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 Restless Millennials in Higher Education - A New
Perspective on Knowledge Management
and Its Dissemination Using IT in Academia

Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira1 ✉ and Ramiro Gonçalves2,3

( )

1
GOVCOPP, Department of Economics, Management,
Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
[email protected]
2
University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
[email protected]
3
Faculty of Engineering, INESC TEC (Coordinated by INESC Porto),
University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal

Abstract. Seventy millennial students answered a survey on attitudes towards

leadership and their desired approach to higher education. What is their perspec‐
tive on knowledge management and dissemination in academia? Some romanti‐
cizing may be beneficial, but the great majority of students want to be enlightened
and well-prepared for that which they will encounter in business markets. Three
interviews with seasoned executives were also performed, to establish a contrast
and see other perspectives. We conclude that to become a great corporate leader
may in fact be dependent on your DNA and personality make-up, but this is not
what is thought to be true, by the majority of the respondents in the survey. Moti‐
vation took the most votes as being fundamental for success, a positive sign and
indicative of a hard working millennial generation, contrary to previous research
findings. IT is also a precious partner in class, in particular Padlet.com, Moodle,
the online News Forum, as well as the challenge to create original videos about
course content.

Keywords: Leadership · Higher education · Romanticism · Enlightenment ·

Millennials · Knowledge management · IT

1 Introduction – Setting the Scene

The younger adult generation is of interest, for example, to marketing professionals who
want to know what the future holds for us, and how consumption will possibly change,
over the next ten years or so, as this group gains in purchasing power. This younger
group has been named the millennials. “‘Millennials’ are currently the youngest gener‐
ation of independent consumers […] born in or after 1982 […] comfortable with
disrupting the norm. Being the first generation to have grown up in the era of ‘internet
everywhere’, millennials are highly connected, technologically advanced and globally
conscious and far more open to trying out new products and concepts than their parents
or grandparents ever were” [1]. This orientation leads to a welcomed use of information

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

Á. Rocha et al. (eds.), Recent Advances in Information Systems and Technologies,
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing 570, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56538-5_90

[email protected]
 Restless Millennials in Higher Education 909

technology (IT) in class, for better knowledge management – Padlet.com (a digital wall,
for collaboration and knowledge sharing in class), Moodle (for the posting of class
content and material), and the available online News Forum (to challenge students and
give them homework). By resorting to technology, distance learning is possible, and
students’ attention is better captured in class. Furthermore, by requiring that students
deliver professionally edited videos as course assignments, interest is heightened and
the challenge embraced.
According to [2], “the workplace has become a psychological battlefield and the
millennials have the upper hand, because they are tech savvy, with every gadget imag‐
inable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask, talk, walk, listen
and type, and text. And their priorities are simple: they come first.” Knowing that
millennials communicate in different ways (using the Internet and online social media
and networks), have different opinion leaders (popular bloggers, or people like them,
not necessarily rich and famous people), and tend to read less text while focusing more
on images, photos and videos, in the age of YouTube [3, 4], how should we teach them
in the classroom? Romanticizing means to “make (something) seem better or more
appealing than it really is” [5]. Enlightening, on the other hand, means to “give
(someone) greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation” [6]. Which
approach, with millennials, should academia take – that of enlightenment or of roman‐
ticism? In practical degrees such as management, industrial engineering and manage‐
ment, and tourism, and relative to the material covered? All of these professions involve,
for the most part, working in companies, surrounded by colleagues, serving customers,
and competing with rivals. Should students be told candidly – meaning truthfully and
straightforwardly [7] – what the real world is like? Or should lecturers romanticize?
On the other hand, if the predominant leadership philosophy – leaders supposedly
lead organizations in the right direction, towards its objectives [8] – in Portugal, is auto‐
cratic – whereby a leader communicates to his or her employees what they have to do
and expects to be obeyed, free of issues and problems [8] – what should be taught at
university? How relevant is teaching about authentic leadership – or charismatic, trans‐
formational leadership, whereby the leader is extraordinary, heroic even [9] – if one will
work, in all probability, in an autocratic-type enterprise?
This exploratory study involved the interviewing of several executives and the
surveying of 70 students. The main research question was how candid should lecturers
be in higher education?
The results show that a degree of romanticizing is wanted, by some students, and
even by executives, even though one might have concluded that all students in higher
education simply seek enlightenment. Even some respondents who chose enlightenment
over romanticism then made comments as to the need for romanticizing.
Another question sought to analyze views on success. Motivation is seen to be the
most important ingredient to success, followed by being street savvy (gained with expe‐
rience). Surprisingly, the students’ higher education institution was not chosen at all as
the major ingredient to success, and intelligence (an innate trait, which you are born
with) was only chosen four times (including by an executive). This may show a tendency

