down with predictive management, where job intensity is measured in advance. Nevertheless, it was quickly found that continuous learning was much more efficient when helping young workers cope with burnout and other organizational bottlenecks related to well-being.
Insights from the 2010s and 2020s
Throughout the 2010s, the focus across organizational topics seems to shift from capabilities and direct input to human resource initiatives and long-term implications of addressing the quality of life of given employees. Cogin (2012) dwelled on how the increasing age diversity affected the willingness to report among older employees even if the manager is younger than them. This issue also pertains to how younger employees maintain work-life balance and whether they pay attention to generational differences (Lo, Macky, & Pio, 2015).
Another vital insight from the 2010s is that employee self-belief can be linked to leadership and business awareness. According to Soomro, Breitenecker, and Shah (2018), for instance, such activities can have a mediating impact on the work-life crisis, as it mostly affects younger workers. This is why Bahar, Islam, Hamzah, Islam, and Reaz (2022) paid so much attention to generational differences and the instability of younger workers’ performance under pressure. This vital insight must be re-tested frequently to understand how younger employees’ outlooks can be adjusted to organizational needs without a significant reduction in performance.
Conclusion
Overall, the literature on young employee self-belief gradually transformed from a skill-based evaluation into a learning model where emotional well-being plays an essential role. It can be concluded that young employees’ grades of self-belief can be measured using their performance during high-pressure events and their willingness to engage in learning activities. Further research on the subject should focus on hybrid models of performance evaluation where self-belief is supportive and not decisive.
References
Bahar, A. M., Islam, M. A., Hamzah, A., Islam, S. N., & Reaz, M. D. (2022). The efficacy of work-life balance for young employee retention: A validated retention model for small private industries. International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking, 12(3), 367-394.
Chattopadhyay, P. (1999). Beyond direct and symmetrical effects: The influence of demographic dissimilarity on organizational citizenship behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 42(3), 273-287.
Cogin, J. (2012). Are generational differences in work values fact or fiction? Multi-country evidence and implications. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(11), 2268-2294.
Lo, K., Macky, K., & Pio, E. (2015). The HR competency requirements for strategic and functional HR practitioners. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(18), 2308-2328.
Maurer, T. J. (2001). Career-relevant learning and development, worker age, and beliefs about self-efficacy for development. Journal of Management, 27(2), 123-140.
McEvoy, G. M., & Cascio, W. F. (1989). Cumulative evidence of the relationship between employee age and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74(1), 11.
Salanova, M., Peiró, J. M., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2002). Self-efficacy specificity and burnout among information technology workers: An extension of the job demand-control model. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 11(1), 1-25.
Soomro, A. A., Breitenecker, R. J., & Shah, S. A. M. (2018). Relation of work-life balance, work-family conflict, and family-work conflict with the employee performance-moderating role of job satisfaction. South Asian Journal of Business Studies, 7(1), 129-146.
Waldman, D. A., & Avolio, B. J. (1986). A meta-analysis of age differences in job performance. Journal of applied psychology, 71(1), 33.
Werbel, J. D., & Bedeian, A. G. (1989). Intended turnover as a function of age and job performance. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 275-281.