Paradoxala normer: En undersökning av Generation Y:s arbetstid

Sammanfattning: In 1930 John Maynard Keynes predicted that westerners a hundred years later would not need to work more than 15 hours a week due to technological breakthroughs. However, the reality stands in stark contrast to his prediction. Working hours have increased in recent years, especially in professional industries. Generation Y, the latest generation to enter the workforce, work even longer hours than earlier generations, yet they claim to prioritize work-life balance highly, but struggle greatly to achieve it. Hence, this study aims to shed light on this generational paradox through a qualitative study of three industries; management consulting, finance and accounting. Unlike earlier studies in the field, that mainly have focused on single or few aspects, this study takes a holistic perspective in order to add to the discussion. The factors contributing to long work hours have been divided into four main categories: work, organizational, economic and individual factors. The study results in a number of themes that all are enhanced by the ideal worker norm, a norm that inhibit the generation's strive for work-life balance.