sim. educate people about the differences in generations what are generations? when did...
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Educate people about the differences in generations What are generations? When did generations become an issue?
Why should we care Relate better with each other Not working with generations properly
will bring your organization’s progress to a halt
Primary value of generational analysis Makes actions of others more
understandable Better able to position your own ideas
and requests▪ Get positive results▪ Avoid some of the frustrations of today’s
workplace Shows areas where organization change
may be desirable/necessary
Your generation affects how you view the world Easy to form unfair and negative
impressions of someone from another generation▪ Often leads to unintended consequences
Challenges▪ Misunderstood communication▪ Loss of valuable input from talented associates▪ High turnover
Organization Many assumptions deeply embedded in
the fabric of how organizations work are product of a single generation (Traditionalists);
Many corporations remain largely the product of policies and practices put in place by this generation▪ Assumption that money is everyone’s motivator
and preferred reward is one of the most common sources of misunderstanding
Demographics Generation (age)
Economics Social class
Cultural Culture▪ Sense of time, urgency, deadlines▪ Gender—how women are perceived and
treated
Age is one characteristic of populations Age is more than just a number Ways of thinking about age▪ Life Stage▪ Generations (cohorts)▪ Physical▪ Psychological
Life Stage is an easier concept to accept Youth—childhood Teen years Young adult▪ College student
Young families Mid career Empty nesters Retirees Very old (85+)
However, with long life expectancy, need to envision life stages differently Conventional milestones are shifting
upward (in age) Life states are often milestones▪ Milestones ground us
What are generations? Biological (familial) Cultural▪ Cultural generations are cohorts of people
who were born in the same date range and share similar cultural experiences▪ Location in history is what shapes a generation
▪ Idea as used today gained currency in the 19th Century
As 19th Century wore on, several trends supported the idea of society divided into categories of people based on age Change in mentality about time and social
change▪ Enlightenment ideas encouraged idea that
society and life were changeable, and that civilization could progress
▪ Change in economic structure▪ Young men particularly less beholden to their fathers
and family authority
19th Century (cont.)▪ Greater social and economic mobility▪ Skills and wisdom of fathers often less valuable due
to technological and social change
▪ Breakdown of traditional social and regional identifications▪ Spread of nationalism
National press, linguistic homogenization, public education, suppression of local particularities
▪ People saw themselves more as part of a society, this encouraged identification with groups beyond the local
Generations based on theory and supported by empirical data 1863—French lexicographer, Emile Littre
defined a generation as “all men living more or less at the same time.”
Auguste Comte (French philosopher) made first serious attempt to systematically study generations. In Cours de philosophie positive Comte suggested that social change is determined by generational change and in particular conflict between successive generations
Comte (cont.)▪ As members of a generation age, their
“instinct of social conservation” becomes stronger, which brings them into conflict with the “normal attribute of youth”—innovation
Other important theorists of the 19th Century▪ John Stuart Mill▪ Wilhelm Dilthey
20th Century Karl Mannheim is the seminal figure in study
of generations (1928)▪ Mannheim emphasized ▪ The rapidity of social change in youth was crucial to the
formation of generations▪ Not every generation would come to see itself as distinct▪ In periods of rapid social change, a generation would be
much more likely to develop a cohesive character▪ Number of distinct sub-generation could exist
Jose Ortega y Gasset another influential theorist
Mannheim in summary Generations arise from critical events
that affect young people when they are most malleable (17-25 years of age)
“Early impressions tend to coalesce into a natural view of the world.”▪ Therefore, a generation is defined by its
worldview
Generations don’t neatly begin and end on a specific date Always exceptions▪ Individual personalities▪ Background▪ Immigrants versus native born▪ Education/income
Some overstatement
Four primary adult generations Traditionalists (born 1945 or earlier)▪ Composed of several cohorts
Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) Gen Xers (born 1965-1976) Gen Y or Millennials (born 1977-1995)
Generations observed in: Workplace Media▪ News consumption▪ Newspaper reading▪ Watching television news
Voting Communication preferences Participation in civic organizations and
social clubs/activities
Observed in (continued): Attitudes/behavior toward charitable
giving Crafts/hobbies▪ Sewing▪ Knitting
Purchase of selected consumer products▪ Coffee▪ Some makes of automobiles
Most workplace conflict between generations around: Attitude toward work Motivators Communication preferences Power (hierarchy) Technology (a big “divide”)
Everyone wants respect
Some conflict deep seated Gen X annoyed by all the coverage of the
Boomers and their offspring, Gen Y or Millenials▪ See Boomers as leaving them a bleak inheritance.
