The generation born in China in the 1980s has become an important force in the country's labour market. Members of this generation were the first to grow up in a market economy with daily access to the Internet, and are considered to have different work values than past generations. Also, most were born and raised in single-child families and generally demonstrate more individualistic behaviours and less willingness to follow the norms of previous generations. This case describes the promotion story of Zhu Dandan, a member of the 1980s generation, and illustrates the different work values, behaviours and management style of her generation, as well as the challenges of managing it.

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Career development; Human resource management; 1980s generation; Managing upward; China; Organizational behaviour/leadership; International management