Generations: Boomers and Echos and Nexters – Oh My!
Generations: Boomers and Echos and Nexters – Oh My!
Contents
Overview 3
Critical Analysis 4
Suggested Implementation 5
Potential Problem with Implementation 7
Current Article:“10+ ways to minimize generational differences in the workplace” 7
Value of the Hankin Article 9
Important Takeaways 9
References 11
Overview
The article “Generations: Boomers and Echos and Nexters – Oh My!” written by Harriet Hankin deals with generational diversity in the workplace. The main focus of the article is the differences of several generations of workers currently trying to thrive, or at least survive, together in today’s workforce. She discusses the different characteristics of each generation, including several significant events which have helped shape everything from the political views to the work ethic of the people of that generational group. She goes on to say it is important for the management of companies facing generational hurdles within their staffs to learn what has helped mold their workforce members in order to find the best way to manage that diversity and achieve great results. She further states the need to manage these differences is becoming more important all the time, as we currently have three to four different generations working side by side and by 2050 that number could be up to five.
While the article stresses the differences for each generation, she evaluations which generations should work well together and why. Again, she argues the historical events surrounding each generation and why she feels these events might cause similarities between members of each group. For example, she compares the outlook of the generation that came through the Great Depression to be similar to the younger generation that saw their parents lose jobs in the late 1990s. She emphasizes that similarities like this make these generations more compatible because they share attitudes about the economic strife they
Contents
Overview 3
Critical Analysis 4
Suggested Implementation 5
Potential Problem with Implementation 7
Current Article:“10+ ways to minimize generational differences in the workplace” 7
Value of the Hankin Article 9
Important Takeaways 9
References 11
Overview
The article “Generations: Boomers and Echos and Nexters – Oh My!” written by Harriet Hankin deals with generational diversity in the workplace. The main focus of the article is the differences of several generations of workers currently trying to thrive, or at least survive, together in today’s workforce. She discusses the different characteristics of each generation, including several significant events which have helped shape everything from the political views to the work ethic of the people of that generational group. She goes on to say it is important for the management of companies facing generational hurdles within their staffs to learn what has helped mold their workforce members in order to find the best way to manage that diversity and achieve great results. She further states the need to manage these differences is becoming more important all the time, as we currently have three to four different generations working side by side and by 2050 that number could be up to five.
While the article stresses the differences for each generation, she evaluations which generations should work well together and why. Again, she argues the historical events surrounding each generation and why she feels these events might cause similarities between members of each group. For example, she compares the outlook of the generation that came through the Great Depression to be similar to the younger generation that saw their parents lose jobs in the late 1990s. She emphasizes that similarities like this make these generations more compatible because they share attitudes about the economic strife they
References: 1. Chapter 14, Managing Diversity, Generations: Boomers and Echo’s and Nesters – Oh My! 2. Organizational Behavior: An Experimental Approach, Chapter 1, page 11 3. Organizational Behavior: An Experimental Approach, Chapter 14, page 370 4. http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-ways-to-minimize-generational-differences-in-the-workplace/2140