3. https://unsplash.com
An organization that values diversity Teamwork in the workplace
Flexible work arrangements
Getting immediate feedback and recognition from my supervisor
Work–life balance
Having a job that challenges me
A company that provides continual training and development opportunities
That I am involved in decision-making processes that affect my work
Being financially rewarded for the work I do
Career advancement opportunities within the company
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4. https://unsplash.com
• Many values have been found to be similar amongst
all generations, and this is relative to what each
generation is considering a need
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• Values are
shaped by
identified needs
6. Traditional & Innovative
IncentivesTraditional:
o Employing
non-
discriminator
y practices
o Flexibility in
work hours
o Standardized
feedback
process
o Work is done
go home
o Promoting
opportunities
for growth
o Money
https://unsplash.com
Innovative:
• Seeking job applicants
globally
• Employee-designed work
schedule
• Allowing subordinate
authority to request
feedback
• Employee control over
where work is conducted
• Allowing cross utilization
among work centers
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10. Developing Diverse Groups
Act locally
https://unsplash.com
Encourage
Leaders
Challenge the Norm
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11. Developing Diverse Groups
Team Selection Based on
Merit
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Know the
Strengths of
Each
Generation
Accountability
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14. References
Amayah, A. T., & Gedro, J. (2014). Understanding generational diversity: strategic human resource management and development across the
generational "divide". New Horizons In Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 26(2), 36-48.
Butts, D. (2015). Generations united. AI Practitioner, 17(2), 47-49. doi:10.12781/978-1-907549-23-6-5
Deal, J. J., Stawiski, S., Graves, L., Gentry, W. A., Weber, T. J., & Ruderman, M. (2013). Motivation at work: which matters more, generation
or managerial level?. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice And Research, 65(1), 1-16. doi:10.1037/a0032693
DeVaney, S. A. (2015). Understanding the Millennial generation. Journal Of Financial Service Professionals, 69(6), 11-14.
Mencl, J., & Lester, S. (n.d.). More alike than different: what generations value and how the values affect employee workplace
perceptions. Journal Of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 21(3), 257-272.
Omana, N. (2016). Generational delivery strategies - what, when, where, and for whom. Workforce Solutions Review, 7(2), 7-10.
Winter, R. P., & Jackson, B. A. (2016). Work values preferences of Generation Y: performance relationship insights in the Australian Public
Service. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 27(17), 1997-2015.
doi:10.1080/09585192.2015.1102161
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Editor's Notes
How is everyone today? I hope you are feeling energized no matter what your age. Us older folk are only as old as we feel, right? That is what I keep telling myself as I watch my hair fall out like someone is shaking a dried out Christmas tree. If you listen carefully you can even hear bells ringing like with a real tree, and that lifts my spirit a bit. Hey, whatever you can harness to get you motivated is an important life trial. Another life trial can be in dealing with one another. The older you get, the more difficult we find in relating to younger generations. However, youngsters, do not think that the ball is squarely in our court. There is work we all have to do to get along. This is especially true when we consider the power of diversity on our organizations. There are many diversity factors that one can consider, but the purpose today is to address one: age. That is right, you can use age as a diversity factor to improve organizational processes and build better teams. In fact, it is probably one of the most important aspects because of how universal it is on a global scale. What I mean is that some social factors are regionally confined, but age is something that each and every human has to come in contact with at some point in their life. That makes it a consideration that should be front and center when thinking about organizational diversity.
How are we going to go on this journey of exploring age in diversity? Well here is the roadmap that we will be taking. We will see how needs and values are an important factor. This is important because what we see as a need motivates us, and how we go about obtaining those needs largely depend on our values. These elements also tie into what motivates us. What may drive one group might not work on the next. We are talking about incentives and which type of incentive best works for which group. Can we use a traditional incentive with younger groups, or do we have to change it up? That is the question we will seek to answer in that aspect. Figuring that out, however, may lead you to some stereotypes about each group. This is a fallacy and should be avoided. I will explain why, and how to avoid this particular pitfall. Finally, we will end today's discussion on how to form diverse groups. How do you get everyone to work together? We will focus on bringing all we have learned through this discussion to formulate methods that can be used in that formation. Then we will wrap this whole thing up with a quick summary, and there will be time at the end for questions. Any before we get started? Let's do it!
Let us begin by firstly defining what we are talking about in age diversity. Age is based on birth year and life experiences during events of their time of development cause commonalities in birth years. These commonalities are grouped by generation. A generation is a group of individuals that have a common birth year and presumably have had many shared experiences about significant public events, which drives a commonality in their development (Deal, Stawiski, Graves, Gentry, Weber, & Ruderman, 2013). Depending on your generational development you will have varied needs and values. The three largest groups in the workforce now are Generation X, born in the late 1970s, Generation Y, early 1980s, and the Baby Boomers, 1940s to early 1960s (Mencl & Lester, n.d.). Some have combined these groups to further our understanding of some of the relationships amongst generations. That can be seen with Generation X and Y which are considered the Millennials (DeVaney, 2015). Now, with all that being said these are some of the needs that can be a source of exanimation across generations. Mencl and Lester used this list of needs to determine shared values by rating how each generation rated the importance of the item. There is no sense in memorizing this list of needs because they vary per organization. Sure, some are 'universal,' but the point I am trying to make here is that these items are needs. You can say these are what we might need to be a happy worker, and before examining values and other dimensions you will kneed to know the needs first.