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910 M. Au-Yong-Oliveira and R. Gonçalves

to believe that anyone can be successful, with the right work ethic, and the right expe‐
rience, which is very positive as millennials seek to take over from the baby boomers
who are now approaching sixty years of age [2].
Of note is that not much research has been performed about how to teach millennials,
what they expect from higher education, and what they think of leadership and ingre‐
dients to success. On the other hand, this is an important group to study, as “they are the
most threatening and exciting generation since the baby boomers brought about social
revolution […]. The Industrial Revolution made individuals far more powerful–they
could move to a city, start a business, read and form organizations. The information
revolution has further empowered individuals by handing them the technology to
compete against huge organizations: hackers vs. corporations, bloggers vs. newspapers,
terrorists vs. nation-states, YouTube directors vs. studios, app-makers vs. entire indus‐
tries. Millennials don’t need us. That’s why we’re scared of them” [10]. It is in this
context that using technology in class is so successful (Fig. 1). One Padlet.com entry
reads: “Strategy is needed even if the strategy is spontaneity” (student André). This is
testimony to a new and restless generation - the millennial generation.

Fig. 1. A screen shot of a Padlet.com wall/discussion had during class

2 Background

How are we training and developing our students [mostly currently millennials] in higher
education? How candid should we be about what awaits them in the marketplace? Should
we try and maintain a certain naiveté for as long as possible, and postpone the harsh
reality of professional markets? Or should we, in alternative, supply information about

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 Restless Millennials in Higher Education 911

the “real world”? In business, in particular, the aim is to take market share away from
competitors, and this may even mean sending competitors out of business – much as
Apple’s iPhone success spelled disaster for Nokia and BlackBerry, market leaders in
the cell phone market before the first iPhone [smartphone] was launched, in 2007. Do
students want to be made very aware of this reality?
A lot has been written on emotional intelligence, which includes the concept of
motivation: “abilities such as being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face
of frustrations; to control impulse and delay gratification; to regulate one’s moods
and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; to empathize and to hope”
[11]. The importance of these themes is undeniable. [12] also contend that “success‐
fully managing emotions means that our conduct is guided by both our thought and
our feelings […] decision making cannot succeed in the absence of emotion”. This
is very relevant, the emphasis on emotions, but perhaps it is still not tackled as it
should be, in academia, though studies and courses on the development of soft skills
do now abound. [13], on the other hand, is very direct in stating that “for the most
part, education has been quite conservative.” [13] continues, “I discern two legiti‐
mate reasons for undertaking new educational practices. The first reason is that
current practices are not actually working […]. The second reason is that conditions
in the world are changing significantly. Consequent upon these changes, certain
goals, capacities, and practices might no longer be indicated, or might even come to
be seen as counterproductive”. In the age of Google, for example, online access in
class means that Google queries should be used quite often, as students can relate to
these, more so than reading from a textbook, with an excess of text.
Competition is at its highest, in many industries, and though we may accept that
competition has always existed, the Internet and connectedness between consumers and
firms has seen a surge in rivalry in a number of sectors. What used to hold true as being
acceptable has changed and firms are willing to make new rules of competition which
students should be aware of – before going into “battle”. However, the battle for
students’ attention also warrants new approaches in class.
A lot has been written about how leaders must communicate, for example. How
much do leaders really communicate though? At Apple, currently one of the most
valuable brands worldwide, renowned for its innovation, communication is kept to a
minimum, on a “need-to-know” basis [14]. This is not, however, what we are teaching
young graduates, who oftentimes come to work, for the first time, expecting training
and aid in their tasks, only to become disillusioned soon after, when they realize the
drudgery of their daily work routines, with an almost total absence of “virtuous leader‐
ship” [15], in some environments.
This article, based on personal interviews, and on a survey of students’ opinions on
higher education, and what it should involve, intends to build an awareness for the need
for change in training and development in academia – towards a more “real” approach,
especially in business studies, but also based on technology. Machiavelli, a number of
centuries ago, wrote a treatise about what human nature is really about, and how princes
should, in view of this, govern their nations [16]. Can we say that human nature has
changed since then? If it has, it is in the turn towards technology.

