Senior Project

Running head: COMMUNICATION IN A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE 1
APPLYING COMMUNICATION THEORIES TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCEIS,
EFFECTIVENESS, AND TEAMWORK IN A MULTI-GENERATIONAL WORKFORCE.
Jeff Walker
Bachelors of Integrated Studies Degree.
Continuing Education and Academic Outreach
Murray State University
04/25/2015

COMMUNICATION IN A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION
Problem statement
II. Literature Review
a. General Description of Generations
1. Traditionalist (or Veterans)
2. Baby Boomers
3. Generation X
4. Millennials (Gen-Y)
b. Generational Differences in Values
c. Generational Work Ethics
1. Job Mobility
2. Compliance with Work Rules
3. Willingness to Work Overtime
d. Knowledge Sharing between Generations
e. Generational Motivators
1. Baby Boomers
2. Generation X
3. Millennials

f. Organizational Communication
g. Collaborative Organizations
III. Analysis
IV. Recommendations
V. Conclusion
VI. Bibliography

Abstract
Managers today will have to content with different values and perspectives from up to
four generations in the workplace. The purpose of this study is to gain a more thorough
understanding of each generation , as well as differences in values, ethics, and motivators in the
workplace. Also covered are means of communicating with each generation and building a
better, more efficient team using Organizational Communication methods to build a organization
that is more collaborative.
This study reviewed literature on the general descriptions of each generation, their values,
and work ethics. It covers knowledge sharing and the general motivators of each generation.
Finally it shows managers how organizational communication theories can be used to build a
more collaborative organization as well as how that will benefit them with a more efficient,
effective, and productive, work team.

How can Warehouse Managers best apply Communication Theories to improve
efficiencies, effectiveness, and teamwork in a Multi-generational workforce? Most people agree
that each generation is slightly different than the generation before them and that each generation
approaches life in their own unique way. Their work ethics and practices are no different.
Workplace Managers today have a unique challenge. For the first time, today’s workforce,
consist of up to four different generations Each of them bring their own values, behaviors, style
and ethics to the workplace. For a manager to be effective, they need to provide their employees
with the tools needed while making the employee feel as there is a payoff in for their efforts.
Understanding each generation’s characteristics will help managers to better provide for the
needs of their employees. Four different generations, with different work ethics and
communication styles will be a challenge for mangers to overcome, however great benefits can
await the managers that are able to do just that.
Problem Statement
On average, executives are older employees and middle managers are middle aged. The
youngest workers are on the front lines of the organization. Four generations working at the
same time is due to many reasons. One of those being the sheer number of Baby Boomers and
their devotion to a hard work ethic. Economic conditions have caused many of them to continue
working and put off their retirement. The same could be said of Traditionalist. Because of this
many of these two groups are working beyond the retirement age of sixty five. This trend is not
likely to change for several more years as the economy struggles.
Companies and organizations will have to find ways to utilize each generation’s positive
attributes and encourage an environment where each generation feels comfortable and essential
to the organizations success. No single style exists or will work in leading a workforce made up

of multiple generations. Leaders must be flexible and adapt to meet the needs of each generation
(Haeberle, Hersberg, and Hobbs, 2009)
Literature Review
Baby Boomers are different than Generation X. Generation X is different from
Baby boomers and Millennials. Each has their own “personality” shaped by the events their
generation grew up with. War, economic boom or disparity, and high or low unemployment,
each of these shape how a generation view and approach life and work. The way they
communicate is no different and for a manager to be effective at their job they must first be able
to successfully communicate with members of that generation. After all, how can a manager
complete a task if they cannot communicate effectively the ideas, goals, and how important the
task at hand is to the point of the employee understanding and believing their role? It is hard to
motivate someone to do a job well, if they do not share the same goal or need to complete the
job. To better communicate with someone it is essential that one “make a connection” with them.
To do that managers must better poses a understanding of their workforce.
General Descriptions of the Generations.
A generation has been defined as a group that shares a span of both birth years and
worldview, usually formed by social or historical events that occurred they experienced during
their early years. Supporters of the notion of multigenerational theory argue that people who
grow up during different time periods develop a different beliefs, values, and attitudes. These
beliefs impact their behavior, both inside and outside of the workplace. (Glass 2007).
Though the definitions of a generation vary by birth year or age ranges and show some
variance, they generally agree on characteristics and traits. For this discussion the following
guidelines were used to classify when each generation occurs.

