The Workplace as an Island of Stability – A Study on Responsibility in Uncertain Times

Responsibility is considered one of the most important prerequisites for the functioning of society, politics, and the economy. At the same time, there is often the impression today that younger people, in particular, are less willing to take on responsibility. But is this impression accurate? What does responsibility actually mean today? And how do people experience responsibility in an era marked by crises, uncertainty, and growing pressure to change?

To answer these questions and gain a better psychological understanding of the significance of responsibility for leadership, the workplace, and social cohesion, ifp – Executive Search. Management Diagnostics. conducted a qualitative study in collaboration with the rheingold Institute. The study was based on 32 two-hour individual depth psychology interviews and two group discussions involving a total of 48 participants aged 12 to 60.

Responsibility Is Being Renegotiated

The study shows that the willingness to take responsibility is not disappearing. However, it is increasingly shifting to areas where people experience impact, meaning, and resonance: at work, within the family, with their own finances, and in their personal lives. When it comes to society as a whole, on the other hand, people often lack confidence that their own contribution matters. Furthermore, there is a growing fear that mistakes will be publicly punished.

Responsibility is therefore being redefined: away from an abstract sense of duty and toward concrete effectiveness.

The workplace is becoming a stable sphere of responsibility

For many people, the world of work is becoming one of the last bastions of stability in a society that has become increasingly uncertain, even though it, too, is deeply affected by upheaval. While social relationships are often perceived as confusing, work still offers many people clear roles, expectations, and responsibilities.

“In today’s culture, work is one of the last refuges where a sense of responsibility can flourish,” says study director Judith Barbolini. Many respondents describe work as a space where they experience self-efficacy, a sense of purpose, and recognition. As a result, companies are increasingly taking on stabilizing roles.

Leadership is thus becoming, more than ever, a matter of relationships—even as the dynamics among the various players are currently being realigned. “In executive search and management diagnostics, we deal every day with placing people in positions of responsibility or assessing whether someone is suited for a role of responsibility,” says Britta Wöhrmann, a partner at ifp in the executive search division. “You could say that responsibility is the currency we trade in. So placing responsibility in the right hands is at the very heart of our work.”

A New Understanding of Responsibility – Younger People Want a Collaborative Process

The study identifies a fundamental cultural shift in the understanding of responsibility. Older generations often associate responsibility with performance, control, and personal commitment. For them, responsibility means taking the helm, making decisions, and remaining reliable even under difficult conditions.

Younger generations, on the other hand, view responsibility more as a collective process. For them, meaning, a sense of belonging, direction, dialogue, and treating one another with respect are more central. Responsibility is seen as an opportunity to shape things together.

“We are in a transitional phase between two cultures of responsibility,” says Judith Barbolini. “The old model of responsibility, characterized by status, power, and consequences, is losing its hold. The new model, which focuses more on meaning, community, and resonance, has not yet fully taken hold.”

Obstacles to Taking on Responsibility: Withstanding Criticism and Risking Failure

This often creates a vacuum of responsibility. On the one hand, there is a strong desire for self-efficacy. On the other hand, many find it harder to bear the burdensome aspects of responsibility: making difficult decisions, enduring criticism, or risking failure. Stephan Grünewald, a psychologist and founder of the rheingold Institute, sees this as a central tension of our time: “We want to experience the benefits of responsibility, but no longer bear its weight and burden. We seek creative freedom, but we must not leave ourselves open to criticism. We want to exert influence without taking on guilt.” This is exacerbated by a societal culture in which mistakes are judged morally and publicly sanctioned at an ever-faster pace.

AI exacerbates this tension

Technological transformation is further exacerbating this tension. Artificial intelligence, automation, and new job profiles open up new possibilities, but at the same time call established narratives about the future into question. What skills are needed? Which decisions are sustainable in the long term? Younger people, in particular, experience this lack of shared narratives about the future as a source of uncertainty, as it is becoming increasingly difficult to grasp why taking on responsibility is worthwhile.

“At ifp, we work right at the heart of the organization, so to speak: After all, it is up to executives to assume and implement this very responsibility—which has now been transferred to companies—and to translate it directly into the corporate culture,” says Associate Professor Dr. Philipp Schäpers, Managing Director of Management Diagnostics at ifp.

