Abstract:

Today's fast and global changes in society have fundamentally altered the habits, goals and values of individuals. Each generation features a specific set of attitudes, behaviours, habits and motivations. Four generations are engaged in the education system. Each of them has its own unique experience, values, priorities and goals, and each is characterized by a different behaviour. Cooperation between the generations requires understanding the characteristics of thereof and being able to engage everyone in work activities. The entry of a new generation of educators into the education system is vital for introducing new educational content into curricula that meets modern requirements. Therefore, employee motivation is an important aspect for an educational institution, and it should be a priority when identifying the needs and values of each employee. Thereby, the research aims to identify the key motivational factors influencing educational institution employees in the generational context based on the findings given in theories on generations and motivation as well as the research results. The research employed a combination of various qualitative and quantitative methods: interviewing, observation and a case study. The research results confirm that several factors influence the motivation of educators, which are interpreted differently by educators of different generations. This leads to the conclusion that each generation needs a different motivation system that helps not only to retain the employees but also contribute to their high-quality and timely work performance as well as full dedication.

Keywords:

Theory of generations, motivation, pedagogue.