Generational Differences in the Workplace: Understanding and Managing Organizational Behavior

This article discusses the challenges of managing different generations of employees in the workplace. It explores the characteristics of the Traditional, Baby Boom, Generation X, and Generation Y generations and the issues that arise due to generational gaps. The article also provides solutions for managing generational differences and creating a harmonious work environment.

nnin ead r ani ational e a iorRu g H : O g z B h v

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enerational di erence can e nder tood a t e ap in eneration and di erence in t eirG ff s b u s s h g g s ff h
opinion ne o t e mo t common c allen e or t e mana ement o t e or ani ation is. O f h s h g f h g f h g z s s
dealin e ecti el it t e pre ent or in a e o emplo ee ic con i t o di erentg ff v y w h h s w k g g f y s wh h s s s f ff
people in term o a e t o t loo and t eir acti ities f g , h ugh s, ks h v s ( a c eW s h k, 2017). To eep oodk g
emplo ee intact it t e or place one o ld need to meet t eir need e pectation andy s w h h w k , w u h s, x s
pro idev t emh
ealth hy
en ironment to or er eneration a omet in to o er to an or ani ation ic o ldv w k. Ev y g h s s h g ff g z wh h sh u
e martl ed an emplo er lear and trate ic operational plan can or li e a catal tb s y us by y . C s g s w k k ys
or t e ro t o an or ani ation and to accompli t e ltimate oal o t e inef h g w h f g z sh h u g s f h bus ss ( a neH y s,
2011).
i erent or in eneration at or placeD ff w k g g s W k
Accordin tog Tol i eb z (2008), t e American di ide t e or in eneration into o rh s v h w k g g s f u
part ic are T e Traditional eneration t e a oom eneration eneration ands wh h h g , h B by B g , G X
eneration All t e e eneration are imilar or ar in one or t e ot er aG Y. h s g s s v y h h w y.
Traditional eneration i t e olde t eneration in t e or place ic i a o t tog s h s g h w k wh h s b u
retired T e are al o no n a eteran or t e mat re T e are li el to ollo t e c ain o. h y s k w s V s h u s. h y k y f w h h f
command and ma e deci ion on t e a i o t eir e perience T e e or er are o tenk s s h b s s f h x s. h s w k s f
c aracteri ed a t e lo al or er o are er dedicated to ard t eir or and committedh z s h y w k s wh v y w s h w k
or colla oration and team orf b w k.
T e a oom eneration i o ten re erred or t e people o are orn et eenh B by B G s f f f h wh b b w 1943
and T e are called a oom eca e o t e irt o million o a ie d rin t i a e1965. h y B by B b us f h b h f s f b b s u g h s g .
T ih s
r ani ational e a iorO g z B h v
enerational i erence in t e or placeG D ff s h w k

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eneration a orn and re p in t e era o optimi m and t e elie ed t at t eir elg w s b g w u h f s h y b v h h s f-
contri tion and el ort can c an e t e orld T e are or a olic and are more procebu s f-w h h g h w . h y w k h ss
oriented rat er t an re lt oriented T e are read or acceptin t e c an e t are erh h su . h y y f g h h g bu v y
rel ctant or t e c allen eu f h h g s (Tol i eb z , 2008).
eneration i t e a e o or er o ere orn et een t e ear T iG X s h g f w k s wh w b b w h y s 1968-1979. h s
a e o or er re in t e ta nant o mar et and do n i in in corporate T i enerationg f w k s g w h s g j b k w s z g . h s g
al o e po ed to MT orld ide competition di ea e li e A and m c more T is x s V, w w , s s k IDS u h . h s
eneration a pire or t e alance in t eir or and per onal li e T e a e tron lo alt org s f h b h w k s f . h y h v s g y y f
amil and riend and mone i not t e onl moti ator or t i enerationf y f s y s h y v f h s g .
eneration emplo ee are t e one o ere orn a ter T i can al o eG Y y s h s wh w b f 1980’s. h s s b
termed a i ital eneration t e eel ood eneration or er id T i eneration a eens D g g , h f g g Cyb k s. h s g h s s
ma im m tec nolo ical ad ance and are er com orta le it tec nolo T e al ex u h g v s v y f b w h h gy. h y v u
team or and elie e in ta in collecti e action T e are le i le independent and morew k b v s k g v s. h y f x b ,
alancedb (Tol i eb z , 2008).
All t e a o e di c ed eneration o emplo ee a e certain di erence andh b v s uss g s f y s h v ff s
imilaritie ic can e on t e a i o t eir attit de de ire e pectation trainin needs s wh h b h b s s f h u s, s s, x s, g s
and t le and more A per ipmann a re earc a cond cted in ic it a a eds y s . s L (2017), s h w s u wh h w s sk
rom t at ere do t e ee reate t di erence amon t e emplo ee o di erentf CFO’s h wh h y s g s ff s g h y s f ff
eneration o t eir companie and mo t o t e re pon e ere or comm nicationg s f h s s f h s s s w f u (30%), 26%
o t e re pon e ere or c an e adaption and a or tec nical ill nl o t ef h s s s w f h g 23% w s f h sk s. O y 7% f h
aid t e ind no di erenceCFO’s s h y f ff .
e in enerational di erence at t e or placeIssu s G ff s h w k
A or place o ld al a pro ide per onal ro t and ati action ic can e ac ie edw k sh u w ys v s g w h s sf wh h b h v
t ro team or colla oration and reco nition T e enerational ap at t e or place mah ugh w k, b g . h g g s h w k y
create i e in creatin a nanimit in t e t o t o people o elon to di erentssu s g u y h h ugh s f wh b g ff
eneration or in in a m ltinational irm toda mean t at one a to or it di erentg s. W k g u f y s h h s w k w h ff
ran e o a e t o t ie and e perience ome o t e i e t i e ic are createdg f g s, h ugh s, v ws x s. S f h b gg s ssu s wh h

