“Show me you care about feedback”: how Gen Z employees perceive and experience feedback in hierarchical work environments.
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2025-10-06
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en
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Prevailing managerial and public narratives often portray Generation Z (Gen Z) as lacking work values, overlooking the socio-cultural factors shaping workplace behavior. While prior research highlights Gen Z’s preference for egalitarian values and informal feedback, little is known about how these preferences operate in high Power Distance contexts, where hierarchical norms may intensify value misalignment. Understanding feedback in such settings is crucial, as it supports alignment with organizational expectations, skill development, motivation, and engagement. This study explores how Gen Z employees perceive and experience feedback when generational values are misaligned. Using a qualitative design, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 Gen Z employees at the Greek branch of an international advertising agency. Thematic analysis revealed key challenges in feedback processes and identified opportunities to improve feedback practices within hierarchical organizational cultures.
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