Question: “China’s ‘Generation Y’ seem to have unrealistic expectations from employers. Will hey be able to become the next generation of corporate leaders in China?” (Many of my clients in China ask this question.)
Answer, Gabor Holch:
“China’s ‘Generation Y’ are the young people born after the economic reforms started, growing up as a single child and intoxicated by the notion that China is the new superpower soon to take over the world. Also called the ‘little princes’, no wonder they have astrological expectations from their employers, especially in a culture where the role of employers and leaders is so often compared to that of parents.
Since the 1990s, international companies have been bending over backwards to serve these expectations. Young Chinese people were hired easy, got intensive financial motivation and got promoted far faster than their European or American colleagues. Yet, according to the EU Chamber Position Paper and other prestigious publications, they lag behind both professionally and culturally, giving a headache to foreign executives working on leader succession.