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912 M. Au-Yong-Oliveira and R. Gonçalves

The article seeks to contribute to the discussion of approaches to higher education.

Should education be more inclined to enlighten, or more inclined to romanticize? If one
should choose to follow the former, perhaps more efficient and effective managers and
leaders might result (with consequences for improved quality of life ensuing). On the other
hand, if the latter is followed, perhaps the workplace may become more humane – and we
all know that this is of paramount importance. How course content is delivered and assimi‐
lated is also important though. Getting students to create videos takes many more hours than
simply them giving a presentation in class, as students recognize that technology “immor‐
talizes” and endures over time. So, as a consequence, much care will be taken and new
competences gained.
We teach students to plan, on management degrees, but often forget to tell them to
beware of market difficulties which are not evident in the plans they create. Powerful
[monopolistic] firms will protect their territory and markets at times quite ruthlessly. On the
subject of planning students wrote, on Padlet.com, that the importance of planning is often
overlooked in firms, with a preference for a focus on execution (student João) – but plan‐
ning is of utmost importance, as powerful management consultancies exemplify (student
Francisco).
Intuition and “gut feel” can be as important or more important than formal planning
[17]. But how do you teach that? Are there courses in higher education on how to
improve your intuition? On how to improve your common sense (which may not be so
common)? Being born with certain traits, such as being more reflective before acting,
will be important. Perhaps formal education can only, to a degree, improve performance.
However, being aware of what is necessary, through academic internships at firms, and
through being involved in firm decision-making, early on in one’s career, is a growing
trend in education, and may have an impact.
Academia is an industry and it will need to adapt in order to keep its stakeholders
happy. This may mean that success in academia will be linked to the employability of
its members after completing courses (this is, indeed, already a metric sought out, by
undergraduate and graduate students alike, around the world). This brings us back to the
efficiency and effectiveness issue. Do we not need to prepare our wards for that which
they will encounter?
Colleagues in companies withhold information from each other, to attain positions of
power. In the workplace corridors are where a number of promotions are often decided, not
during formal evaluation processes. Firms will lie about having made a product, in an
effort to not lose market share – being and coming across as innovative are, after all, what
fickle individuals want – a company able to continuously churn out new market offerings
to keep them satisfied. People who are stuck in routines need constant change around them
to help them cope. Reality is often too hard a burden to carry.
In academia we have to use IT and teach people how to cope with life’s difficul‐
ties. But we also have to teach people how to create an atmosphere of change. In
such an atmosphere, blue oceans may exist [18]. Where the competition is irrele‐
vant. Where markets are entirely new. Where sharks have not yet bloodied the
water. Perhaps this is what needs to be made evident. To students. So that they may
seek that outcome. After comprehending what the alternative will entail – the
bloodied waters of red ocean strategies.

