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Purpose – This study aims to investigate the existence of delimitations more suited to the emergence of generations in Brazil, and to assess generational perceptions on constructs of the work environment and their influences on organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach – The perceptions of 102,540 respondents employed by 394 organizations were classified into nine constructs. The methodology used entailed an initial confirmatory factorial analysis, which was undertaken to investigate the validity of the proposed measurement model. Regression analyses were applied to test the relationship between work environment and commitment. Findings – The results highlight that the Baby Boomer generation attributed more value to the meaning of work and corporate social responsibility. Meaning of work, learning and development were given a high level of importance in the results for Generation X. Generation Y values learning and development, relationships with co-workers and Work-life balance more than the other two generations. Research limitations/implications – This research is classified as a cross-sectional study that does not allow us to substantiate whether differences between the groups were caused by influence of generations or the age of respondents. Therefore, nationwide surveys capable of offsetting the age effect on generational differences are still necessary. Another constraint is related to the fact that only data from the survey that annually elects the “Best Companies to Work for in Brazil” were used for undertaking this study. Moreover, because all variables were collected simultaneously from the same source, the authors recognize that the results could have problems related to common method biases. Practical implications – The authors believe that the identification of critical dimensions of workers’ perception regarding the work environment equips human resources professionals with the ability to implement policies and practices that align people management with the differing desires of each generation, effectively ensuring commitment from these professionals. Social implications – This study may contribute to researchers by highlighting the need for temporal outlines suited to the Brazilian reality, which might also inspire further research on the country’s generations, even associating them with other themes, such as values, personality and professional motivation. Originality/value – As the main contributions, the authors have sought to highlight that generational differences may be related to specific periods in each country’s historical context. The authors also show the determining factors influencing each generation’s affective commitment and justify each of their choices.

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Abstract:This article presents a case study of two companies operating in the Brazilian market; one in the electrical energy sector, and the other in the pharmaceutical sector, both of which appeared on the list of 150 Best Companies to Work for in Brazil in 2012, and have stated that they consider retaining talents to be essential to their Human Resources strategies. These companies identified the professionals they considered to be talents, through the application of a questionnaire to the employees, with 51 statements, the results of which were used to analyze the link between retention factors and intention to remain in the company. Together with the application of the multiple regression technique for associations between the variables, the retention factors, measured by means of the employees' perceptions, were qualitatively linked to the practices of talent retention adopted by the companies. Among the results, it is highlighted that the retention factors explained 86% in company A, and 83% in company B, of the variation in the variable "intention to remain in the company." It was observed that the talents are determined by the management model of each company, and that the employees who were considered talents based on their current performance, together with those with potential to be considered talents in the future, represent 20% of the company's staff. Based on the results, we believe that before implementing a talent retention strategy, companies need to understand the influence of the macroeconomic scenario on the job market; the social influences that impact on employees' career expectations; and the individual personalities of the talents.

Apesar de se apresentar como uma área multidisciplinar e de não contar com uma teoria amplamente aceita, a aprendizagem organizacional avança e apresenta pontos de consenso que a estabelecem como um campo de conhecimento. Vários esforços de revisão sobre o tema foram publicados nos últimos dez anos, fundaentando a definição de desafios emergentes, que apontam campos promissores para futuras pesquisas. Este artigo recupera alguns dos principais debates e prospecções, comparando a produção acadêmica nacional e internacional e identificando as convergências e divergências entre eles. Os resultados da análise mostram que alguns tópicos presentes no debate internacional são atuais na pesquisa nacional, enquanto outros, não. Com base nessas constatações, propõe-se uma sugestão de agenda para pesquisas futuras em aprendizagem organizacional que envolva aspectos teóricos, contextuais e metodológicos, e que propicie condições de intervir, de forma mais intensa, no debate que se trava sobre o tema no plano internacional.