From Values to Well-Being: Generational Specificities in Work Values and Systemic Influences in Career Counselling Professionals

This thesis explores generational differences in work values and the influence of systemic factors on Generation Z students in the context of career counselling. Grounded in the field of career counselling, the study investigates (1) whether work value dimensions, as defined by Furnham et al.’s (2021) Work Value Questionnaire, differ between Generation X career counsellors and Generation Z career counselling students, and (2) to what extent intrapersonal, relational, and societal-environmental influences—conceptualised within McMahon’s Systems Theory Framework—affect the work values of Generation Z. Additionally, (3) the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic work values on well-being is examined. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative data from an online survey with qualitative responses to open-ended questions. The sample consisted of 112 participants, including 56 Generation Z students and 53 Generation X professionals, primarily affiliated with the University of Applied Labour Studies and the German Federal Employment Agency. The mean age was 37 years (Gen Z: M = 24; Gen X: M = 52), with a gender distribution of 84 women and 27 men. The findings of this study offer insight into how generational and systemic factors influence work values, with implications for career counselling practice, intergenerational understanding, and organizational development. The data analysis is still going on.