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 Restless Millennials in Higher Education 913

3 Methodology

3.1 Study 1 – An Exploratory Survey

On 14-03-2016, an exploratory survey was undertaken, involving students (millennials,

born between 1987 and 1996) at the University of Aveiro, in Portugal. The survey was
about how candid should lecturers be in higher education? – Concerning issues which
will affect students later on in life, namely when they start to work. Should lecturers
seek to romanticize or to enlighten students about the harsh world which awaits them?
The survey had eleven questions. There was a total of 70 answers to the survey, by
students, studying management, tourism, and industrial engineering and management.
The survey was not anonymous, the students stated their names, dates-of-birth, degrees,
and nationalities – some students were on Erasmus exchanges, from Turkey, Greece,
Italy and Latvia, for example, but this is not seen as a problem as “each country’s
millennials are different, but because of globalization, social media, the exporting of
Western culture and the speed of change, millennials worldwide are more similar to one
another than to older generations within their nations” [10]. The author explained in
class, quite extensively, the meaning of the questions. Some students asked questions
for clarification. The author is satisfied that the questions were understood. As the ques‐
tions have no wrong or right answer, but instead reveal a perspective of those answering,
an absence of bias is expected, in the answers. The survey was enriched by space for
qualitative comments by the respondents.
It is relevant to also say that before answering the questions, the students were
presented, at the beginning of the survey, with seven different real life situations. The
subjects were: rivalry in global markets; how breaking into new markets where there is
a very strong and dominant player can be very difficult; planning and the competition;
leadership and communication; teamwork at a major consultancy firm; relationship
cultures (Portugal) vs. task cultures (USA); and customers.
The lecture in itself, according to the students, was found to be very interesting. It
must be noted that the students took the exercise very seriously, a number of them in
particular taking a long time to answer the survey, giving lengthy comments on a number
of items (besides “yes” and “no” type-answers, space for comments was provided in the
survey). The survey session thus took between 40 min and 45 min to complete.

3.2 Study 2 – Exploratory Interviews

In this exploratory research effort, three seasoned executives were interviewed. The
research sought to determine how important was higher education, their innate intelli‐
gence, their motivation level, and their experience to their success? The survey questions
were also posed in the interviews, to ascertain the views of executives in the real world
versus those of students.

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914 M. Au-Yong-Oliveira and R. Gonçalves

4 Data Analysis – Survey

One might think that the objective of going to university is to simply learn about relevant
issues and to be enlightened. Though the survey revealed that the great majority of
students surveyed (66 out of 70) wanted to be enlightened – “to diminish the impact and
consequently the difficulties upon entering the work market” (Portuguese student André
Carvalho, studying management) – there were some students who opted for the romanti‐
cizing aspect of education (4 out of 70, though half of these actually advocated both
romanticizing and enlightening, in academia; let it be noted that several other students
made comments, however, stating the need for romanticizing, despite having chosen the
enlightenment option), to keep motivation levels high. One student answered to question
9 (should education be more inclined to enlighten, or more inclined to romanticize?) –
“Both [romanticize and enlighten]. Students should be inspired, but, at the same time,
prepared for what’s coming. A combination is the best option.” (Portuguese student Marta
Camoesas, studying Industrial Engineering and Management). The issue is, the student
continued (in question 10), “I think that more genuine and naïve audiences should not be
totally scared.” Another student from Latvia (Paula Beináre) stated that “students should
be maintained a little naïve in order to keep a positive impression about business in real
life”. So, romanticizing may be a very important part of teaching, for motivational
purposes. Another student stated that enlightening “makes people stronger, but there has
to be a balance with regards to the personality of people, to romanticize the world with the
perceived reality.” (Portuguese student Luís Marques, studying Industrial Engineering and
Management). Yet another student stated that “we should enlighten students but always
try to make them believe that they can change the things that are not right.” (Portuguese
student Cristiana Teixeira, studying Industrial Engineering and Management). Finally, on
the subject of enlightening or romanticizing, João Pedro Costa, a Portuguese Master’s in
Management student, stated that by enlightening, we might create capable leaders, which
might lead to an unexpected romanticizing of affairs. In essence, romanticizing was not
too far from a number of students’ minds.
The students were also asked (question 11) what success is more dependent on, and
had to choose one of four options (motivation levels; higher education institution you
go to; intelligence which you are born with; being “street savvy” which is acquired with
experience). Of note is that the higher education institution you go to was not chosen at
all. The intelligence you are born with was only chosen by three students, in total. Moti‐
vation levels were chosen the most (51 times out of 69 possible). This is seen to be
positive, that people consider they can change for the better if they try hard enough (thus
a very satisfactory result). Being “street savvy”, which is acquired with experience, was
deemed the most important factor by a total of 16 people. Again, this shows quite posi‐
tively that students possibly believe that they can become street savvy, with the proper
acquired experience. Note that one student answered both motivation and being street
savvy to this question (success depends on these two factors), thus having indicated two
options instead of only one (an invalid answer).
As for the teaching of leadership, even if the predominant form of leadership in
[Portuguese] society is autocratic (the lecture and evidence provided pointed in this
direction), many students still prefer to learn about authentic leadership (presented as a

