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Gen Z’s Influence on Corporate Social Responsibility within Multinational Corporations

Mc Elwee, Conor LU and Khan, Julian LU (2024) MGTN59 20241
Department of Business Administration
Abstract
This thesis investigates the influence of Generation Z on the Corporate Social Responsibility strategies within multinational corporations led by top management from Generation X. It employed semi-structured interviews with eight top managers across six countries. The study explores how Gen Z's values and expectations impact CSR initiatives in organisations. The findings of our study have identified 5 themes and 13 sub themes which both support and conflict with the existing body of literature. Substantively, despite Generation Z's growing influence and emphasis on ethical practices, transparency, and social accountability, our findings reveal that their impact is constrained, to a degree, by practical and financial limitations. Top... (More)
This thesis investigates the influence of Generation Z on the Corporate Social Responsibility strategies within multinational corporations led by top management from Generation X. It employed semi-structured interviews with eight top managers across six countries. The study explores how Gen Z's values and expectations impact CSR initiatives in organisations. The findings of our study have identified 5 themes and 13 sub themes which both support and conflict with the existing body of literature. Substantively, despite Generation Z's growing influence and emphasis on ethical practices, transparency, and social accountability, our findings reveal that their impact is constrained, to a degree, by practical and financial limitations. Top management perceives Generation Z's enthusiasm for ambitious CSR objectives as sometimes conflicting with the operational realities and financial priorities of their organisations and shareholders. Our research further highlights a discrepancy between the conceptual and practical applications of CSR, where traditional practices are frequently repackaged under the CSR umbrella to align with evolving stakeholder expectations. Our study contributes to the existing literature by offering insights into the perspectives of Generation X managers, emphasising the need for genuine and embedded CSR practices rather than superficial, strategically driven initiatives. We also underscore the challenges faced by organisations in balancing the demands of different generational cohorts and integrating CSR authentically into their core values and operations. (Less)
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author
Mc Elwee, Conor LU and Khan, Julian LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
“Analysing the influence of Gen Z employees through the perspective of Gen X Top-Management”
course
MGTN59 20241
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Corporate Social Responsibility, Generation Z, Generation X, Stakeholder Theory, Influence
language
English
id
9156348
date added to LUP
2024-06-24 12:46:19
date last changed
2024-06-24 12:46:19
@misc{9156348,
  abstract     = {{This thesis investigates the influence of Generation Z on the Corporate Social Responsibility strategies within multinational corporations led by top management from Generation X. It employed semi-structured interviews with eight top managers across six countries. The study explores how Gen Z's values and expectations impact CSR initiatives in organisations. The findings of our study have identified 5 themes and 13 sub themes which both support and conflict with the existing body of literature. Substantively, despite Generation Z's growing influence and emphasis on ethical practices, transparency, and social accountability, our findings reveal that their impact is constrained, to a degree, by practical and financial limitations. Top management perceives Generation Z's enthusiasm for ambitious CSR objectives as sometimes conflicting with the operational realities and financial priorities of their organisations and shareholders. Our research further highlights a discrepancy between the conceptual and practical applications of CSR, where traditional practices are frequently repackaged under the CSR umbrella to align with evolving stakeholder expectations. Our study contributes to the existing literature by offering insights into the perspectives of Generation X managers, emphasising the need for genuine and embedded CSR practices rather than superficial, strategically driven initiatives. We also underscore the challenges faced by organisations in balancing the demands of different generational cohorts and integrating CSR authentically into their core values and operations.}},
  author       = {{Mc Elwee, Conor and Khan, Julian}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Gen Z’s Influence on Corporate Social Responsibility within Multinational Corporations}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}