Boomers had all the breaks▪ See Gen Y as completely greedy, annoying
Gen Y, children of the Boomers These two groups tend to get along well;
like each other However, in the workplace, some of Gen Y
attitudes and behavior annoy Boomers
KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS
Great Depression Pearl Harbor World War II Korean War Cold War era Cuban Missile crisis
TRAITS
Patriotic Dependable Conformist Respects authority Rigid Socially and financially
conservative Solid work ethic
KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS
Vietnam War Assassinations of John and
Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
First man on the moon Kent State killings Watergate
TRAITS
Workaholic Idealistic Competitive Loyal Materialistic Seeks personal fulfillment Values titles and the
corner office
Other experiences that shaped Boomers Came from large families; 3 or more siblings
typical Had stay-at-home moms First suburban generation Grew up in era of increasing affluence; upward
mobility; blue collar middle income Last generation to play outdoors;
unsupervised recreation TV generation First generation with high college graduation
rates; college was affordable (growth of state universities)
In the workplace Key motivators are money and status▪ Boomers like merit-based systems and use
both money and position to measure standing▪ Value individual achievement and individual
recognition
For Boomers money equals competitive success, i.e., winning
KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS
AIDS epidemic Space shuttle Challenger
catastrophe Fall of the Berlin Wall Oklahoma City bombing Bill Clinton-Monica
Lewinsky scandal
TRAITS
Self-reliant Adaptable Cynical Distrusts authority Resourceful Entrepreneurial Technology savvy
Other experiences that shaped Gen X First generation whose mothers went to
work en masse▪ Latch-key kids
First generation to experience widespread family breakdown (divorce)
First generation to see parents downsized and restructured out of jobs
First generation to graduate from college with significant loan debt▪ 20% still paying college loans
First generation of males to be highly involved fathers
In the workplace Xers value the “right” job, i.e., one that
fits them Xers value free time Competition does not appear to
motivate Gen X
KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS
Columbine High School shootings
September 11 terrorists attacks
Enron and other corporate scandals
Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
Hurricane Katrina Worst recession since the
Great Depression
TRAITS
Entitled Optimistic Civic minded Close parental
involvement Values work-life balance Impatient Multitasking Team oriented
What we don’t know: The effects of the current recession on
Gen Y▪ Bank of Mom and Dad shuts amid white-collar
struggle
Other experiences that shaped Gen Y Majority had few siblings; most never shared a
bedroom Trophy children▪ Never denied much; given much praise; sheltered from
failure
Programmed life▪ Play dates; structured recreation; no free time
Pressure to achieve▪ Postsecondary education very expensive; cheating in
school
Long time to become independent of parents
In the workplace Optimistic, rosy outlook on long-term Sense of impatience (immediacy) Behavior appears inappropriate▪ Fearless▪ Blunt ▪ Offer opinions freely without regard for
corporate hierarchy and with no sense of “proper” business protocol ▪ Seem to expect everyone to be interested in
their point of view
GEN X
Accept diversity Pragmatic/practical Self-reliant/
individualistic Reject rules Killer life Mistrust institutions PC Use technology Multitask Latch-key kids Friend-not family
GEN Y
Celebrate diversity Optimistic Self-inventive/
individualistic Rewrite the rules Killer lifestyle Irrelevance of
institutions Internet Assume technology Multitask fast Nurtured Friends = family
2000 2010 2020
# % Age # % Age # % Age
Pre Boomers(1945 or before)
59,266 28 55+ 40,229
17 65+ 22,492
9 75+
Baby Boomers(1946-1964)
78,310 38 36-54
76,512
33 46-64
70,932
27 56-74
Gen X(1965-1976)
48,256 23 24-35
49,651
21 34-45
49,741
19 44-55
Gen Y(1977-1995)
23,296 11 18-23
68,624
29 18-33
85,719
33 25-43
Gen Z(1996- )
--- --- 30,817
12 18-24
Total Adults 209,128
100
235,016
100
259,701
100
Labor Force(in 000’s)
2009 2016
Age # % Age # %
Pre Boomers 64+ 15,592 10 71+ 3,938 2
Baby Boomers 45-63 49,761 32 52-70 47,551 29
Gen X 33-44 40,929 26 40-51 37,298 23
Gen Y 16-32 50,009 32 21-39 67,059 41
Gen Z --- --- 16-20 8,385 5