Alright, so now you have seen a list of needs. How you perceive each of those needs on a level of importance then shapes value. It is interesting here to point out that Mencl and Lester found that there are more similarities across generations than there are differences. We will come back to that when we look at stereotypes, but for now, just know that there are differences. That is the focus when trying to examine what to provide to members of an organization when considering generational factors. Some differences need to be taken into consideration for maximum efficiency. This is relative in the sense that we are all humans and of course have similar needs. These needs cross over from one generation to the next, and the importance we levy on one need over the other forms or value system. That value system has a large impact on our perception of how an organization then functions to suit our needs. So you see the point is not just to ensure you are meeting each and every need. It is less about quantity than it is about quality. It is about providing for all those needs, but leveraging more support towards those needs that have the greatest value to the individual. That might sound like a lot of of work, but if you look at the importance of it, you can then recognize why it is vital.
Now we know that members of an organization have particular needs that have to be filled and that their values are shaped by placing importance on each need. Why then is all this important? It is mostly important because of the fact that all of this shapes perception. As Mencl and Lester pointed out: "values affected the relationships between perceived fulfillment of work factors and attitudinal outcomes" (p. 266). What that means is that what needs you are filling, and how those needs are fulfilled drive attitudes towards performance. Others have found this very same thing. Resulting values through need fulfillment act as a guide in the selection of behaviors and goals, and reflect intrinsic, extrinsic, and social rewards (Winter & Jackson, 2016). We learned previously that generational values will vary, and so will the selection of behaviors and goals in response to how and which needs are being met. We know this is something that is at work within every generation, and it is an important consideration when examining each generation. You have to find out what it is that they need, which will then give you an idea of what they value. All of this then drives proper implementation of incentives.
We can now move into what incentives you might use to motivate these groups. Before we examine what might work for one group or the other we should look at the actions we can take. We can do this by looking at some of those common needs amongst the generations. An organization that values diversity Teamwork in the workplace (Mencl & Lester, n.d.). Traditionally an organization would ensure they are employing non-discriminatory practices to entice everyone to join their organization; however, an innovation in this sense could be to take advantage of globalization by seeking job applicants globally. Flexible work arrangements (Mencl & Lester, n.d.). Traditionally you might just allow flexibility in the work schedule, but you could allow for complete innovation by enabling the employees to devise the work schedule. Getting immediate feedback and recognition from my supervisor (Mencl & Lester, n.d.). Traditionally you would have a standardized feedback process, but one may consider allowing the subordinate to have more authority in this matter may be a bit more innovative. Work–life balance (Mencl & Lester, n.d.). Traditionally work is done at work, but with growing technology workers can work anywhere on certain tasks. Having a job that challenges me (Mencl & Lester, n.d.). Traditionally you might provide for promotion, but allowing members to work with other agencies within the organization may inspire better cross utilization leading to innovative solutions. By no means is this list exhaustive, and we did not cover all of the needs mentioned before, but it does illustrate the difference inherent in each type of incentive. One is what we are used to, while the other has inherent risks by being a bit unfamiliar. We should end this portion of the discussion by also stating that the innovative approach is mostly additive. For instance, though a traditional method for attracting a diverse workforce is to employ nondiscriminatory policies, you cannot stop doing that and seek a global market. You have to understand that you will have to stick with fulfilling the traditional role, but then also seek out global job applicants.
Before we continue, we need to put a disclaimer out there. You may have noticed a lot of this topic is subjective in nature. For instance, the years that form each generation are debatable, and the characteristics to describe each generation also vary. The advice I am providing here is based on one study that examined how each generation consumes information, and that is what I am basing this analysis on. We also have to add to that the complexities of human nature, which necessitates a different approach even when we made objective observations. I only mean that human nature is too complex to standardize and that these methods may serve as more of a starting point. Disclaimer aside, Baby Boomers are described as finding inspiration in greater hopes of personal achievement, and frequently break away from traditional models (Omana, 2016). Note here that younger generations may have thought of older generations being more traditional. We will get back to that on the next slide. Generation X avoids corporate decorum and rigidity, and tend to gravitate to positions offering versatility and avenues for creative self-expression (Omana, 2016). Notice how the influence sort of follows into the next generation. However, there is a slight departure with Generation Y. Overall, this generation is individualistic, but are project centric while concentrating on challenges that meet intrinsic and extensive rewards (Omana, 2016). With this group, you can be a bit more traditional by offering opportunities for challenge, as long as there is an environment that fosters individuality, which may lead to some innovative approaches.
