History Of Participatory Management ( Rau Foster, 2017 )

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

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).

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

Generation Xers: This generation entered into an era of rapid changes social and economic; therefore, were very adaptable to change. Their education was influenced by these growing phenomena. They are free-willed probably due to the fact that they grew up in a time when they were allowed to be away from their parents for long periods of time because mobile communication was not yet popular at this time. Xers are good at taking the initiative in getting things done because they are results-oriented. This generation appreciates a balance between work and family life; hence, are very good at setting limits for managing their time. Xers are very independent often causing them to prefer to work by themselves; therefore, working in teams is often less appealing to them. They are often defined as realists (Phillips, 2016).

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

(Tanner, 2011) One very important quality is that they are loyal to their career before their employer. In order to work well with the baby boomers “show them how they can be organizational star, provide them with developmental opportunities, and involve them in operational matters”. (Tanner, 2011) Most of all, whether you are a veteran or any other generation, it is absolutely important to be respectful of your peers and co-workers and patience is your best friend.

In a work environment everybody wants to climb the totem pole. For Millennials, they want to rise to leadership without working too hard for it. They are trying to reach the leadership positions as fast as they can and at times they are unprepared for the position they enter because they have not experienced enough along the way. Where Millennials are too fast to rise to leadership, people considered to be Generation X, who are known for their hard work ethic and experience are often complacent in the workplace. Though they gained their experience (unlike Millennials) by working their way up the chain of command and gradually paying their dues and though they also do not expect to be handed a higher position, like Millennials who feel entitled to higher positions in the workplace, they are also not as motivated as Millennials. (Bresman)

The last and final generation represented is referred to as “Generation Y.” This group is typically born between 1980 and 1999. Kyles (2005) states, “Generation Y is coming of age during a time of technological sophistication, extreme economic swings, individual prosperity, terrorism, and

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.

Many changes are happening in the workforce today. Our labor environment consists of multiple generations, which creates fundamentally differing approaches to everything from work ethics, business management, and co-worker cooperation. The most recent generation, commonly known as “Generation Y” or the “Millennial” generation, is slowly taking over the workforce. Because they bring with them a radically new mindset and opinion of labor, the global business infrastructure should be modified to not only accommodate “Millennials,” but also to remain sympathetic to the business practices characteristic of previous generations. Doing so will provide more harmony and productivity among co-workers of different generational backgrounds.

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.