Irrespective of whether the ongoing wave of protests in Iran will result in meaningful changes to governance structures, new socioeconomic realities will have to be considered by the country’s business community.

The socio-political dimensions of the current protests have been discussed extensively, and point to a number of social shifts. Furthermore, experts have offered some insights on the socioeconomic factors contributing to different waves of unrest in the past two decades.  However, looking beyond the current wave of demonstrations, it is important to gauge how the current generational transformation will manifest itself in the Iranian workforce.

Iranian employers have for decades grappled with phenomena such as loss of talent, emigration, sanctions, Internet disruptions and other uncertainty factors. The new and lasting wave of protests is also exposing business leaders to the expectations and attitudes of younger Iranians. The demographic cohort known as Generation Z appears more self-confident and demanding than its elders. This will have repercussions and must eventually be addressed not only by political elites, but also...