A digital native or snowflake? : The perceptions of job satisfaction by millennial engineers in Sweden.

Abstract: Millennials are a generation mentioned frequently both in research and in popular media. Popular media often describes the millennials as disloyal, sensitive and difficult. The scholarly research regarding millennials is largely based on generation cohort, which is a concept that each generation has specific characteristics. These stereotypes have actual consequences on organizations and society. This thesis uses generational cohort theory, applied it to millennial engineers in Sweden. A study by Kultalahti and Viitala (2014) investigated job satisfaction for millennials by applying Herzberg two–model theory. Herzberg two–model theory explains that two factors exist for job satisfaction, one factor which is motivational factor which increase job satisfaction. The second factor which is described as hygiene factors can only lower job dissatisfaction. This thesis will be based on the work  by Kultalahti and Viitala (2014) but will focus on millennial engineers in Sweden. The thesis will investigate millennial stereotype applied to engineers in Sweden. The thesis will include a literature review which contains relevant theories regarding millennials, job satisfaction and other motivational theories. The data collection is done by conducting 20 interviews with millennial engineers working in Sweden. The results indicated that the millennial engineers conform to some stereotypes but not all. The respondents value salary, flexibility and work–life balance which can all be connected to existing stereotypes. The thesis investigates job satisfaction and the results can be used as an insight for organizations on how to further understand job satisfaction for millennial engineers.