Generational Differences in the Workplace
Paul Perea, Diana Torrez, Ketaki Kekatpure, John Roach, Donna Curran-Cameron
University of New Mexico, Organizational Learning and Instructional Technology Program
Introduction
The idea of “Generational differences [is based on] the theory that people born within an
approximately 20-year time period share a common set of characteristics based on the
historical experiences, economic and social conditions, technological advances, and other
societal changes they have in common…” (Reeves, & Oh, 2008) Birkman (2010) said
that, “understanding each generation’s key formative environments and values, as well as
their workplace strengths and struggles are the first step in building more efficient and
cohesive workforce teams.” (p. 3). This is especially true since, "people are usually born
into a class and develop a particular view of the world based on the lens through which
they experience life, just as people are born into a generation, which also colors their
perspectives of their own lived experiences." (Carver, & Candela, 2008) These
generational differences are currently changing the workforce as many know it.
Corporate culture is undergoing a change because for the first time in history, there are
four generations actively employed in today’s workforce. Each time a new generation is
added to the corporate world, the status quo changes. Historically, the need for a cultural
shift has not been widely recognized or maybe even necessary. This was due to the fact
that the workforce was not as generationally diverse as it is today. In the past, corporate
culture was characterized by a “bureaucratic approach [inherited] from traditionalists”
(Salopek, 2006). Diversity within the workplace was tempered by a strict hierarchy where
upper management and line employees had little or no interaction, and rules were not
challenged by lower level employees. Today, each generation has its own ideas of what
corporate culture should look like and many times, those can be in direct opposition to
those of a co-worker or even a supervisor. In this case, being part of the workforce has
never been so confounding, volatile, and frustrating for many individuals. It can be
difficult to create a positive work environment and culture in places where employees'
attitudes toward work and the role it plays in daily life changes from one generation to the
next. Traditionalists see work as a duty, Baby Boomers identity often resides in their
work, while Gen Xers view work as a contract, and Millennials work to play. (Hammill,
2011) Today there is an increase in generational diversity and the mix of experiences,
values, perceptions, and expectations that each cohort group brings to the workplace.
These differences can either be leveraged to improve corporate culture or they can
contribute to its breakdown.
Generation
Organizational
Behaviors
Traditionals
Born before 1945
Typically disciplined, loyal
team players who work within
the system. They are
respectful of authority, patient
and follow the rules.
Obviously, they have a vast
knowledge legacy to share
and embody a traditional work
ethic.
Boomers tend to be optimistic,
ambitious, competitive, and
focus on their personal
accomplishments. They
Baby
believe in working long-hours
Boomers
and expect the younger
Born 1945 to 1964 generations to adopt this
approach. They have ruled
the workplace for years and
are comfortable in the culture
they created.
Having seen their parents laid
off or face job insecurity,
they’ve redefined loyalty.
Instead of remaining loyal to
their company, they’re
Generation X
committed to their work and
Born 1965 to 1980
people they work with. They
are skeptical, risk-takers and
want to have fun in the
workplace. They also seek
more work-life balance.
Generation Y
Born since 1981
They are typically teamoriented, and work well in
groups, as opposed to
individual endeavors. Also,
they’re used to tackling
multiple tasks with equal
energy, so they expect to work
hard. They’re good multitaskers, having juggled sports,
school and social interests
growing up.
Workplace
Strengths
• Hard-working
• Stable
• Loyal
• Thorough
• Detail oriented
• Focused
• Emotionally mature
Hi, I’m Zach and I’m a GenY’er. I’m always trying to make my job easier by
using technology but most of my co-workers don’t seem to get it. I don’t
understand why I need to come into work and leave at the same time they do
when I’m able to do just as much in half the time from home. I just graduated
last year with my Bachelors Degree and I’ve been applying to Grad School this
year so I can move into another type of job. The company I work for is great but
I just can’t see doing the same thing all my life. I’d really love to find a job where
I can work part of the year and spend the rest of my time exploring the world.
We had to attend a diversity training workshop last week and I couldn’t believe
some of the stuff that they were trying to teach. Do some people really still need
to learn how to interact with others? And don’t even get me started on the
trainer. I wish they would have shown some video clips or had something more
interactive. It was four hours of PowerPoint slides with a test at the end. I think I
can show them a thing or two.
Hi, my name is Jennifer Lisa Torres and I was born in 1971 and I am a member of
Generation X. My name contains two of the most popular girls names for females born
in this era. My parents divorced when I was 12 years old so I had to adjust to my mom
heading back to work and spending weekends only with my dad. My sister and I took
care of ourselves after school, cooking dinner and dreaming up new business plans for
the boutique we hoped to open when we grew up. We started our own, web-based
business selling handbags after completing college. We encourage our employees to
“think outside of the box” and have fun at work while still being generative and
productive. As business owners, we realize that we have to constantly compete to
survive and we encourage this entrepreneurial spirit in our workers as well. We try to
hire individuals like us, who are self-directed but also team players, and who like to
“work hard and play hard”. We also try to allow our employees the freedom to create
and do their own work without micro-managing their daily tasks. We feel like this gives
us better ideas and products at the end-of-the-day. As self-made, independent
business owners we take pride in being resourceful, hard working, forward-thinking and
adaptive to changing needs and desires of our customers.
