Are values a differentiation criterion for generational cohorts?

Values are a cornerstone in the study of an individual as these are the very force behind an individual’s ideologies, viewpoints and ultimately action. For a very long-time scholars have differentiated between generational cohorts on the basis of the birth years and a difference in the shared values of each cohort, which are believed to stem from the common events that a cohort share. The present study aims at understanding the shared and unshared values among three generational cohorts- Baby boomers, Gen X and Gen Yby clustering the reported values based on thematic analysis and then exploring the importance of these values for each generational cohort by looking at the strength of the value in each cohort. This leads to the understanding of similarities and differences in values across cohorts. For this purpose, a total of twenty-four research articles were reviewed. The research findings indicated that there are overlaps amongst cohorts on values pertaining to rewards and there exists no clear distinction amongst cohorts simply based on the values. The practical implications of this study spans across different fields of study ranging from a theoretical insights to more practical uses in dealing with a multi-generational workforce.