Total 156,291
100 164,231
100
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
One implication: Gen X and Gen Y will dominate the workplace for the foreseeable future Gen X are often the first line supervisors
today and will dominate the management ranks in the next decade
Some Gen Y are supervisors
Attitudes toward work (Gen X and Gen Y) Work not the most important thing in their life▪ Work/life balance
Line between work and personal less defined Want freedom to manage time and work Skeptical about job stability Free-agent mindset▪ Walk away from any unsatisfactory employment
Communication preferences Gen Y: texting, cell phones and IM Gen X: e-mail, IM and cell phones Baby Boomers: e-mail, cell phones and
face to face
Gen Y and the workplace New message for employers▪ Strong bond with parents▪ Bring-your-parent-to work week
On the phone to parents so might as well meet parents
▪ Parents advising their kids on Benefits Pension plan Promotions
▪ Sheltering huge “I’m special; you want to protect me” See it in every institution dealing with young people
Gen Y (cont.) Ethic of teamwork and community▪ Higher rates of community service and
volunteering▪ For Gen X volunteering was a punishment
More like you did something wrong so you have to volunteer
More inclusive▪ “We should all have a place”
Individualized sense▪ Even some resistance to the way multiracial and
multiethnic training is done in corporations
Gen Y See change as coming from small
groups of people getting together to do things
Make the world a better place
Power Who makes the rules Problem solving styles▪ Gen X more individualistic▪ Gen Y more team oriented
Baby Boomers say they plan to defer retirement or not retire Creating work “modules” that allow for
more part-time work
A polarizing generation Have many fans who admire their
optimism, intelligence, ambition and commitment
Have many critics for their inflated expectations, deficit in common sense
Exhibit a number of contradictory attitudes and behaviors “It’s all about me” yet also demonstrate strong
concern about social and environmental issues and tend to be active in community service
They want structure and clear direction in their work assignments but also expect flexibility to decide when and where they complete the tasks
Although crave individual praise and recognition, they can also be terrific team players
GEN X
Casual, friendly work environment
Involvement Flexibility and
freedom A place to learn
GEN Y
Structured, supportive work environment
Personalized work Interactive
relationship Be prepared for
demands, high expectations
Management of Gen Y Need praise▪ Performance feedback and acknowledgment
Want to be heard▪ Formats for discussion, teamwork and idea
generation Want challenge▪ Cross train, develop projects, new responsibilities
Want meaningful work▪ Build ways to give back to the community
Unite with technology▪ Access to new technology, technical equipment
Boomers and Gen Y both see themselves as special Boomers as a special generation Gen Y as special individuals▪ Special in the eyes of the media, politicians,
their community and, above all, their parents
Shared preferences about the workplace Flexible work arrangements▪ Accountable for results not hours they keep in the
office Opportunity to give back to
society/community▪ Support favorite causes▪ Time for volunteering▪ Matching funds
Progressive policies▪ Integrity▪ Green or environmentally conscious
Many organizations will change: Innovation—key organization capability Strategy and long-range planning—disappear The notion of chain of command breaks down▪ Titles reflecting status disappear▪ Many decisions made through participative or
democratic processes Role of managers: design and orchestrate
systems
Work expressed and measured in terms of tasks, not time
Flexible arrangements replaced by individual discretion
Providing feedback will mean teaching, not evaluating
Careers neither continuous nor linear Retirement no longer occurs at a
specific, common age Career paths lead down as well as up Older workers work in entry-level jobs Short tenure expectation rather than the
exception
Median Age of Labor Force
Years
1978 34.8
1988 35.9
1998 38.7
2008* 40.7•ProjectedSource: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Annual Rate of Labor Force Growth1950-2025
Percent
1950-60 1.1
1960-70 1.7
1970-80 2.6
1980-90 1.6
1990-00 1.2
2000-15* 1.0
2015-25* 0.2* ProjectionsSource: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Hazel H. [email protected]