Understanding generation Z’s job engagement and performance in generationally diverse workplace

Abstract

While many experts and professionals recognize the significance of employee engagement for job performance, there is a lack of research focused on generation Z, who are expected to constitute the majority of Vietnam’s future workforce. The emergence of generation Z in the workplace could create difficulties for organizational management and human resources professionals due to the increase in generational diversity. This study addressed the gap above by investigating key factors affecting the employee engagement of Vietnamese generation Z, and examine the degree of engagement influencing their job performance in the context of Vietnamese generationally diverse workplaces. Quantitative methods were utilized with primary data from an online structured survey of 258 Vietnamese generation Z in Ho Chi Minh City. The data were analysed by statistics techniques such as EFA, CFA and SEM via SPSS and AMOS software. The findings showed that supporting supervisor, working environment, and co-worker relationships positively influenced generation Z’s engagement, which leads to higher job performance. However, training and development, and compensation and benefit demonstrated no relationship with their engagement, hence, no correlation with job performance was found. This study provides an academic contribution to the comprehension of generational diversity and employee engagement within the Vietnamese business setting. Additionally, practical recommendations for employee engagement were suggested, with an emphasis on the importance of supportive supervisors.