Generation Z and the Job-Hopping Phenomenon: An Exploration of Career Preferences and Expectations
Keywords:
Generation Z, job hopping, meaning of work, career preferences, qualitative phenomenology
Abstract
This study examines how Generation Z workers in Yogyakarta interpret work and engage in job hopping within their early career experiences. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with six Generation Z individuals who had experienced multiple job transitions. The findings indicate that Generation Z holds a hybrid orientation toward work, integrating economic survival, career development, and value actualisation simultaneously. Job hopping is perceived not as impulsive or disloyal behaviour, but as a rational and adaptive career strategy when employment fails to meet financial, developmental, or psychosocial expectations. Career decisions are shaped by accumulated work experiences, educational background, family responsibilities, and local labour-market conditions, particularly relatively low wage levels. Participants demonstrate high emotional awareness and agency in responding to expectation reality misalignment through adaptive coping strategies, including skill development, parallel job searching, and planned exits.
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Zahra, Y., Handoyo, S., & Fajrianthi, F. (2025). A comprehensive overview of Generation Z in the workplace: Insights from a scoping review. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 51. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v51i0.2263
Arifin, K., Fitriana, N., & Yuniasanti, R. (2024). Gen Z generation: Does job hopping matter? Jurnal Psikologi Malaysia, 38(2).
Azzahra, H. A. S., Ambalika, N. K. A. D., & Adipratama, Y. W. P. (2025). Employee’s dilemma: How meaningfulness in work can influence Gen Z to stay in organization. International Journal of Business, Law, and Education, 6(1), 264–276. https://doi.org/10.56442/ijble.v6i1.1010
Barhate, B., & Dirani, K. M. (2022). Career aspirations of Generation Z: A systematic literature review. European Journal of Training and Development, 46(1–2), 139–157. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-07-2020-0124
Bazeley, P., & Jackson, K. (2013). Qualitative data analysis with NVivo (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.
Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Creswell, J. W. (2015). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Dimock, M. (2019). Defining generations: Where millennials end and Generation Z begins. Pew Research Center.
Dwiputri, R., Ramadani, R., Kusuma, T., & Heikal, J. (2024). The phenomenon of job hopping among Generation Z: An exploration through grounded theory. Journal of Social and Economics Research, 6(2), 1244–1249. https://doi.org/10.54783/jser.v6i2.707
Francis, T., & Hoefel, F. (2018). ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company.
Gopal, D., Sengupta, A., & Abraham, C. (2025). Redefining work purpose: An empirical analysis of meaningful work among Generation Z employees. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-025-09565-1
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903
Hall, D. T. (2004). The protean career: A quarter-century journey. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 65(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2003.10.006
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer.
Megawati, A., Megananda, F., & Fauzan, M. (2024). Analisis preferensi karir dan nilai Gen Z: Implikasi terhadap dunia kerja. In Prosiding SEMANIS: Seminar Nasional Manajemen Bisnis.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Moleong, L. J. (2018). Metodologi penelitian kualitatif. Remaja Rosdakarya.
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. Sage Publications.
Oktafiani, V., Pratama, Y. A., Miswanto, M., Siregar, B., & Biyanto, F. (2025). Determinasi job hopping Gen Z Yogyakarta: Gaji, pertumbuhan karier, dan kepuasan kerja. Studi Ilmu Manajemen Dan Organisasi, 6(3), 901–914. https://doi.org/10.35912/simo.v6i3.5046
Pane, N., Herlin, A., Damanik, E., & Pasaribu, R. (2025). Studi kualitatif tentang stres dan mekanisme koping karyawan Gen Z sebagai generasi rentan di dunia kerja. Jurnal Sains Student Research, 3(5).
Pathak, S., & Bhayani, S. (2025). Stress and coping mechanisms among Generation Z in the workplace: A synthesized study. International Journal of Novel Research and Development, 10(7). https://doi.org/10.56975/ijnrd.v10i7.308328
Perdhana, M., Sawitri, D., & Khafsin, I. (2020). Job-hopping in Indonesia: A phenomenological study.
Rousseau, D. M. (1995). Psychological contracts in organizations: Understanding written and unwritten agreements. Sage Publications.
Schroth, H. (2019). Are you ready for Gen Z in the workplace? California Management Review, 61(3), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125619841006
Sitepu, V. V., & Rahmawati, F. (2022). Analisis pusat pertumbuhan dan sektor ekonomi dalam mengurangi ketimpangan pendapatan. Akuntabel, 19(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.30872/jakt.v19i1.10710
Soerjoatmodjo, G. W. L. (2025). The pursuit of happiness at work: Behavior pathway of Gen Z employees. International Journal of Positivity & Well-Being, 3(2), 105–119. https://doi.org/10.61518/ijpw-130
Wrzesniewski, A., McCauley, C., Rozin, P., & Schwartz, B. (1997). Jobs, careers, and callings: People’s relations to their work. Journal of Research in Personality, 31(1), 21–33. https://doi.org/10.1006/jrpe.1997.2162
Xueyun, Z., Al Mamun, A., Masukujjaman, M., Rahman, M. K., Gao, J., & Yang, Q. (2023). Modelling the significance of organizational conditions on quiet quitting intention among Gen Z workforce in an emerging economy. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 15438. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42591-3
Zahra, Y., Handoyo, S., & Fajrianthi, F. (2025). A comprehensive overview of Generation Z in the workplace: Insights from a scoping review. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology, 51. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajip.v51i0.2263
Published
2026-01-10
How to Cite
Dwiyono, L. H., & Hartono, A. (2026). Generation Z and the Job-Hopping Phenomenon: An Exploration of Career Preferences and Expectations. International Journal of Economics, Business and Innovation Research, 5(01), 643-661. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijebir.v5i01.2809
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