It is important that actions to support the attraction, development, and retention based on generational factors are based on empirical evidence. If an organization were to become susceptible to the many stereotypes generated in regards to each generation, a cultural norm might develop that would hinder any such effort to foster these organizational elements. For instance, it is a stereotype that Baby Boomers, an older generation, are too old to incorporate newer technologies into their jobs, but this has been found to be inaccurate and only necessities a varied approach to incorporate training on how to use the technology (Amayah & Gedro, 2014). Similar stereotypes exist due to misunderstandings of both Generation X and Y personnel. These two groups put a bigger emphasis on leisure time and are less willing to work more without pay, which has fueled a stereotype that they are ‘lazy’ (Amayah et al., 2014). This difference is a contrast between the Baby Boomer view of ‘work then life’ and the changing view that puts more emphasis on ‘work for life.’ It does not necessarily support the assumption that younger generations are lazy, but yet that they simply value different things. Organizations would be better fit to address the difference as a motivational concern, rather than understanding it as a character flaw such as ‘laziness.' In both of the stereotypes presented here, it is important that the organization is addressing the facts and not the unsupported stereotype.
I am going to dash all of your hopes in receiving a magic formula for dispelling stereotypes. There is only one sure-fire way to avoid them, and that is through education and experience. We know that the brain functions through the use of stereotypes, biology 101. The brain groups information based on similarities in experience, that is how neural pathways are created. Essentially we are hardwired to stereotype. Once you experience something, you have created neural pathways for it, and the only way to break that connection is to experience something that is contrary to it. On the previous slide, we talked about a couple of stereotypes about these generations. Let us take the technology one as an example. If you want a younger generation to understand that baby boomers simply need more training on how to use technology, then you have to pair them up to observe that. You can do that by offering opportunities for the younger member of your organization to meet with the other generations to share their knowledge of how to use technology. The forum can be one on one, or it could be an offer to have a sort of class. This would allow for the younger generation to feel a sense of accomplishment, a motivator for Generation Y in particular, and will also facilitate the training Baby Boomers might need. As a result, they get the training, the youngsters feel accomplished, and through the experience they will have hopefully disbanded a few stereotypes.
We have considered a lot so far. Now we have to tie it all together to do what we have set out to achieve, which is to pull together diverse teams to solve organizational issues. How do we do that? We have been alluding to it this whole time. It has to do with tearing down barriers and seeking to foster environments that entrench those values that facilitate a functioning team. Regarding generational differences, you put diverse age groups within each team. Do not allow stereotypes to bias decisions on team member selection. You further this effort by challenging institutions, arrangements that lead to restrictions that drive single age groups (Butts, 2015). Who is selecting the team members? Are they educated on stereotypes and are they avoiding them when choosing members? These would have to be answered. There is the all important key: it relies on leadership. We must encourage leaders to use intergenerational strengths to engage and value all ages (Butts, 2015). I mean this is what is all about anyway, right? It is about using the power of diversity to solve problems. Start by seeking out local talent, so to speak. If you find yourself with an organization that is lacking in either older or younger generations, then you have to make a conscious effort to correct this and to add them whenever you can, because these types of relationships do not just happen (Butts, 2015). People are naturally drawn to those who bear similarities with their thinking, and so age groups are naturally attracted to each other. It will take an effort to drive these two groups together.
Acting locally really has a powerful impact, especially in considering knowing the strengths of each generation. These subjective glances into generational studies are the standard, not the rule. When you act locally, you will know more about the individual you are examining. For instance, let us stick with the common theme of picking on the Baby Boomers and technology stereotype, you might think that a younger generation is a better fit for implementing an advancement in technology. However, understanding that older generations simply require more experience with it, you may find a better pairing with a younger member and an older member. While the younger generation may have an aptitude for dealing with the new technology, the senior members might be more inclined to think critically about its use, as they may have less aptitude towards it. You can play these two against each other to inspire better solutions. That is why acting locally also supports team selection based on merit. You do not want to team up two unproductive individuals just because they are from different age groups in some frivolous attempt at capitalizing on diversity. That would be silly. It is a conscious effort to select those who are best for the position. This is all centered around accountability for the group. There will need to be a structure to it, with formal lines of communication. Holding the team accountable will be key to driving productivity and this will also more than likely support open communication for all that are involved. Through accountability clear goals can be set, and this will alleviate any nonproductive attitudes towards over analyzing implantation of formulated plans of action.
This lady is staring into your sole right now. She is very disappointed in us right now for reasons I am unaware. We better get this summary done with so we can get past this uncomfortable slide. Today we took a look at generational differences. We discussed how needs of the different generations could drive variation in values. We looked at some examples of needs, and how the placement of importance on those needs reveals values. We examined how needs and values shape attitudes and perceptions, and these influence behaviors. We looked at some traditional and innovative incentives and reviewed which might be used with which generation. We then talked about stereotypes and how to avoid them. The most important factor there was that education and experience is the most vital asset in avoiding stereotypes. That then tied into how teams are selected, and how to form and develop diverse groups. It involves encouraging leaders to create diverse teams, challenging the norm, and acting locally. Acting locally is especially important in knowing your talent. You can then leverage what you know about a particular generation with what you know about that person. This in-depth examination will lead you to better team member selection. Accountability is the overarching mechanism for control over diverse groups to inspire open communication and to ensure a minimization of a hindrance to productivity.
