Employment and Upper Management
Answer the following questions, regarding the article: “Generational Diversity in the Workplace” 1. What are the generational issues Julia faces with each employee? What cultural, historic, or societal issues may influence these generational issues?
Ethel is 70 years old and she has been at Everything’s Here Inc. for 20 years. She had worked in the fabric and crafts department for 18 years until it was closed due to its low revenues and she was transferred from department to department until she ended up in the electronics department. Ethel has limited know-how on how to use electronic appliances much less on how to tackle software programs used for increasing efficiency in the workplace such as inventory control program. Ethel does not seem to be ambitious and enthusiastic about her job as her ultimate goal for taking the new job is to receive health benefits under Medicare for her husband and herself. It is not possible to reach her via email and she also shuts her phone off not to be interrupted while watching TV in the evenings. Hence; Julia, the Department Manager, cannot reach her in case she is needed.
Ethel should be considered as a Veteran regarding her generational status. Veterans are born approximately in between 1922-1943. They have core values as dedication to work and respect for authority. (Zemke, Raines & Filipczak, 2000). As Campbell suggests in her article “Generational Diversity: Tensions and Opportunities” veterans/traditionalists are people who save everything. Their motto is “Waste not, want not”, because they were born and grew up during the time of the Great Depression and World War-II. They look at their careers as a fortunate opportunity. (Campbell, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Nov-Dec 2011). Their childhoods were spent in the hard times. These tough time taught the Veterans to “believe in logic not magic and to be disciplined” (Zemke et al. 2000). Regarding these theories, we can consider Ethel as an ambitious person who is
Ethel is 70 years old and she has been at Everything’s Here Inc. for 20 years. She had worked in the fabric and crafts department for 18 years until it was closed due to its low revenues and she was transferred from department to department until she ended up in the electronics department. Ethel has limited know-how on how to use electronic appliances much less on how to tackle software programs used for increasing efficiency in the workplace such as inventory control program. Ethel does not seem to be ambitious and enthusiastic about her job as her ultimate goal for taking the new job is to receive health benefits under Medicare for her husband and herself. It is not possible to reach her via email and she also shuts her phone off not to be interrupted while watching TV in the evenings. Hence; Julia, the Department Manager, cannot reach her in case she is needed.
Ethel should be considered as a Veteran regarding her generational status. Veterans are born approximately in between 1922-1943. They have core values as dedication to work and respect for authority. (Zemke, Raines & Filipczak, 2000). As Campbell suggests in her article “Generational Diversity: Tensions and Opportunities” veterans/traditionalists are people who save everything. Their motto is “Waste not, want not”, because they were born and grew up during the time of the Great Depression and World War-II. They look at their careers as a fortunate opportunity. (Campbell, Profiles in Diversity Journal, Nov-Dec 2011). Their childhoods were spent in the hard times. These tough time taught the Veterans to “believe in logic not magic and to be disciplined” (Zemke et al. 2000). Regarding these theories, we can consider Ethel as an ambitious person who is
References: Bartley, S. J., Ladd, P. G., & Morris, M. (2007). Managing the Multigenerational Workplace: Answers for Managers and Trainers. CUPA-HR Journal, 58(1), 28-34. Campbell, E. A. (2011). Generational Diversity: Tensions and Opportunities. Profiles in Diversity Journal, 13(6), 66. Harvey, C. P., Allard, M. J. (2012). Understanding and Managing Diversity. (5th Ed.), Prentice Hall. Patterson, C. (2007). The Impact of Generational Diversity in the Workplace. Diversity Factor, 15(3), 17-22. Southard, G., & Lewis, J. (2004). A Workplace That Recognizes Generational Diversity. PA Times, 27(11), 8-10. Zemke, R., C. Raines and B. Filipczak. 2000. Generations at work: Managing the clash of veterans, boomers, xers and nexters in your workplace. New York: American Management Association.