Traditionalist (or Veterans), born up to 1945
Baby Boomers, from 1946 to 1964
Generation X, 1965 to 1980
Millennials, or Gen-Y, born from 1981 to 2000.
This paper will explore differences in the generations by comparing and contrasting
several areas related to the workforce. Area such as Job retention, mobility, and expectations
from each generation of their supervisors. Communication obstacles, theories, and possible
solutions will be covered along with techniques that should prove useful in bringing the different
generations together into an effective and cohesive workforce.
THE TRADITIONALIST (OR VETERANS).
Born between 1922 and 1943 and number up to 52 million people, this generation was
born prior to World War Two (WW II) (Gordon and Steele, 2005). Being born between two
World Wars greatly shaped their memories. Other major influences were the Great Depression,
The New Deal, and the Korean War. They were influenced by the GI Bill, and the Golden Age
of radio, those these events were most likely positive influences.
This generation’s early years were shaped by a strong sense of family commitment.
Traditional family structures were the primary family structure and children were raised by strict
parents leading to this generation developing their sense of a strong work ethic and self-
discipline. During their lifetime our country changed from a largely agricultural way of life to a
nation centered on manufacturing. Many describe them as hard working and patriotic. Their
workforce behavior is described as “Conforming, logical, disciplined, and shaped by a belief in
law and order, a conservative spending style, and a respect for history and the lessons it teaches”
(Gordon and Steele, 2005, p.27).

Though they are few left in the workforce, many hold senior positions and may be board
members of many large corporations. In the workplace, Traditionalist value fairness, impartiality
and may prefer mediation over direct confrontation. If they are uncomfortable with change, they
may not like new ideas. However, if they embrace change and are creative, they may contribute
good ideas based on their past experiences and identify solutions.
BABY BOOMERS.
The generation of Baby Boomers is perhaps the largest to ever enter the workforce in
United States history. Estimates of up to 76 million have been made. They were born between
1943 and 1960. They were born during or after WW II and raised by parents who experienced
the Great Depression. “They were raised in an era of extreme optimism, opportunity, and
progress” (Gordon and Steele, 2005, p. 26). These children were taught to “work well with
others” as they grew up, resulting in these adults placing considerable value on building
relationships and teamwork.
They were shaped by events that included the assassination of President John F Kennedy,
his brother, Senator Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Other events that shaped
them would be the Civil Rights movement, the space race, the Viet-Nam conflict and even the
“Cold” war. Television had an incredible impact on their early years as it allowed them to
experience cultural and historic events more so than previous generations.
“Boomers”, are described as optimistic, competitive, and spiritual. They have been
called trendsetters and team workers. Baby Boomers may define their self-worth by their jobs.
Many value money, title recognition, and staying young. On one hand they bring to the
workplace a service orientation and an ability to form good relationships. On the other hand,

conflict makes them uncomfortable and makes them sensitive to feedback (Gordon and Steele,
2005).
As some are driven to work hard and willing to go above and beyond in their work, many
of them hold senior positions in companies and mangers may find themselves reporting to them
as they have gained experience and responsibilities. As Traditionalist retire or move on, the Baby
Boomers will be moving up into more senior positions for some time to come. In the workplace
Boomers can be good at creating harmony and relationships. This makes them strong team
players. On the downside, they take feedback very personally and prefer annual reviews instead
of constant feedback.
GENERATION X
This generation was born between 1960 and 1980, with estimates a high as 70.1 million
people. They were born to Baby Boomer parents, in a time of changing family roles and the
traditional configurations with the increase of divorce and re-marriages. Many had mothers who
worked outside of the home and were nicknamed “Latchkey Kids”. With changing family roles,
divorce, and working mothers, they grew up self-reliant and cynical (Cogin, 2012).The
information age was just beginning during their lifetime and they have grown up along with it.
They are comfortable with technology and computers. Life shaping events for them include the
Watergate scandal and the resulting resignation by President Nixon’s , the energy crisis and its
oil embargoes. Other events would have been the Iran hostage situation, the disaster of the Space
Shuttle Challenger explosion, and Operation Desert Shield/Storm (Gordon and Steele, 2005).
They have been described as self-reliant, pragmatic, skeptical, and competent with
technology. Growing up watching their parents affected living their life around their work and
victims of corporate downsizing, most GenXer’s developed a different attitude to work/life

