Generation Alpha in the Marketplace and Workplace: A Research Agenda

Purpose:
This paper aims to introduce a research agenda that sets the stage for enabling researchers and practitioners to better understand Generation Alpha as consumers and workforce actors within the tourism and hospitality industries.

Design/methodology/approach:
Major contextual challenges were sought and identified, including formative powers, disruptive events and mega trends, that have appeared from 2011 until today. The results of six industry reports on Generation Alpha characteristics have provided a substrate for this study to gain some initial understanding of the generational trends. Then, an integrative literature review method was adopted as the most proper one for setting the research agenda for Generation Alpha in the marketplace and workplace. Fundamental theoretical frameworks for investigating extant components were sought out that may influence decision-making of Generation Alphas.

Findings:
A discussion of the expected Generation Alphas’ behavioral responses as imminent consumers and workforce actors in hospitality and tourism is offered, synthesized around (a) values and priorities, (b) relation to new technologies, (c) ecological sustainability and (d) societal responsibility.

Research limitations/implications:
Given the dearth of academic evidence on Generation Alpha, this paper attempts to sketch the profile of Generation Alpha and serves as a guiding compass to scholars’ future research endeavors but also to organizational leaders in formulating suitable strategies and offers value-added propositions for attracting, retaining and eliciting the maximum potentiality of Gen Alpha.

Originality/value:
As current knowledge of this generational cohort is mostly based on assumptions and anecdotal evidence about Generation Alpha, this paper sets an inaugural agenda and sheds light to their decision-making as growing consumers and future workforce.