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 Restless Millennials in Higher Education 915

North American type of leadership) (21 students out of 70) or even about both (the most
popular answer – 29 students). This may lead us to conclude that becoming more
prepared for the “real” workplace, its harsh realities, simply becoming enlightened (17
students prefer to talk about reality and autocratic leadership – Italian student Riccardo
Donnari said in particular that what interests him is autocratic leadership because of his
country and what he is used to), is still considered by some to be less preferable to being
taught what is right in theory. This can also be explained, however, in part, by the
increased mobility of workers and the possibility of, in future, working elsewhere,
outside Portugal: “Even though we are in Portugal and it is very important to have a
notion of the work market in our country, the truth is that the big markets are abroad
and even in the USA so it is also important and even enriching to speak about their
market.” (Portuguese student Sofia Freitas, studying Tourism). Sara Viola, another
Portuguese student doing a degree in Tourism, stated that “[we should study] both. There
is a need for a balance. To be honest and transparent is always important and I think we
shouldn’t change ourselves in order to keep our job. However, we shouldn’t be “stupid”
and let other people step on us. Bottom line is: we need to stay true to our values and
keep our integrity.” There was a general understanding, however, that culture has a
strong influence on management and a Portuguese student, studying management,
Juliana Rocha stated that “we should understand the different visions of leadership. What
is real in one culture, is fantasy in another”. Note that there were three invalid (ambig‐
uous) answers to this question.
One Portuguese student, João Freitas, studying management, stated, answering
question 2 (should management students at university be maintained somewhat naïve
and unaware of what the real world is like?), that “to finish a bachelor’s degree only
knowing what was lectured is the same as knowing nothing. A great percentage of our
courses in the bachelor’s degree in management are about “memorizing and writing”
and with this there is little space for learning”. Some discontent is suggested with the
current curricula and teaching methods, as [13] stated above.

5 Data Analysis – Interviews

5.1 Interview 1 – Senior Executive 1 (SE1)

Senior Executive 1 (SE1), interviewed twice, in 2016, the father of two children, studied
mechanical engineering at university, at FEUP, an education which SE1 has put into
practice in industry. With extensive executive experience, in Portugal and abroad, as a
CEO and as a Director responsible for production (involving a number of factories), in
the automotive industry, SE1 has a specific perspective on a number of issues, namely
on leadership and as regards knowledge dissemination needs in academia. Firstly, great
leaders are mainly born, not made, according to SE1. Characteristics we are born with
have a great influence on the way we lead, more so than what we learn (brilliant nego‐
tiators, for example, are seen to be born with this ability). This may be seen in the vast
differences between one’s children, despite them having the same parents, living in the
same place, and going to the same school and having the same teachers. SE1’s current
boss, for example, does not have a higher education degree, but reveals great ease with

