In present days, managing different generations in the workplace provokes many challenges especially in 21st century organisations that are characterised by innovation and modern implications. The main gaps between different generations concern location, age, birth years, developmental stages and significant life events. Generational differences in the workplace are regarded as HRM issues that do not allow creating favourable atmosphere for work. One can distinguish two approaches regarding generational differences in the workplace. The first one insists that each generation should be influenced and defined by shared events. The second one presumes that sharing certain values, behaviours, and thoughts can be explained by the diversity of generations. In this essay, the challenge of managing different generations in the workplace and the implications for the 21st century organisation are described.
The Challenges of Managing Different Generations in the Workplace
One can divide American workers into four generations: the traditional generation, baby boom generation, generation X, and generation Y. All these generation differs from each other with their attitude to the work, balancing work and family life and attitude to innovation. This division proves about different challenges that can appear when there are gaps between the old generation and the young one. The traditional generation is supposed to be the oldest including those who are retired at the present time. They also have other names like the greatest generation, the matures, the Silent generation and the Silents. Workers of traditional generation are disciplined, conservative and have a sense of obligation. They benefit 21st century organisations because they do everything in time. The disadvantage of the traditional generation is that it adapts to the changes and innovation process provokes difficulties.
The baby boom generation consists of workers that were born between 1943 and 1965. This period is supposed to be the baby boom because of the high birth rate. The baby boom generation differs from the traditional generation by their revolutionary and radical thinking. They are ready to protest against injustice and inequality at the working place that is why in 21st century organisations they occupy leading positions. Boomers respect authority. They grew up in optimism and prosperity that is why they believe that it is possible to change the world. The main challenge provoked by baby boomers is that they do not trust traditional generation that is over 30 years old.
Generation X consists of individuals born between 1968 and 1979. Moreover, another name of this generation is the baby bust because the birth rate at that time was relatively small. Comparing with the baby boom generation, generation X grew up in a period of societal, familial and financial insecurity. Generation X was the witness of the decline of the American power, high divorce rate and unemployment. Generation X differs from the baby boom generation and traditional generation as baby boom generation devotes too much time to their family life. As to the traditional generation, they devote too much time to career and work. Generation X is more self-reliant, autonomous and independent that is why they want to balance between a career and family life.
Generation Y includes individuals who were born between 1978 and 2003. They have such names as Nexters, Millenials, the Net Generation, N-Gens, Echo Boomers, Generation E, Generation www, and the Digital generation. Even these names prove about the influence of dramatic technological advances and computers. Generation Y feels comfortable with the innovative technologies comparing with the previous generations. They are characterised by collective actions, embracing diversity and team work. They are optimistic and ready to any changes.
It is evident that the collaboration of all four generations can bring positive aspects to any 21st century organisation. However, one should find the ways of overcoming the gap between them that concerns generational differences and making similarities the driving forces for the organisation. Generational conflicts in the workplace can be solved with the help of the work ethics. Another challenge between generations concerns their attitude to work.
Generation X is always sceptical about generation Y and supposes them irresponsible and uncommitted. The baby boom generation may be workaholics and that is why they should control younger generations. The most hard-working generation is the traditional generation that is why they should occupy leading positions in the organisation. However, the main issue is a stereotypic thinking that generation G is lazy and uncommitted. It is evident that one should destroy all existing stereotypes about any generation, and this will benefit the organisation and help to avoid the challenges. Employees of all generations should be provided with the work ethics especially the employees with low income level, lower level of education, ethical and racial differences. Attitude to work of any generation depends on the attitude to themselves.
It is necessary to mention that the challenges between generations can be explained by lack of open communication, dialogue and loyalty to each other. Without a doubt, open communication and dialogue between employees of different generations are necessary for an effective functioning of the organisation. Open communication will help employees to adjust to the organisation's environment and differences between generations. This process concerns an employee’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and requirements of a job. Open communication gives an opportunity to share the values of an organisation and an employee’s personal values. Open communication makes use of talent dialogue and helps in finding a solution to problems and reaching common compromises. Loyalty is also a way to compromises and collaboration between generations.
The work relationships between different generations should be friendly and positive. Employers have a legal responsibility of creating favourable environments for employees. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from practicing employment discrimination on the basis of colour, sex, race, social background, or religion. Employers should respect and protect the rights and interests of all employees irrespective of their social or cultural backgrounds. However, there are cases that force employees to pursue constructive dismissal especially to the traditional generation. The traditional generation and boomers are characterised with high loyalty that is why they try to avoid conflicts. As to the young generation they do not have much loyalty, they are more expressive and emotional.
Many organisations around the world have made headlines in a bad way. This commonly occurs because of the organisational misconduct by either the organisation itself or the management. This problem is associated with poor ethical decision making. In order to achieve proper ethical decision making at all levels of an organisation, it is critical for the company to adopt appropriate strategies. One of these strategies is promoting ethical leadership. Ethical leaders promote ethical considerations in their company’s decisions. Ethical leadership fosters positive relationships between all stakeholders of the organisation thus providing a wide range of benefits at all levels of the organisation. Poor relationships often have a far-reaching negative effect on the decision-making process in an organisation and lead to the conflicts among employees of different generations.
Respect and authority are not less important factors for managing different generations in the workplace. Both older and younger generations complain about the lack of respect that is why the main task of the authority is to encourage both generations and create equal and favourable work conditions for them.
It is extremely important to achieve respect in the workplace as this is also a step to the development of good relationships between the different generations and avoid challenges within the organisation. All employees should be provided with training styles and training needs. There is nothing wrong with the fact that the employees of the traditional generation might be weak in the innovative technologies as they always can get the additional training.
Respect is one of the most important notions of ethics that defines wrongness and rightness of a person’s behaviour and deeds. Ethics is the following of moral rules; it criticises deception, lying, information suppression, violation of rules, and abuse of power; it requires the healthcare workers to make the right decisions. Ethics and professional behaviour are the basis of workplace. When employees from a different generation respect each other, then there will be no serious challenges between them. Without a doubt, every employee wants to get a good salary. However, the problem is that not every employee works in the same way; that is why, it would be unfair to pay equally. Equal pay can provoke conflicts and misunderstanding. The most important thing is to find and employ proper conflict resolution techniques to solve the issues. All employees are people with different needs and goals; one should give them time to adjust to each other and then show their skills and abilities. Company’s management should propose flexible system of promotions and merits for those who work better than others.
In conclusion, it is necessary to say that there are challenges of managing different generations in the workplace and in most cases they concern differences between generations. The similarities between the traditional generation, baby boom generation, generation X and generation Y concern attitudes to changes, reasons for working, attitudes regarding flexibility and teamwork. The differences between the traditional generation, baby boom generation, generation X and generation Y concern authority, respect, skills, supervision, loyalty, work and life balance.
About the author
Kate Fox is an entrepreneur, blogger, and speechwriter at exclusive papers net. She is passionate about socializing and dealing with people. She adores participating in webinars and enhancing my knowledge about sociology and psychology.