Pressure to change creates pressure to take responsibility

And this is happening in times of great uncertainty, which takes a toll. The interviews reveal a society in a constant state of tension. Trust in politics, institutions, and societal ideals is dwindling. Wars, the climate crisis, political polarization, economic uncertainty, and the rapid developments surrounding artificial intelligence create a sense of constant pressure to change. Many people report feeling a constant sense of obligation. At the same time, there is a growing sense of being increasingly left to cope with these tasks, expectations, and burdens on their own. “Solidarity is thus turning into isolation,” Barbolini summarizes. “People are taking more individual precautions because they no longer trust that society or institutions will catch them when things go wrong.”

Risk of Exhaustion

It’s not that simple. The interviews reveal people who already shoulder a great deal of responsibility and are increasingly reaching their limits. This is particularly evident among those aged 30 to 45. They are juggling their careers, families, personal development, financial security, and future planning all at once. According to the researchers, many of them find themselves in the midst of a “storm of responsibilities.”

The daily lives of this generation are often tightly scheduled. Work demands, childcare, personal obligations, health and wellness goals, and the desire for personal growth all compete with one another. As a result, responsibility becomes not only a meaningful task but also a constant burden.

“Responsibility is often borne through an overwhelming personal commitment,” says Barbolini. Many people feel they have to keep going all the time, without being sure whether their efforts are having any effect at all.

This also poses a risk for companies. If responsibility continues to be concentrated without people receiving recognition, autonomy, and support, they may withdraw, become cynical, or mentally check out. Responsibility, therefore, also requires resources: time, trust, clear structures, tolerance for mistakes, and the opportunity to see the impact of their work.

Younger generations view responsibility differently

The study contradicts the impression that young people are generally less willing to take on responsibility. Rather, it shows that younger generations approach responsibility differently.

Generation Alpha and Generation Z are experiencing a world of maximum possibilities and minimal certainty. Social media, artificial intelligence, and constant technological change require flexibility and a high degree of adaptability. At the same time, there is a lack of stable visions of what a secure and desirable future might look like.

Psychologically speaking, this is a reaction to the perceived failure of the promise of prosperity. Many young people have grown up in a world where they were led to believe they had great opportunities. Now that they are expected to take on responsibility themselves, they are confronted with crises, uncertainty, rising costs, ailing systems, and an uncertain future.

As a result, the traditional logic of “work hard now, and it will pay off later” loses credibility. To many young people, long-term educational and career paths seem risky, uncertain, or too slow to yield results. Consequently, they are more likely to evaluate their choices based on immediate security, tangible meaning, and clear guidelines.

Careers and institutions with reliable structures—such as the civil service, the skilled trades, or the German Armed Forces—become attractive. They offer guidance, clear rules, and the experience of being part of a larger whole.

Responsibility Requires Support—Expectations for Managers and Employers

This is an extremely important insight, because responsibility absolutely requires an other. “People, relationships, dialogue: Responsibility is a space of resonance from which something must come back into one’s own life,” says Barbolini. Yet it is precisely this resonance that is increasingly and painfully lacking in society. “The answer—that is, dialogue—is already contained in the word ‘responsibility’ itself,” says Judith Barbolini.  “The role of leadership, therefore, increasingly consists of creating spaces of resonance in which taking on responsibility becomes possible in the first place.”

Fault tolerance and a shared vision for the future

This requires tolerance for mistakes, clear structures, and sufficient resources. Responsibility does not arise solely from appeals or moral pressure. It requires spaces where people can experiment, where mistakes do not immediately become a source of guilt, and where a shared vision of the future provides direction.

Today, employers are expected to offer much more than just a salary and career prospects. Companies face the challenge of providing people with a stable framework even under difficult conditions, while at the same time playing a greater role than ever before in shaping a shared vision of the future. For companies, this means that the transition between different cultures of accountability must be actively facilitated. Leaders must provide clear structures, foster dialogue, and convey narratives that make commitment worthwhile.

Companies as Places of Guidance

The study concludes that the more social responsibility shifts from the big picture to more manageable spheres of life, the more important companies become as places of guidance, connection, and shaping the future. They are becoming islands of social and psychological stability in an increasingly uncertain world.

Sample and method:

The study was conducted in 2026 by the rheingold Institute on behalf of ifp – Executive Search. Management Diagnostics. The study was based on 32 two-hour individual interviews using depth psychology methods, as well as group discussions with a total of 48 people aged 12 to 60. The participants came from different generations, life situations, and professional backgrounds.

The aim of the study was to examine responsibility as a key issue in society and the workplace: How do people define responsibility today? What conditions encourage people to take on responsibility? How does the understanding of responsibility vary across generations? And what are the implications for leadership, corporate culture, and the workplace?