• Independent
• Adaptable
• Creative
• Techno-literate
• Willing to challenge
status quo
• Optimistic
• Able to multitask
• Tenacious
• Technologically savvy
• Driven to learn and
grow
• Team-oriented
Work is…
Hard work
Respect authority
Sacrifice
Duty before fun
Adhere to rules
An obligation
Feedback and
Rewards
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
Workaholics
Work efficiently
Crusading causes
Personal fulfillment
Desire quality
Question authority
An exciting
adventure
Directive
Consensual
Command-and-control Collegial
Individual
Communication Formal
Style
Memo
• Reticent when they disagree
• Respect for diversity
• Reluctant to buck the system
• Uncomfortable with conflict
• Absenteeism related to
medical issues
• Not as comfortable with
technology
Team player
Loves to have
meetings
In person
No news is good news Don’t appreciate it
Satisfaction in a job
Money
well done
Title recognition
Generation X
(1965-1980)
Generation Y
(1981-2000)
What’s next
Eliminate the task
Multitasking
Self-reliance
Tenacity
Want Structure and
Entrepreneurial
direction
Tolerant
Skeptical
Goal oriented
A difficult challenge A means to an end
A contract
Fulfillment
Everyone is the
same
Challenge others
Ask why
*TBD
Entrepreneur
Participative
Direct
Immediate
E-mail
Voice mail
Sorry to interrupt,
but how am I
doing?
Freedom is the best
reward
Whenever I want it,
at the push of a
button
Meaningful work
Messages That
Motivate
Your experience is
respected
You are valued
You are needed
Do it your way
Forget the rules
You will work with
other
bright, creative
people
Work and
Family Life
Ne’er the twain shall
meet
No Balance
Work to live
Balance
Balance
*As this group has not spent much time in the workforce, this characteristic has yet to be determined. (Hammill, 2005)
Closing
Organizations benefit from taking time to consider who their employees are and trying to
understand the world from each generational perspective. Doing this allows
organizations to maximize the potential of each generation by pulling from the strengths
and expertise each employee has. Many individual strengths and perspectives are
closely tied to the generational perspective workers have developed due to their age
cohorts. Trust between coworkers often deepens from learning about one another.
Knowledge gained though a better understanding of generational differences can lead to
a more cohesive team. Increased trust and cohesion can also lead to higher
commitment to the organization. This also helps promote a positive corporate culture
where the differing views, values, experiences, and strengths of each employee are
considered to be an asset.
• Nontraditional work styles of
Generations X and Y
• Technology replacing human
interaction
• Sharing praise and rewards
• Balancing work and family
• Uncomfortable with conflict,
reluctant to go against peers
• Respectful communication
• Functional literacy
• Need supervision and
structure, especially with
people issues.
• Reject the concept of
“paying dues,” expect input
immediately.
Work Ethic and
Values
Interactive Style
Workplace
Struggles
• Career development
• Conflict resolution and office
politics
• Multi-generational team
projects
• Balancing work and family
• Skeptical and distrustful of
authority
Veterans
(1922-1945)
Leadership
Style
WWII
• Team perspective
• Dedicated
• Experienced
• Knowledgeable
• Service-oriented
WORKPLACE CHARACTERISTICS
Hi, I am Martha Ford. I was born in 1928. There were strict gender roles in
families and in the workforce when I was growing up. My dad was the
breadwinner in the family and mom took care of the home. But things
changed after the great depression hit us and my dad lost his job. My dad did
odd jobs and we survived paycheck to paycheck. My parents never liked
discussing money matters and matters important to the family with me. I was
expected to be silent and agree to whatever my parents decided was best for
the family. For people from my generation, attending college was a luxury
most could only dream about. Most of us “traditionalists” entered the
workforce and moved up through loyalty and hard work. Being a female,
made it difficult to succeed in the male dominated workforce regardless of
one’s work ethic. In my time it was just better to get married and raise a
family. I’ve watched my children and grandchildren fight to break through the
glass ceiling that existed for women. Today, I am happy to see how women
have, in many ways, broken the glass ceiling and achieved success in the
workforce and in academics.
With proper awareness and continued research, generations don’t have to collide or
simply coincide. Working members of different generations can thrive and contribute
their best resources and perspectives to the organizations they are part of while still
maintaining their individuality and diversity.
Hi, my name is Carl Henderson I was born in 1958 and I’m part of the
Baby Boomer generation. Sometimes I just don’t get it with these younger
generations - they’re tough to work with. They want to bring in these new
technologies and immediately change processes, operational designs,
and programs which have been working just fine for the past two
decades. On top of that, whatever happened to working till the job gets
done? I understand family and personal time is important, but the job
comes first and everything else takes a back seat - a concept which is
totally foreign to them. Furthermore, throw in the music they’re listening
to, multiple tattoos, guys wearing earrings...yeah, it’s a tough work
environment and I don’t think it’s going to get any better any time soon.
References
Lancaster, L. C. & Stillman (2002). How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. In When Generations Collide:
Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work. New York: HarperCollins.
Zemke, Ron, Raines, Claire, & Filipczak, Bob. (1999). Generations at work. New York : Amacom Books.
Arsenault, PM. (2004). Validating generational differences. The Leadership & Organization Development
Journal, 25(2), Retrieved from
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/ViewContentServlet?Filename=Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Articles/
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Hammill, G. (2005, Winter/Spring). Mixing and managing four generations of employees. FDU Magazine, 12(2),
Retrieved from http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm
Reeves, TC, & Oh, E. (2008). Generational differences. In J. Spector (Ed.), Handbook of research on
educational communications and technology (pp. 295-303). Routledge.