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916 M. Au-Yong-Oliveira and R. Gonçalves

analytical business tasks (for example, involving financial statements) despite this appa‐
rent education set-back. SE1 is actually confident in saying that despite not having a
university diploma that his boss CEO would fare much better at specific analyses than
university graduates from the finest universities worldwide. On the other hand, a univer‐
sity education must be as practical and enlightening as possible. Management studies
graduates need to finish their undergraduate degrees with practical, hands-on experience,
in firms, much as physicians do, with real-life internships. It is crucial that academia
prepare students and disseminate real knowledge and experience, as early as possible.
One’s motivation is also important, in so far as motivated individuals can learn how to
deal with certain situations, to their benefit, and the benefit of the enterprise. There are,
however, no guarantees, or formulas, for success.

5.2 Interview 2 – Senior Executive 2 (SE2)

Senior Executive 2 (SE2) is a Portuguese mother of four children, with a degree in
management information processing with computers (Portucalense University,
Portugal). SE2 was born in 1967, and is a senior executive and co-owner of a family-
owned business (in the wood distribution industry). SE2 was interviewed on the 15th of
March 2016, and when asked question 11 of the survey, in particular, about what success
is more dependent on, her answer was that motivation is the most important factor, but
being street savvy is also very important (but requires motivation, which makes moti‐
vation more important). Though wanting to know as soon as possible what the real world
is like (the harsh realities of business markets, firm rivalry, and internal politics – ques‐
tion 1), SE2, at university, would prefer that her lecturers romanticize rather than
enlighten in too much of a down-to-earth fashion. Romanticizing (on a positive note,
for the better) is more important, as an approach to higher education (question 9). Finding
out about the realities of markets and human beings is very important but is an exercise
which each one has to discover for him- or herself, according to this executive. On the
other hand, though, learning about autocratic leadership is the most important, in
Portugal, rather than learning about authentic leadership (question 3). The rationale
behind this perspective is that if nobody clearly leads and tells [“mandar”, in Portuguese]
people what to do, nothing tends to happen in Portugal. Portuguese employees are
excellent, amongst the best in the world, if given clear instructions and a clear direction
for their work, especially in more traditional industries, where there is not much room
for creativity and where innovation is not the basis for competitiveness.

5.3 Interview 3 – Senior Executive 3 (SE3)

Senior Executive 3 (SE3), interviewed in early 2016, a father of two children, born in
1981, is an asset manager, with a degree in economics (Catholic University of Porto,
Portugal), who has his own company, and though being Portuguese has worked abroad,
including mainly in Geneva, Switzerland. SE3 is of the opinion that students need to be
taught about the harsh realities of business markets as soon as possible and should be
taught about leadership practices in the USA and the UK, which are more liberal, the
reason for Portugal registering a more autocratic leadership style being that there is less

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 Restless Millennials in Higher Education 917

mobility and people cannot change jobs so easily, in Portugal. University degrees should
not be judged solely on employability as, for example, in his case, continuous education
is important and can involve the improving of skills and not necessarily wanting a better
job. So, the judging of what makes a degree or course a success will depend on the level
of the course, in higher education. In terms of firm practices, the bigger the company
the more likely one will encounter office politics, in relation to power games and promo‐
tions, which are also based on relationships, even in the USA, according to SE3. It is all
important to enlighten, at university, to prepare students for that which they will
encounter. Albeit, whatever you are taught in higher education, the human relations
approach promoted by the firm will be the biggest contributor to the individuals’ life,
not their higher education experience. Leadership will depend on the firm’s organiza‐
tional culture, and students will not be able to change that (especially true in bigger
firms). In academia you may learn a lot and then simply not find it in a firm. Students
in the workplace will have to be able to adapt to that which they encounter, for example
the approach to relationships. As for messages communicated in academia, the approach
should be the same, always, namely that of enlightenment. Finally, motivation is the
most important ingredient to success, in the workplace.

