History Of Participatory Management ( Rau Foster, 2017 )

Baby Boomers are self-assured, and independent. They also have a strong work ethic and aren’t afraid of hard work. They prefer structure, a right path of learning to reach their goals. Baby boomers aren’t afraid to put in a hard day of work when it is due. Baby boomers aren’t familiarized with technology. They appreciate a good challenge, and accept a mission to increase their knowledge and push them past their limits. Unlike Baby Boomers, Generation X is familiarized with technology and incorporates it when necessary. Generation X tends to entrepreneurial thinkers and reality driven, and their mentality is will lecture assist them in the real world. These two groups come from a different background and the way they view behavior.

It is important to keep in mind that each generation sees the world through a unique lens that forms as a result of the events that were taking place in the world as these individuals grew up. Brenner focuses on the different events that have shaped their values and their perception of work. For example, the Veterans went through World War II and grew up with a strict regimen. As such, quality, respect and authority are important to them. Baby Boomers embraced the value of having to sacrifice to get ahead. All that sacrifice makes them very loyal. Generation X workers were the latchkey children who watched their Boomer parents forge a new workplace. They were also the first generation to grow up with technology. As such, this generation cares more about productivity and less about the number of hours spent on the job. Millennials are a generation entrenched in technology and therefore urn for instant gratification. They bore easily. Because they best understand how to maximize technology, they value a balance between work and

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.

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).

I am a member of the Gen X generation. Gen Xers are generally classified as independent, preferring to work alone rather than as part of a team to accomplish our goals. We aren’t lured by small talk, and discussions about popular cultural topics, but desire to get the job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. As a generation, we tend to be aggressive to influence the expediency of accomplishing a task, and have no desire to rest until the work is finished. We have a solid work ethic. I agree with this classification and fit this steroetype. I desire to accomplish a task, accomplish it correctly, and sense appreciation for a job well done. I don’t place as much importance on getting along with people, though I do desire to be an effective

The current generations in the workplace today are Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Each generation brings their own values and mindsets to the mix. Although genetics play a part in a person’s characteristics, the generation in which someone is born into also plays an integral part in shaping their mind, values, goals, and work ethics. People from the same generation share similar experiences, and this can influence how they think politically and socially.

As generation Y, the first group to come of age in the new millennium, grows and matures, they have entered the workforce at an increasingly high rate, making them the fastest growing segment of the United States workforce (Dorsey, 2010, pg. 15). These “youngsters” are typically in their early 20’s to early 30’s, still in the early and formative stages of their careers (Wain, 2013, pg. 308). Joining these Millennials in the workforce are those known as Generation X, consisting of the middle generation born from around 1965-1984 (Wain, 2013, pg. 308). At the far end of the age-workforce spectrum sit the Baby Boomers – those born between the years of 1946 and 1964 (Kaifi, Nafei, Khanfar & Kaifi, 2012, pg. 89). And finally, the oldest generation still trying to eke out their last paychecks before retirement is the Traditionalists, born between the years of 1937 and 1945 (American Medical Writers, 2012).

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.

Every work environment is teeming with people from various generations. Though, the majority of people wish for a healthy work environment this is not the easiest to come by. People from these different generations have different ways of looking at the world. They were raised differently and though theoretically want the same things they want to reach these goals in different ways. Rising to leadership, the understanding of technology, adapting in the workplace, and communication are the four criteria you need to know to understand how the people of Generation X and Millennials function together in the workplace.

Older colleagues to this generation is the Y generation as lazy individuals who are more difficult to manage. This generation also has a reputation for leaving their organization of employment abruptly to seek new opportunities. Generation Y has been exposed to the world in a different way than previous generations, they are more racially and ethnically diverse and they are much more segmented as they have seen the rapid development of cable, the internet, etc.

Upon reflecting on the three main generations that comprise the workplace today, a few differences emerge. “Baby Boomers” grew up in a time when movements were prominent, the Vietnam War occurred, key figures were assassinated, the Watergate Scandal occurred, and television was introduced (Twenge et al., 2010; Schullery, 2013). Overall, “Baby Boomers” seem to exhibit a distrust of authority, value hard work, and want to enjoy their achievements (Robbins & Judge, 2015; Twenge et al., 2010). As such, they are results driven and give their utmost effort (Robbins & Judge, 2015). “Generation X” grew up in a time of computers, divorce, two career parents, MTV, and economic uncertainty (Twenge et al., 2010; Robbins & Judge, 2015). For the most part, they seem to exhibit the workplace behaviors of independence and a lack of commitment to employers (Twenge et al., 2010). They value a balance between work and life and place more focus on extrinsic rewards such as monetary compensation (Twenge et al., 2010). “Millennials” grew up in prosperous times with technology dominating the era and over-protective parents (Robbins & Judge, 2015; Schullery, 2013). Generally, they seem to place a greater value on employee benefits, leisure time, teamwork, and open communication (Society of Human Resource Management, 2004; Twenge, 2010; Myers & Sadaghiani, 2010). In addition, they have also been given the labels of “self-centered” and “entitled” (Myers & Sadaghiani, 2010).

“The third generation in the work place is the generation X”. (Tanner, 2011) They were born somewhere between the 1960’s and the 1980’s. They are sometimes called “Post-Boomers, Twenty-something’s, Xers, and Slackers”. (Tanner, 2011) The Xers are known to be “independent, self-sufficient, and skeptical”. (Tanner, 2011) “They value diversity, work/life balance, technology, and informality”. (Tanner, 2011) They also “view all work as just a job”. (Tanner, 2011) To work well with them it is important to partner them with co-workers that they respect. Also, do not have high expectations. Remember they have a balanced between their life and their job. They will not give a 100% to their job. Another thing is that they do not like to have people watching over their shoulder all day, so give them some space.

Gen X was found to be more team oriented than the Boomers in studies conducted by Karp and Sirias (Arnold, 1998). Having fun on the job is meaningful to this group; which has created a leadership style that sets them apart from the older generations.

GEN Y ( Also called as Millenials):Millennial have grown up with technology and are comfortable with change. They value skill development and enjoy the challenge of new opportunities. Millennial are able to multi task, they want the flexibility to work where and when they want so that they can pursue their outside interests.

“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