<p><!--StartFragment--><p>A central discussion within society and businesses today, is the change of generations in the business market which occurs within the upcoming years. A change of generations is unavoidable and a natural step in business. The challenge of the forthcoming reform is the large number of people leaving the labour market and the grand entrance of new labour; Generation Y. The characteristics of Generation Y differ from the older generation which enhances the challenges for the businesses to attract a new workforce. It may also be necessary for the organisations to adapt to the younger generation. Each generation is affected by their values, how society is reformed and also by the spirit of time. The purpose of<em> </em>this thesis is to examine what kind of development the change of generations provides the tourism business in the municipality of Kalmar and the region of Öland.</p><p>A business might be inherited by family members or sold/bought by strangers. If neither happens the business must eventually close down. There will be an issue when the change of generation occurs, since the people leaving the labour market take their experiences and competences with them. The intellectual and human capital becomes more valuable to organisations when it refers to the tourism industry since service is a central part of the business. Part of the knowledge and competence of the labour is difficult to write down and transfer to the organisation when leaving the business. How to maintain the competence within the organisation when the experienced labour leaves the market is a challenge for the organisations. The thesis discusses if it is important to maintain the human capital in the change of a generation.</p><!--EndFragment--></p>

<!--StartFragment-->A central discussion within society and businesses today, is the change of generations in the business market which occurs within the upcoming years. A change of generations is unavoidable and a natural step in business. The challenge of the forthcoming reform is the large number of people leaving the labour market and the grand entrance of new labour; Generation Y. The characteristics of Generation Y differ from the older generation which enhances the challenges for the businesses to attract a new workforce. It may also be necessary for the organisations to adapt to the younger generation. Each generation is affected by their values, how society is reformed and also by the spirit of time. The purpose of this thesis is to examine what kind of development the change of generations provides the tourism business in the municipality of Kalmar and the region of Öland. A business might be inherited by family members or sold/bought by strangers. If neither happens the business must eventually close down. There will be an issue when the change of generation occurs, since the people leaving the labour market take their experiences and competences with them. The intellectual and human capital becomes more valuable to organisations when it refers to the tourism industry since service is a central part of the business. Part of the knowledge and competence of the labour is difficult to write down and transfer to the organisation when leaving the business. How to maintain the competence within the organisation when the experienced labour leaves the market is a challenge for the organisations. The thesis discusses if it is important to maintain the human capital in the change of a generation. <!--EndFragment-->