Identifying Workforce Generations’ Expectations from the Performance Management Process in Organizations (A Thematic Analysis Approach)

Organizations consist of different generations of employees, each with unique characteristics. Understanding these characteristics is essential for effective generational management. Performance management is a critical function of human resource management; therefore, this study examines performance management across different workforce generations. The current workforce generations in Iranian organizations include Generation X (born between 1972 and 1981), Generation Y (born between 1982 and 1991), and Generation Z (born from 1992 onward). The objective of this research is to identify the expectations of workforce generations regarding the performance management process at Tejarat Bank. The study adopts a qualitative research method using thematic analysis within an interpretive research paradigm. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect primary data, and participants were selected through purposive maximum variation sampling. From a total of 30 interviews and their analysis, 4 main themes, 42 sub-themes, and 148 conceptual categories were identified, all based on the core stages of performance management. The findings highlight the significance of all four stages of the performance management system for different workforce generations while also revealing variations in their expectations. The study concludes by discussing research limitations and providing recommendations for future studies.