6 Concluding Remarks – The Data Analyzed in View

of the Literature

Alexandre Soares dos Santos is a very successful businessman. He made the Jerónimo
Martins group into an €11.8 billion business, in 2013, achieved after 25 years, building
on its position of €250 million in sales, in 1988; having moved from 4,183 employees,
in Portugal, to 75,000 employees in that period, in Portugal and abroad (Poland and
Columbia). Alexandre Soares dos Santos is quoted as having a paternalistic type of
leadership style, as he looks at his firm as being a big family, with himself as head of
the clan [19]. However, Alexandre Soares dos Santos admits that, for many years, people
did not like him, and were afraid of him [19]. Was this an essential part of his success,
coming across as being autocratic, though perhaps not looking at himself in that way?
Being too close to employees is always bad, Alexandre admits, and he had to be hard,
over his 45-year career, otherwise Pingo Doce would have closed down [19] (testimony
as to a tougher stance as leader). Is the leadership example of one of the richest men in
Portugal an answer as to what should be taught at university, in terms of leadership?
Some students would perhaps think so, but not all of them. A desire to romanticize
leadership exists, in our survey respondents, even in those who choose to be enlightened
at higher education institutions. According to [20] high power distance means
“employees being afraid to express disagreement with their managers” and this may
occur with both paternalistic and autocratic leaders. Portugal does in fact score above
average on power distance [20]. [21] classify Portugal as having “as is” power distance
society practice amongst the highest group in the world. [22] found Portugal to have
predominantly autocratic or paternalistic leadership. This Portuguese trait of bosses
disliking being challenged or disagreed with might be the case in most organizations

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918 M. Au-Yong-Oliveira and R. Gonçalves

but perhaps in communicating this to students some care may be advisable, to keep
motivation levels high when entering industry.
Some leadership studies on the one hand tend to exaggerate the importance of lead‐
ership, while on the other hand romanticizing the topic [8], and this may be because this
is what students would rather hear, as our study shows, to a certain extent.
We need emotionally intelligent leaders (including being highly motivated), but also
market savvy ones, leaders who know what to expect from competitors, and who have
workable solutions to specific problems, while maintaining an ethical approach, despite
rivals (internal and external) perhaps not doing so. What we envision is that this may
require exceptional training and development, in higher education. Never before have
visionary, ethical leaders, concerned with corporate social responsibility issues, been in
such high demand. What academia has to do is to churn out more leaders aware of
corporate social responsibility, while also being “street savvy” and “street-wise”, and
prepared for competition as it presents itself to us, on a daily basis.
To become a great corporate leader may in fact be dependent on your DNA and
personality make-up, but this is not what is thought to be true, by the majority of the
respondents in the survey. Motivation took the most votes as being fundamental for
success. This is seen to be positive and will hopefully signal a hard-working generation,
the millennial generation – contrary to previous studies which portray them as being
lazy [10]. Some romanticizing may be beneficial, but the great majority of students want
to be enlightened and well-prepared for that which they will encounter in business
markets. Much as in firms, where “employees require and desire training that will make
them competitive in this highly demanding market” [23], so do the millennial students
in our study desire training that will prepare them for the job market.
Finally, using technology in class is seen to be essential in getting messages across
to students. Millennials are at home with technology and disregarding this preference is
not advisable. Lecturers compete for students’ attention with Facebook, Instagram,
Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter, and other online platforms, and so need to entice them
into the academic discussion by using the same digital-based tools.

7 Suggestions for Future Research

We suggest that, in the future, a greater number of students be surveyed. We are actually
already working on a larger sample and will have the results gathered and analyzed soon.
A bigger sample will also make possible certain statistical analyses, such as correlational
analysis.

Acknowledgements. The authors would like to thank the students of the University of Aveiro
who agreed to answer the survey, and in particular those who agreed to be quoted. The authors
also thank the interviewees for their time and availability and for having validated the material
herein.

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 Restless Millennials in Higher Education 919

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