Page 49 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 1

2.2 Societal Values

Goals Terms
• Discuss how the values of Ameri- • Generation X • telecommute
cans have changed. • Net Generation • recycling
• Explain how businesses have
adapted to changing values.
• Describe the dilemma posed by
the need for business to grow and
the need to protect the natural
environment.

hange is constant in our society. We produce a steady stream of new products,
new ideas, new ways of doing things, and new attitudes. In recent decades,
Csocietal values have been undergoing change at a fast pace.

Changing American Values

An especially striking development has been the transformation of the family. The
number of children living with both parents continues to fall because of rising
divorce rates and the rising number of single mothers. The birth rate, too, has
declined, as women delay marriage and pursue careers outside the home. The
traditional definition of “family” consisting of a working husband, a homemaker
wife, two children, and a dog is now the exception. Fewer than one fourth of
America’s families fit this picture. Often, both parents work to support the family,
as must single parents. Businesses have responded to the needs of today’s fast-paced
family life with a whole array of time-saving products and services from fast food
of every description to dry-cleaning delivery services to day care.
Because of increased competition in the economy, businesses are striving to
produce more while keeping costs low. Employers have increased their demands
on employees. Many employees find the pace and demands of work stressful.
For dual-career couples and especially those with children, the quality of home
life often suffers. Job insecurity discourages workers from taking vacations or
time off, and instead they work longer hours to meet their job requirements.
Factors such as these have strained the employer–employee relationship. Work-
ers from the post-baby-boom generation, called Generation X, feel less loyal to
a particular employer than did earlier generations. They expect to change jobs
many times during their careers, as does the Net Generation—those born between
1977 and 1997. Also, competent women stopped by the glass ceiling often quit
their jobs to start their own businesses. Women now operate a majority of new
small businesses.
With so many men and women working side by side, workplace romance has
blossomed, but so have incidents of sexual harassment. As the number of single
adults and working couples has grown, dining at home is being replaced by din-
ing out. American consumers spend more on restaurant meals than on groceries.

36