Purpose -The examination of generational differences is an important area of inquiry for management research. Firms must recognize the influence of the values and work preferences of the next generation on organizational outcomes in order both to retain staff and to groom future leaders. It is proposed to examine the theory that firms' lack of success at employee retention may be impacted by the extent to which they understand and address generational differences in values, goals, and preferences. Design/methodology/approach -This study used survey methodology to examine generational and gender differences amongst the work environment preferences of 234 accountants in accounting firms. Findings -The results indicated the importance of goal orientation and system work environment fit for younger generation workers on satisfaction and intention to remain; and relationship fit on the satisfaction of Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers also experienced higher levels of overall satisfaction than younger generation employees.Research limitations/implications -The sample is limited to accountants in the USA. Originality/value -Generational differences significantly impact employee attitudes and outcomes in the workplace. If firms are unable to modify their cultures and work environments to adequately meet the needs of their younger generation employees, they will continue to experience high levels of dissatisfaction and turnover.

antecedents, decision-making, ethics, individualism/collectivism, national culture, peers, power distance, social identity theory,

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Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by 405387 [] For AuthorsIf you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractUnderstanding cultural differences is critical to international business success. Hofstede's (1980) model of national culture is widely used to identify such differences. The cultural dimensions identified in Hofstede's model, however, are not gender-specific, with one exception, masculinity/femininity. Hofstede's data were gathered in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Considerable change has taken place since that time, particularly in the areas of education, legislation, and workforce composition. It is proposed that these changes, among others, may have resulted in gender differences in dimensions of national culture. This study provides an exploratory examination of gender differences in cultural characteristics in two industrialised countries with distinctly different cultures, Japan and the USA. Results indicate that gender differences exist in the power distance dimension for Japan and in the individualism/collectivism dimension for Japan and the USA. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.