Unit 4 - Essay

Unit 4 - Essay

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Unit 4 - Essay

Different Generations

There are different generations currently in the world that are presently interacting with each other, working together and leading their professional careers in the same workplace leading to a multigenerational workplace. Below is the list of these five generations. They are:

Traditionalists or Silent Generation (Born before 1945)

Baby Boomers (Born 1946 to 1964)

Generation X (Born from 1965 to 1980)

Generation Y or Millennials (Bor from 1981 to 1995)

Generation Z ((Born from 1996 to 2012)

The reasons behind this variation in generations are the longer life spans they have. According to the world population aging report, at the moment there is a rise in the population growth of every country due to which the proportion of older people are also greater. Traditionalists are considered as the oldest generation in the world currently because they were born before 1945 but they retiring at the age with baby boomers due to numerous reasons. Another reason is the improvement in technology in the healthcare sector that allows for new ways of working for a huge range of generations and facilitates them in work.

There are vast differences found in the attitude, values, and beliefs of each generation as they got matured at different time periods in the history this is why their outlook and perspective towards work and life is very contrasting as well as contradicting with each other (Nnambooze & Parumasur, 2016). There are many factors to play the role in creating such differences among them which are mainly socio-cultural background, political situations, economic conditions, and technology growth.

Characteristics and values of various generations at the workplace

Previously in the 20th century, there were three main generations that comprised the population of the whole world but their approach towards work was quite similar to each other. Their perspectives were the same, the values, attitude, and outlooks despite slight differences were manageable and adjustable. But with the development of technology, many changes occurred in the workplace and difference widened between the generations. Generation X was privileged to be the first generation that promoted the use of technology at work and this practice was further accelerated by Millennials and at present by Generation Z. With the exposure and more concern towards the organizational culture, younger generations are not opposed to opting for a job shift in the same pattern as the older generation.

Baby Boomers

Baby boomers were born in the time frame of 1946 to 1964 which makes their age to be between 55 to 73 years of age. They grew up in the transition period where everything around them was changing including the emergence of the economy and political stability. They were raised to be very responsible when it comes to working and this is why they stress over the value of the work. In their time, gender equality was given great importance. They are a great advocate of civil and women rights. Due to the different type of upbringing they experienced, they are very loyal, polite, conservative and obedient in the workplace and towards their organizations. They strongly support integrity, hard work, team participation and correctness in the organizations.

Generation X

This generation was born from 1965 to 39 making their age group from 39 to 54 years of age. They grew in a time of recession when the economic conditions were not good and people faced many issues in jobs. They have seen their relatives be terminated, laid off, jobs loss etc. due to which they do not have as such a positive outlook on work. As in their time, many people were forced to be underemployed. This is the first generation to practice new technology like the personal computer, internet, and many videogames. They are adaptable, flexible, possess business minds and are opportunists (Lord & Farrington, 2006). However, it might become difficult to motivate them at work due to their pessimist attitude (Pitt-Catsouphes & Matz-Costa, 2008).

Generation Y or Millennials

This generation is considered as the most energetic of all generations as most of the population of this generation is quite young born from 1981 to 1995 aging from 24 to 38 years of age. The people of this generation are currently in different phases of life, some are taking admissions in colleges while others are getting employed. This is why many members of this generation have not participated in the workforce yet (McNamera et al.,2007). It is believed that this generation is far away from reality when it comes to a practical approach and not respecting discipline (Driffield & Love, 2007). They were given special treatment this is why they somewhere lack the maturity to some extent as compared to the older generations. Due to the advancement in technology and globalization, this generation is very much connected in social relationships. They are also very efficient in adapting to the latest technology and have enough information regarding it. They are very environmentally conscious and globally concerned due to the birth of terrorism in their generation. They promote education, work-life balance, innovative ideas and diversity in the workplace.

Strategies for overcoming motivational issues in Multigenerational

Motivation cannot be given in the same way to each generation as their values and beliefs are very different and will not be satisfied with the same tactic (Lancaster && Stillman, 2002). Therefore, it is very important to know their differences, respect them and treat them accordingly. There are four ways to handle the motivational issues that might arise in a diverse workplace due to their presence together. They are:

Millennials are motivated by interesting work. They require some excitement and entertainment in their work as they focus on personal fulfillment. So, meaning work should be given to them to motivate them as compared to promotion or a pay raise.

Generation X is more focused on monetary or financial gains when it comes to working. They have struggled with poor financial conditions in their childhood so this is why they need financial relaxation from work. They give importance to the family as well and this is why they want flexible working hours. The best way to motivate them is to give them paid leaves so that both of their interests can be fulfilled.

Baby Boomers needs appreciation and affiliation in work and want to be praised for their hard work. Promotion and training are one of the strategies that can be taken to motivate them. They will accept a promotion with no increment in salary.

One aspect that is common among these generations is the friendly and respected work environment for all. Organizational culture should be supportive enough to encourage and appreciate their skills.

References

Driffield, N., & Love, J. H. (2007). Linking FDI motivation and host economy productivity effects: conceptual and empirical analysis. Journal of international business studies, 38(3), 460-473.

Lancaster, L. C., & Stillman, D. (2002). When generations collide: Who they are, why they clash, how to solve the generational puzzle at work (pp. 53-54). New York: HarperCollins.

Lord, R. L., & Farrington, P. A. (2006). Age-related differences in the motivation of knowledge workers. Engineering Management Journal, 18(3), 20-26.

McNamera, T. K., Dobbs, J., Healy, P., Kane, K., & Mak, D. (2007). Age and the labor force. Boston, MA: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Retrieved, 1.

Nnambooze, B. E., & Parumasur, S. B. (2016). Understanding the multigenerational workforce: Are the generations significantly different or similar. Corporate Ownership and Control, 13(2), 244-257.

Pitt-Catsouphes, M., & Matz-Costa, C. (2008). The multi-generational workforce: Workplace flexibility and engagement. Community, Work and Family, 11(2), 215-229.