Empowering Generation Z: Achieving a Healthy Work-Life Interface

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unexpected implications for the world of work, accelerating the use of digital technologies and hybrid workspaces, and posing new questions on how to manage working relationships. This chapter explores whether employee empowerment experiences can ensure better work-life connections. Empowerment involves a permanent transfer of power from the line manager to the employee. Although not all line managers are willing to use it as a development tool for fear of seeing their role downsized, research has been conducted to better understand the empowerment experiences of Generation Z employees, identifying positive and negative aspects of the relationship with their line managers. Generation Z employees have certain expectations when it comes to their job that are not always met, and understanding and managing these expectations through empowerment has great value to shape the future of organizations and create a better work-life connection for upcoming generations of workers. The chapter adopts a new conceptual framework for understanding employees’ empowerment experiences, proposes specific structural actions that line managers can take and reflects on the implications of employee empowerment for the HR function in terms of work-life interface.

Citation

Rizzi, F., Chabanne-Rive, J. and Valax, M. (2024), "Empowering Generation Z: Achieving a Healthy Work-Life Interface", Wilkinson, K. and Woolnough, H. (Ed.) Work-Life Inclusion: Broadening Perspectives Across the Life-Course, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 41-52. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-219-820241004