Books

Our research team gathered and read these books, along with multiple articles and reports. From our resources we put together a list of common themes that we found to assess who Millennials actually are, what attracts Millennials to a workplace, and what would keep them there. Our themes are as follows: definition, technology, social values, and leadership styles.

Click on Photos for Direct Links to Books

Change Your Space, Change Your Culture: How Engaging Workspaces Lead to Transformation and Growth

R. Miller, M. Casey, and M. Konchar (2014)

This book bridges the gap betwween space and culture. Arguing over half of employees are dissatisfied with their work and over half of all workspace is wasted, this book suggests changing space can be a coduit to changing negative culture. Examples, how-to's, and in depth discussion of employee engagement and productivity are scattered through this book. The main message? Use space as a took to create the environment, culture, and employee engagement your organization desires.

Time and Motion: Redefining Working Life

J. Meyers and E. Gee (2014)

This is a rather interesting approach to looking at work life throughout the years. This book is a compilation of art, stories, and articles related to work. It's an easy read that gives a great context to the evolution of work and work/life balance. The most interseting, is the discussion of how work evolved during the industrial revolution. The book describes the revolution that fought for fair work hours; 8 hours of sleep, 8 hours of work, and 8 hours of recreation. Interestingly, as society becomes digitized, mobilized, and collaborative, we are nearing the next workplace revolution.

Life of Work: What Office Design Can Learn from the World Around Us.

J. Myerson and I. Privett (2015)

This may be one of the best books regarding work, space, and the psyche of the employee. Historically, most workplaces were a space that was dedicated to getting the job done. The space was designed specifically with the job duties in mind (think factory, cubicle). This book argues by using space, you can facilitate a healthier mind and psychological wellbeing of the employee, which ultimatly makes for more productive work. This book is scattered with beautiful pictures and design ideas that can easily be implemented into an office workspace.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

D. Pink (2011)

If you employ staff or manage staff, you need to read this book. The premise of the book argues that giving employees autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Give employees these three things and you will have created an environment that motivates employes to do good work. People want to have some control over their work, they want room to get better at what they do, and they want to do things with a greater purpose. By far one of the best reads on this subject and can be applied to the workplace in various ways, including space.

Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069

W. Strauss and N. Howe (1992)

If you have a curiosity for understating the differences between generations and the importance behind these differences in the workplace, this book is for you! Generations takes the reader on an exploration of generational differences that explores in depth history, characteristics, and personality of differing age groups throughout history. This book cast out theories of generations from the years 1584-2069, by forecasting historical and generational cycles to predict future generations. Specifically, this book explores the generational cycle theory coined by Howe and Strauss.

Managing the Multi-Generational Workforce: From the GI Generation to the Millennials

DelCampo, R., Knippel, L., Haggerty, L., and Haney, M. (2011).

"Millennials are the Heroes of the workplace today." This quote pertains to the different archetypes that each generation is deemed, as determined by Harvard Business Review. In light of this, the authors go in-depth into each generation and describe what shapes their work culture and habits, and why they are all very different. Although each generation views life in a unique way, there is no reason they cannot all work together. This book is helpful in that it provides insight into the ways each generation can remain happy in their workplace while working in tune with the other generations by their side.