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d e to t i di erence in enerational ap in t e team incl de t e compan c lt re ormationu h s ff g g s h s u h y u u f .
T e or er rom di erent eneration are not a le to adapt to t e compan c lt re orh w k s f ff g s b h y’s u u . F
t i it i er important to ro to et er or ani in e ent and olida o t at e er oneh s, s v y g w g h by g z g v s h ys s h v y
co ld comm nicate to eac ot eru u h h ( illmanH , 2014).
t er c allen e i t e comm nication t le ollo ed di erent eneration T eO h h g s h u s y s f w by ff g s. h
o n er eneration e te t me a e and t eet ile t e older eneration e te ty u g g s us s x ss g s w s wh h g s us s x
me a e or call i erent eneration a e di er e t in in t le ic o ld e re pectedss g s s. D ff g s h v v s h k g s y s wh h sh u b s
and appreciated all ere t ere i a e di erence in t e eneration t e or er o ldby . Wh h s hug ff h g , h w k s sh u
tart ta in initiati e to treat e er one it armon and to accept t e c an es k g v v y w h h y h h g s ( ic e aK h v ,
2017).
Anot er i e i c lt ral e pectation i di erent in di erent eneration i e or t eh ssu s u u x s ff ff g s. L k f h
o n er mana er prod cti it doe matter in tead o ard or or n m er o o r i en aty u g g s, u v y s s f h w k u b f h u s g v
t e or place ile or t e older eneration ard or i t e e to cce A ood leaderh w k wh f h g s, h w k s h k y su ss. g
o ld allo t e or er to or in a t le t at it t em e t ac and e er e ort o ldsh u w h w k s w k s y h su s h b s . E h v y ff sh u
e appreciated ic o ld rin re pect or all a epo lb wh h w u b g s f (G us h , 2016).
o it can e re ol edH w b s v ?
T e mana ement can adopt ario tactic or ettin t e mo t o t o t e emplo ee or inh g v us s f g g h s u f h y s w k g
to et er T e emplo er o ld enco ra e mi and matc o t e team ere di erentg h . h y s sh u u g x h f h s wh ff
per pecti e e perience and ill ill lead to inno ation and more prod cti it T es v s x s sk s w v u v y. h
emplo ee o ld e prepared or adaptin t e c an e and t e o ld al a e read ory s sh u b f g h h g h y sh u w ys b y f
ra in ne opport nitie e lar trainin and de elopment acti itie o ld e ta en placeg bb g w u s. R gu g v v s sh u b k
in t e or ani ation to ma e e er one amiliar it t e tec nolo ical ill T e ne erh g z k v y f w h h h g sk s. h w
pro e ional o ld al o e i en a c ance to ta e t e lead o t at t e or ani ation can ef ss s sh u s b g v h k h s h h g z b
lead in a etter and inno ati e t leb v v s y ( amp orinco it a top aK f, L vá, H k & S k , 2017).
t i important to re pect t e team irre pecti e o t eir ender i e a e etc T eI s s h s v f h g , s z , g , . h
leader o ld a e ood comm nication it t em and t e team o ld al a es sh u h v g u w h h h sh u w ys b
enco ra ed to are t eir ie and re pect eac ot er ie to create a ood or inu g sh h v ws s h h ’s v ws g w k g

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en ironment T e team co ld come p it prod cti e ol tion e en in to time i t ev . h s u u w h u v s u s v ugh s f h
di erence ill e re pected and appreciatedff s w b s .

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