Family influence mediates the relation between helicopter-parenting and millennial work attitudes

Abstract

Purpose Drawing from life course theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of family influence on career development (FICD) on the relationship of helicopter-parenting (over-parenting behavior) and US millennials’ work attitudes. Design/methodology/approach In Study 1 (n=268), confirmatory factor analysis was tested on all scales to derive fit models. Mediation analyses using PROCESS (Preacher and Hayes, 2004) were conducted on Study 1 and Study 2 (n=196) on survey collected data sets. Findings Capturing life course theorists’ proposition that parental involvement now extends itself through childhood and into millennials’ adulthood, results from both studies indicate helicopter-parenting is related to FICD. Further, for both studies, information support (FICD factor) positively mediates the relationship between helicopter-parenting and, affective commitment and job satisfaction, and negatively mediates the relationship between helicopter-parenting and turnover intentions. Additionally, direct effects on helicopter-parenting on work outcomes were found in both studies. Practical implications CEOs and managers seem perplexed on how to manage millennial workers. Understanding the co-occurring positive and negative effects of the millennial-parent relationship on work attitudes can help alleviate this conundrum to create better supervision, retention and engagement of millennial workers. Originality/value This study contributes to the sparse empirical literature on millennial’s work attitudes and is the first to provide empirical evidence of the role parents play in shaping millennial’s work attitudes. The findings highlight the concerns CEOs have in managing their millennial workers via their parental relationship and provide insightful management strategies.

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