Gen Z isn't lazy — young people just have a different idea of what work means, says Cambridge professor

• Cambridge University professor Thomas Roulet has hit back at the idea that Gen Z is lazy.
• He said younger people just have a different idea about what work means to them.
• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said people shouldn't "feel so bad" for Gen Z and millennials this week.

Gen Z is often called lazy — but a Cambridge University professor thinks younger people just have a different idea about what work means.

Thomas Roulet, who teaches organizational sociology and leadership at the Judge Business School, defended the generation's work ethic in a video posted on the university's YouTube channel.

"All generations have been saying that younger generations are lazier at work — allegedly, even Socrates said that," he said, referring to the Greek philosopher's belief that the children of his day were vain and lazy. "If we look at motivational drivers, research shows that across generations, motivational drivers are the same."

Roulet added: "The expectations toward work have changed. Younger generations want growth, purpose, and, at the same time, a work-life balance — and organizations have to rise to meet those demands."

"The third element is the economic context. While a job 30 or 20 years ago would have provided further security, this is not necessarily the case, and it doesn't, for example, help younger generations get on the property ladder."

Roulet's comments are in conflict to some degree with the views advanced by several top executives including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon.

The billionaire said at the bank's investor day this week that he had little sympathy for younger generations because they had better life expectancy and were likely to work fewer hours.

"I don't feel so bad for Gen Z and millennials," Dimon said, adding that his grandparents were Greek immigrants who arrived in the US with nothing but "a shirt on their back."

"Let's put things in perspective a little bit," the Wall Street titan added. "They're going to be working probably 3.5 days a week. They're going to live to 100. They're not going to have cancer. They're going to be in pretty good shape, provided the world doesn't destroy it all with nuclear weapons, which is the biggest risk in the world."