A Sustainable Work Life for Young Adults

Young adults find themselves in an insecure job market and an uncertain life situation as part of their transition to adulthood, and we believe that knowledge and competence can reduce such uncertainty, where managers, through their leadership, play a central role. To succeed in this endeavor, managers need to have an understanding of the type of leadership young adults desire and expect. This study contributes new knowledge from a health-promoting perspective on the type of leadership young adults desire, how leadership is integrated into how individuals experience uncertainties at work, and the learning environment that is created at work. This enables us to gain new insights into how leaders can promote health and support young adults as they enter the workforce.

The project aimed to describe and analyze the expectations that young adults in the retail sector have regarding leadership, learning, and development in the workplace, and how these aspects can be understood from a health-promoting perspective. The project focused on young adults employed in the retail sector (ages 18-28). The analysis in the project is based on two sub-studies conducted in 2020, which included a focus group interview study and an interview study.