balance and wanted a better balance in their lives. Values include a work-family balance,
independence, and creativity. Their manner is straightforward, competent and fair, though they
may sometimes be impatient and often ask “Why” things are done the way they are. That can
sometimes come across as brusque and people skills may need some attention.
This generation is beginning to move up into positions of responsibility and may look
forward to higher positions as the Baby Boomers retire or move up. Most GenXer’s are
adaptable and fairly independent. They prefer to be left to work on their own terms. GenXer’s
are comfortable with change but can be frustrated with the decision making speed in a slow
moving business model. They can often be seen as impatient.
MILLENIALS (Gen-Y)
This generation sometimes called Generation Y, was born between 1980 and 2000. They
number less than Boomers or Generation X, with estimates of up to 69.7 million. Their parents
are the Baby Boomers and early Generation Xers. They have often been labeled as the “Internet
Generation” because growing up; technology was a daily part of their lives.
Many of their parents raised them to keep busy and they grew up with large amounts of
scheduled activities, and close supervision. Their parents were often called “Helicopter Parents”
for their habits of constantly hovering over and around their children’s every activity. They were
constantly praised and often rewarded not just for succeeding in activities but often simply for
participating. This has led many them to have sometimes unrealistic expectations of themselves
and their managers.
Events that have shaped them include the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Columbine High
school shooting and the September 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade center and the
Pentagon. Because they are new to the job market there is speculation about them with the

general opinion being they are optimistic, confident, sociable a civic minded. “They are often
compared to their Traditionalist grandparents because of their moral and civic-minded
characteristics” (Gordon and Steele, 2005, p. 28). Millennials appear to be good at multi-tasking
and are goal oriented. They can often view “menial” work as beneath them though, can
sometimes be impatient, and have yet to acquire the people skills to deal well with others.
Millennials view workplace loyalty differently, and some experts predict they may have as many
as 10 career changes in their lifetime.
GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN VALUES
One of many challenges today that managers face is dealing with a diverse workforce.
The diversity not only ranges from religion, ethnicity, gender, and racial backgrounds but also to
each generations separate values. Are all generations viewing quality of life issues the same or
do they have different outlooks and beliefs? Understanding the motivations of each generation is
an essential for managers. The defining events, and characteristics were covered previously. This
section of the literature review will attempt to confirm if these value differences carry over into
the workplace. Understanding these values can help the manager understand what the employees
in each generation expect in their work and how to use those values to motivate them into more
productive and effective members in their teams.
Many management handbooks have covered this multi-generational issue, but not from
an academic or evidence based study. The studies that were based on evidence provide some
mixed results. This paper will cover several studies on values and work ethics. One of those
studies “Generational Differences In The Workplace: Personal Values, Behaviors, And Popular

Beliefs” is a study by Gibson, Greenwood, and Murphy (2009). It examined values among the
Baby Boomers, Gen X and the Millennials (or Gen Y).
They used the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS), which measures terminal values as well as
instrumental values. “Terminal values are described as the ultimate end goals of existence, such
as wisdom, equality, and peace. Instrumental values are the behavioral means for achieving the
end-goals:, and includes values such as forgiveness, honesty, and ambition” (Gibson, et al, 2009,
p. 3). In this method participants have to rank their values in terms of importance to them. Study
size was 5,057 participants. For this paper and brevity, we will concentrate on each generation’s
top five values and not the full eighteen values reviewed in the study.
TABLE 1
VALUE RANKING FOR BABY BOOMERS
Ranking Terminal Value Instrumental Value
1 Health Honest
2 Family Security Responsible
3 Self-Respect Loyal
4 A comfortable life Capable
5 Freedom Independence
From the full study the authors developed the conclusion that in the case of Baby
Boomers, managers can motivate them with money, and overtime, praise and positions, should
be used to recognize their efforts. Mangers can also expect them to be loyal, champion a cause
and to embrace change. Boomers will work hard and feel they have earned the right to be in
charge (Gibson, et al,2009).

TABLE 2
VALUE RANKING FOR GENERATION X
1 Family Security Honest
2 Health Responsible
3 Freedom Capable
4 A comfortable life Loyal
5 Inner harmony Loving
A balance between work and life is viewed as important to Generation X. They do not
expect loyalty from their employer but themselves will be loyal as a means to an end. Managers
should try to make this generations work meaningful and fun. They should also understand the
skepticism of this generation could very well be due to their observations about the employee
and employer relationship (Gibson, et al, 2009).
TABLE 3
VALUE RANKING FOR MILLENIALS (GEN-Y)
1 Family security Honest
2 Health Responsible

