Yuppies inherit legacy from their forerunners<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): There are few comparisons to be drawn between
\nyoung executives of the 1990s and their forerunners just 20 years
\nago.<\/p>\n
Like father, like son? Hardly. Young executives today are on
\nthe whole better educated than their parents, have more
\nopportunities to build a career and take home a much bigger
\npaycheck. Their greater spending power translates into more
\navenues to unwind, including ones never imagined by their
\nforefathers.<\/p>\n
Senior executives told The Jakarta Post their views on today's
\nyoung generation.<\/p>\n
M.V. Adhiprabawa, president of PT Hewlett-Packard Finance
\nIndonesia: The emergence of yuppies is a general phenomenon. They
\ncould be called big income spenders.<\/p>\n
There are two kinds of yuppies -- the patient and impatient
\nones. The patient ones will get recognition in their work because
\nthey can immerse themselves in their job. The others are kutu
\nloncat (fleas), who do not care about their career just as long
\nas they get lots of money to have fun.<\/p>\n
There are good things about this phenomenon. For one, we have
\nmore qualified people to work in the market. But the employers
\nalso have the challenge of giving them sufficient rewards because
\nthe yuppies usually hunt not only for a career, but also money.<\/p>\n
There are yuppies who are qualified, but there are others who
\nare not. The time will always come for people to see their
\nqualifications. Those who are not qualified will be stuck in the
\nsame position.<\/p>\n
Iwa Sewaka, president of PT Satelindo: Most of the yuppies I
\nknow graduated from colleges abroad. Some of them have a master's
\ndegree, some even have a higher degree. After living abroad for
\nyears, they are accustomed to life in a foreign country. We don't
\ndoubt their professionalism, but in Indonesia there is always the
\nX factor.<\/p>\n
They also have to learn about other things, especially about
\nthe culture. They have to be able to readapt themselves to the
\nlocal culture.<\/p>\n
And those who did not graduate from abroad have to work hard
\nso that they can compete with graduates from foreign colleges.<\/p>\n
Isakayoga, President of Surabaya Stock Exchange in Jakarta:
\nThe yuppies are the fruit of development. I see the phenomenon in
\nbig cities like Jakarta and Surabaya, but not in small towns.<\/p>\n
I often meet them at formal occasions and I think they are
\nprofessional enough.<\/p>\n
I see there have been improvements in their professionalism
\ncompared to three or four years ago, when these young
\nprofessionals seemed to spend more time having fun than on work.
\nNow there is a balance. If you look around, you'll see the
\nmushrooming cafes, full of young people. But you'll also see that
\nthe office buildings are full of these young professionals. I
\nbelieve they are really professional, or else there wouldn't be
\nsuch a huge number of them working in offices.<\/p>\n
I also notice their heavy consumerism. They invest their money
\nin things like cars and clothes for the \"taste\" of metropolitan
\nlife. There are not many of them who would invest in productive
\nthings, like in the capital market. I don't see their enthusiasm
\nin this field. Yes, there are many young people who work on the
\nstock exchange, but they are not investors. When they meet each
\nother, they don't talk about the stock market. They talk about
\nshopping, traveling, playing golf and such things.<\/p>\n
I think this is only to be expected. They earn more than other
\npeople, and they spend more, too.<\/p>\n
Many of the young urban professionals are not aware that they
\nare actually part of this \"yuppie\" society. But there are also
\nsome others who consciously adopt the yuppie lifestyle even
\nthough they actually do not have the financial resources to do
\nso.<\/p>\n
Yuppy social concern is \"seasonal\". For example, before the
\nfasting month or Christmas, they pay great attention to the less
\nfortunate, the poor. But they don't evidence these concerns in
\ntheir daily lives. For them, social activities are just a
\nfashion, not a need.<\/p>\n
The yuppie phenomenon in Surabaya and Jakarta is just the
\nsame. The only difference is that there are more yuppies here.<\/p>\n
Christianto Wibisono, director of the Indonesian Business Data
\nCenter: Those young people, especially those who work in
\nestablished companies, have to work hard, whether they like it or
\nnot. If they are capable, they will have good careers.<\/p>\n
They like to enjoy themselves in their lifestyles. Well, they
\ndeserve it.<\/p>\n
Meity Robot, president of Iwata travel agency: I have the
\nimpression that the yuppies, those young executives, live
\nexclusively. They have their own group and don't mix with
\n\"ordinary people\".<\/p>\n
The term yuppy itself is not ours, so maybe the connotation is
\nslightly different here from the dictionary definition.<\/p>\n
I think there is nothing wrong if they want to have fun. We
\nwork hard and we need refreshment. Everybody wants to have fun
\nand relax. But we have to strike a balance. Don't have too much
\nfun.<\/p>\n
And don't waste your money. Consumerism is dangerous. Okay,
\nit's their money. They say they work hard to earn the money, so
\nthey have the right to spend it any way they like. The more you
\nearn, the more you spend.<\/p>\n
But I wonder if they really work hard. I know there are those
\nwho work really hard, but there are others who came into the
\nmoney not because of their own efforts. Maybe their parents are
\nrich, or maybe they got advantages from other people.<\/p>\n
I hear that they like to take that drug, what is it called?
\nEcstasy? I don't think it is good. I also read in a magazine that
\nthey have orgies. How could they do such things? (icn\/sim)<\/p>",
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