I recently conducted some preliminary data analysis that resulted from my pilot study in technical schools in Saudi with young people.. asking them about why they make certain choices related to their education and their work..

Going into this, I had a mind map based on some theories I’m working with that I am now using to deduct evidence for the factors I believed to be most influential on their decision-making.

I would like to share some very fresh thoughts on the extent to which young people’s responses fall in line with (what I believe to be) the general opinion employers and the labour ministry have of young people’s attitudes toward work.

I’m not going to get into all the factors, but I would like to discuss one in particular:

entitlement.

From an employer’s perspective, when  you ask an employee to do something, and they perhaps claim they are above this or that task, or non-confrontationally avoid it, we believe them to be ungrateful, entitled, lazy bones.  From there we go on to thinking of ways to develop ‘work ethic’ often using a very Western informed model of what that means, so that they understand what work entails, much of which is a series of menial tasks that compliment your main ones.

And WHY do they believe they’re entitled in the first place? Well, it’s CULTURAL. So, then, let’s change the culture? To me, it seems this has been the general response to these entitled lazy young people.  How about instead, we understand the underpinnings of this feeling, and try to work with the culture to develop a new set of norms? The idea that young people have this sense of ‘entitlement’ is a result of our interpretation of their actions, not an explanation of why these actions are occurring. Let me break it down a little:

1. Reputation: One of the most important factors that influence young people’s decision to work in one place or another is  reputation- and in all its forms. That of the establishment they’re employed in, of their family, and of themselves. If they can’t see the value in what they are doing from a standpoint that enhances this, then it may result in other feelings; namely shame. And unfortunately, companies who have a good reputation aren’t always the ones that push you to work the hardest.
2. Pride: another great ‘shame provoker’. It’s definitely one of our greatest cultural attributes, in its good and its detrimental forms. From such a young age we are taught to hold our heads high because of where we are from and what our ancestors did.
3. Money: or more accurately, not having it. Young Saudis want to be managers because it is so easy to look around and see people that have so much, while so many of them have so little. In many of their minds, if you’re grabbing coffee for the big boss, you’re much less likely to ever be the big boss, and will not be making that kind of money in your lifetime.
4. Reciprocity: Also related to all of the above. It’s not always clear that this is the case, and I think this can often be looked at as wasta… but really, just in the way we say ‘thank you’ we are offering a favor. نخدمكم بالأفراح ان شاء الله is thrown around very casually, and is often cashed in. We expect something for everything that we do, it’s in our lexicon.
5. Social doubt and pressure to conform: One young female told me that some of her cousins didn’t believe her actual job title for a year, because they doubted a. that women could perform this job, and b. that she was capable of succeeding at it. That kind of pressure from society can again illicit feelings of shame and inadequacy and pressure to bolster your position–which can look a lot like entitlement.

So there’s so much more. And so many more people to talk to, but here is a taster, for me, and for you, of where this research could be headed.