3 Freedom Loving
4 True Friendship Independent
5 Self-Respect Ambitious
Because technology has always been around when this generation grew up, they became
accustomed to seek instant gratification and excitement. Millennials want their work to be
relevant, but fun, and expect constant feedback from their managers (Gibson, et al, 209).
The authors concluded their study supports, in general, the typical descriptions of Baby
Boomers, Generation X and Millennials. As such managers may find profiles of these
generations useful in understanding their differences and use a different approach for each
generation. “The challenge is to provide enough motivational stimulation and communicate in
various modalities in order to reach all your employees, not just the one who agree I principle
with your values and beliefs” (Gibson, et al, 2009, p. 6).
WORK ETHICS
JOB MOBILITY
A study titled “Generational differences in workplace behavior, 2014” by Becton,
Walker, and Jones-Farmer, from the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, tested three separate
hypotheses about generational differences. They examined the generation’s views on job
mobility, work rule compliance, and their consent to work overtime. Based on generational
stereotypes and several studies, they tested predictions that; 1. Baby Boomers would exhibit
fewer job changes than GenXers or Millennials. 2. Baby Boomers would show more compliance

related behaviors. And finally, that GenXer’s are less willing to conset to work overtime when
compared to Baby Boomers and Millennials (Becton, Walker and Jones-Farmer, 2014).
The first hypothesis about job mobility or a job change history maybe important for a
manager to consider. They want to know how likely the employee is to stay at this job and what
benefit the company can get from training them in return. Research has noted that the number of
times a person leaves their job is good indicator of future turnover (Becton, Walker and Jones-
Farmer, 2014). Common stereotypes give multiple reasons that generations exhibit different job
mobility behaviors.
When Baby Boomers entered the job market, the common strategy was to get a job, work
hard, be loyal to your job and you would be guaranteed job security. Many boomers would hold
multiple jobs within the same organization. More recent generations entered the workforce
during a period of business downsizing, layoffs and companies moving offshore. Employee
loyalty and commitment did not result in job security. Because of this younger generations career
paths more often involve multiple jobs with multiple employers.
While Boomers are thought more likely to stay with an organization, Gen X and
Millennials are more often seen as willing to leave a job if better opportunities arise. They are
more self –reliant and independent. They are comfortable with change and not as likely to think
of job security as important. “In fact, Generation X is said to have pioneered the “free agent”
workforce, focusing on keeping skills current to improve their security” (Becton, Walker and
Jones-Farmer, 2014, p.178).
To test their hypothesis, 8,128 jobseekers for two hospitals, were asked to take part in a
bio data questionnaire along with online applications. For job mobility two bio data items were

measured. Applicants were asked what the longest tie they ever held one job and how many jobs
have they held in the last five years. The following chart is a sample of their findings
TABLE 4
GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN JOB MOBILITY
Generation Longest # of months spent in a single job Number of jobs held in last 5
years.
Boomers 72.9 2.0
Gen X 48.5 2.5
Millennials 22.6 2.6
Hypothesis one stated that Boomers would show fewer job mobility changes than either
GenXer’s or the Millennials. The chart above shows that Boomers do indeed tend to stay at one
job longer than the other two generations. In fact, GenXer’s spent an average of 24 months less
at the job and Millennials spent an amazing average of 50 months less at their job than Boomers.
Proving their hypothesis and providing valuable long term planning information to managers.
COMPLIANCE WITH WORK RULES
Compliance behaviors were also tested using the bio data measurements of asking the
participants how their most recent supervisor would judge their attendance. The other being, how
the participant’s last supervisor would relate their compliance with the dress code. This
following table demonstrates their results:

TABLE 5
COMPLIANCE WITH WORK RULES
Attendance Rating
Generation Bottom 5%
(%)
Lower than
most(%)
Typical of
most(%)
Higher than
most(%)
Top 5%(%)
Boomers .18 .31 13.73 34.05 51.74
Gen X .22 .60 20.90 33.66 44.62
Millennials 0 .40 17.36 34.92 47.26
Appearance Rating
Generation Never
appropriate
(%)
Sometimes
appropriate
(%)
Usually
appropriate
(%)
Always
appropriate
(%)
Boomers 0.06 0.18 5.24 94.52
Gen X .08 .2 4.89 94.83
Millennials .14 .48 6.77 92.62
This chart shows that as far as attendance goes Boomers scored higher overall, yet when
it came to complying with dress codes, Generation X scored the highest. Hypothesis #2 stated
that Boomers would show better work rule compliance yet the chart above shows only partial
support for that hypothesis. One interesting note from this study showed that as age increased in
each generation range, support for Hypothesis #2 increased within that generational range.
WILLINGESS TO WORK OVERTIME
The third Hypothesis covered by this study was the prediction that GenXer’s would be
less willing eager when it comes to working overtime than either the generation before or after
them. This survey only used one bio data item, which was asking the applicants how willing their
last supervisor would say they are to work overtime. The following table represents their
answers.

