Generation X, By Megan Johnson And Larry Johnson Essay

Every generation is influenced by its period 's economic, political and social events. From the Great Depression to the civil rights and women 's movements to the advent of television and advanced computer technologies. Thus generational background/situation may also affect the way they work. The key is to be able to effectively address and take advantage of the differences in values and expectations of each generation in the workplace. The current work place consists of four different generations; The Baby Boomers (1946-1964) who are slowly retiring and existing the workforce, The Generation X (1965-1976), The Generation Y or millennia (1977-1997), and the Generation Z who are about to or are just entering the work force. Although these different generations tend to want similar things in a workplace their environment/background has shaped their character, values, and expectations (Hahn 2011).

The most prominent change in the workforce affecting human resources at St. Anthony’s is the rise of a multi generational workforce. Providing different human resource needs for various employees is an evolving challenge. Being aware of different workplace standards between generations is taken into consideration to reduce “pain points” (Calvert, 2015). In the interview, Judie grouped Generation X and Millennials into the same group, and focused primarily on the differences between Baby Boomers and Gen X/Millennials. She described the Baby Boomers as

The generational span is exceedingly larger today than in the prior history of our nation. The multiple generations consist of the veterans 1922-1945, the baby boomers 1946-1964, the generation X 1965-1981, and, the generation Y 1982-1999, in addition, upcoming millennial generation born 2000-2016 (Murray, 2013). There frequently are misconceptions and misunderstandings based on the differing perspectives of each generation. Moreover, as an effective leader, one must comprehend and acknowledge the characteristics of each generation and utilize these individualities to mentor and motivate the staff they are leading (Hendricks & Cope, 2012). In addition to considering the impact of the generational

Generation X faces many issues unique to their generation, technology was advancing, and computer were becoming more affordable and widespread. They faced both social and ecological issues, with advances in medicine that caused the generation before them to live longer, and being the one of the first generations to be effected by student loan debt. Generation Xers are often known for their high level of skepticism and their “what do I get out of this” attitudes. They are considered to be the first generation of “latchkey” kids, or kids without much boundaries. During the 60’s and 70’s divorce rates were at an all-time high, so many of the children of this generation were exposed to large amounts of divorce (Schroer). Which might explain for the high levels of skepticism and freedom they had. It seemed they also didn’t care much for politics sense they had the lowest voting participant rate of any other generation.

2017 was a busy year for Gen-x. This is the year when Gen-x truly came into the light of the public. A month after the consent order both Chemours and DuPont settled around 4,000 lawsuits in Ohio and West Virginia paying $335.4 million dollars. Though they both denied ever doing anything wrong. Half way through ’17 Cape Fear Public Utility Authority accepts and approves a letter from the Department of Environmental Quality agreeing to help evaluate Gen-x. In that same month, Wilmington StarNews published the beginning their Toxic Tap Water series it has a detailed explanation of the chemicals infection the Cape Fear water system. This opened way for the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Human Services

In a study about the civic engagement of Generation X, the U.S. Census Bureau defined this segment of the population as consisting of individuals born between 1968 and 1979. However, the upper limit of Generation X in some cases has been as high as 1982, while the lower limit has been as low as 1963 (Karp et al., 2002). This generation was also called the baby bust generation, because of its small size relative to the generation that preceded it, the Baby Boom generation. The term Generation X spread into popular parlance following the publication of Douglas Coupland’s book about a generation of individuals who would come of age at the end of the 20th century.

Did you know that you are considered part of the first generation symbolizing the decline of the nation? Generations are labeled all the time by historians, novelists and journalist in an attempt to capture the spirit or essence of an era. But the term Generation X carries all the negativity of propaganda and stereotype.

The third generation represented is often referred to as “Generation X.” Members of this group are born between 1965 and 1979. Kyles (2005) defines them as individualistic, disloyal, techno literate, and one of the most challenging groups to manage. This can be attributed to the fact that this group grew up in the rebellious years of the sixties and seventies. Marshall (2004) states, “The employer has to provide an opportunity to work and grow, or they are going to leave” (p. 18). This says a lot about the influence of culture on this generation.

“The number of employees over the age of 55 has increased by 30 percent; however, the number of 25- to 54-year-olds has only increased by 1 percent” (Claire, 2009). In 2008 the eldest of the 77 million baby-boomers turned 62. Estimates are that by the end of the decade about 40 percent of the work force will be eligible to retire. As people begin to reach the age of retirement there may be not be enough new employees to fill the gap (Clare, 2009). Companies need to find ways to attract Boomers and Millennials. Companies that want to attract Boomers and Millennials need to be creative in their culture, HR policies and work environments.

Each generation has certain characteristics and values with which the members of it can identify. Members of Generation X highly value their job and family time; so they try to find a balance between these two aspects of their lives. Generation X are hardworking people, but they are

When most people hear the label Generation –X they think of a hopeless generation of youth that have given into the pressures of the world. I would like you to think of the X as the Greek symbol for “Chi” which is used as a symbol for Christ. In this decade the youth involved in the Christianity has grown significantly. Youth are responding to the church in ways that the past generation did not. Where mom and dad embraced the tumultuous sixties their children have taken hold of Christianity. The youth organizations that promote the Protestant doctrine have seen the youth membership grow by 50% since 1990. Catholic Churches have witnessed their youth involvement double in the last decade. The youth are coming from all

According to the Fort Wayne News Sentinel, the American workforce is now made up of four entirely different generations. The four major groups, as defined in the For the First Time, Four Very Different Generations Make Up the U.S. Workforce article by the Fort Wayne News Sentinel, citing Ginny Carroll, chief executive officer of inGINuity, are Veteran (born 1900-1942), Baby Boomer (1943-1960), Generation X (1961-1981), and Millennial (1982-2000) (Quilligan 1). Throughout this paper, I will use the above names to describe the various generations, though let it be known that some sources state different names for each generation. In an article titled Employers Need to Bridge Generational Gaps in Work Force, Labor Report Says, Michael Silence of the Knoxville News-Sentinel uses the name “Traditionalist” for what Kathleen Quilligan of the Fort Wayne News Sentinel calls the Veteran generation, and calls Millennials “Generation Y” (Silence 1). It is also relevant to note that different sources state different age ranges for each generation. For instance, an article in the American Medical Writers Association Journal (AMWA) states the following dates for each generation: Veteran (1937-1945), Baby Boomer (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1984), and Millennial (1985-2005) (“Top 10 Characteristics Of The Four

“Generation X” (“Gen-Xers”), born from about 1960 – 1980, maintained some attributes typical of the “Baby Boomer” generation, but feel that their upbringing was too strict. They added an emphasis on work/life

SUMMARY OF THE ARTICLE “UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORK PLACE” ( Cited from Kapoor and Solomon 2011)

Generation X also known as the baby bust generation is categorized for individual who were born from 1961-1979 (Dwyer, 2009). According to Foot and Stoffman (1998, p. 26), generation X is not a separate generation, but rather the concluding stages of the baby boom generation (as cited by Dwyer, 2009). Generation X was pushed toward adulthood at an age earlier than any other recent generation as they suffered the backlash from the world’s focus on Baby Boomers and their worldview was negatively shaped as a result (Teaching Across Generations, 2004). The Generation Xers also are the first generation who grew up with both parents working outside the home. Due to this they are often called the ‘Latchkey kids’ as are more self-reliant