TABLE 6
WILLINGNESS TO WORK OVERTIME
Generation Never when
asked
Rarely when
asked
Occasionally
when asked
Most times
when asked
Every time
when asked
Boomers .24 .92 11.72 43.28 43.83
Gen X .22 .87 13.31 47.49 38.11
Millennials .69 1.31 10.27 47.21 40.52
The authors concluded that this chart supported their Hypothesis of GenXer’s being less
likely to work overtime when asked. They used the “Every time when asked” category as their
category of reference. The above results show that of the generations studied, GenXers’ are the
least likely overall to be willing to work overtime.
The authors acknowledge that their study had some limitations such as an inability to test
for age, life or career stages. This limitation was primarily because their data was taken from job
applications and asking for information such as marital status and number of children is illegal.
The other possible limitation noted was the data was “self-reported”, and as such the accuracy of
truthfulness of the responses could not be verified. The authors were also quick to note that the
final limitation of their study could be due to sample size, which may be statistically significant.
They caution the reader to interpret results in light of the sample size.
Overall their conclusion was that workplace generational differences exist, but are mostly
of small significance and organizations should not attempt to redesign their policies in order to
manage effectively. This study is included in this paper not to show that organizations should

change their policies but to highlight that differences exist and mangers need to take this into
account to better understand and manage their employees.
This study’s findings are complimented by the findings of another study conducted by
Meriac, Woeher, and Banister (2010) titled, “Generational Differences, in Work Ethic: An
examination of measurements equivalence across three cohorts”. That study was published in
the Journal of Business Psychology, Vol.25 and used a profile of multidimensional work ethics,
studying 1,860 participants over a 12 year period. Their results and conclusion were that Baby
Boomers ranked higher that both GenX and Millennials in all work ethics except leisure. They
also found that Millennials ranked higher than GenXers on the three dimensions of morality,
ethics, hard work, and delaying their gratification.
This study also noted that their results could be affected by the failure to take into
account life stages and possibly by interpretation errors by the respondents. Their conclusion was
that the three generations are, in fact, different on levels of work ethics but the answers were
more complicated that suggested previously.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING BETWEEN GENERATIONS
One other management issue that was covered frequently in literature was knowledge
transfer between generations. Many consider knowledge, or intellectual capital, as the capital
resource of a company’s value. Human capital, or the value of human assets, is the collective
value of the workforce (Stevens, 2010). Human capital is the knowledge, skills and motivation of
the workforce. Knowledge management is being recognized b as a valuable corporate resource in
the same way that tangible resources such as land, buildings and equipment are.
As employees age within an organization, they acquire insights about the company and
its idiosyncrasies that are difficult to replace through a simple learning program. Mature workers

have a both explicit and tacit knowledge, which is a significant resource to the organization. As
these employees are phased out, loss of information and knowledge become major concerns for
organizations.
Knowledge transfer as a continual process is vital to any institution. As organizations
face a large amount of Baby Boomers who will be retiring this process will become vital.
Increasing its urgency are reports showing a smaller incoming workforce than what will be
leaving. Some estimates are the incoming workforce may be as much as 16% smaller than the
one they are replacing. There is a very real and large risk of losing large amounts of skill and
knowledge if steps to transfer this knowledge are not taken. As employees grow and age in an
organization, they gain knowledge that is specific to that organizations operation and culture.
The more the knowledge is specialized, the more difficult it is for organizations to replace or
reproduce. It is in the company’s best interest to keep this knowledge to stay competitive
(Stevens, 2010).
Successfully managing a workforce of multiple generations’ means companies have to
design their training and use of technology with a diverse workforce in mind. A large age spread
can present challenges and barriers to this process. Potential issues are age bias as well as
different work values and habits. Those differences may pose knowledge transfer barriers
(Stevens, 2010). In order to meet the varied needs of each generation, companies will have to
develop many options for training and communication. A single approach will not work in
assisting each generation to accomplish their goals.
An understanding of how each generation learns is essential to develop an effective
training program that will assist in passing knowledge between generations. Baby Boomers and
Traditionalist are used to, and prefer instructor-led classroom training. However, Gen Xers and

Millennials were raised with and are used to technology-based learning. Because of diversity in
learning styles, various methods of transferring knowledge should be used. Formal education,
training, and conferences should be used as well as apprenticeships, games and storytelling. A
good method of promoting collaboration is putting multiple generations on teams to tackle larger
problems.
More technological means should be utilized as well such as instant messaging, blogs and
podcast which the Gen Xer’s and Millennials may find comfortable, but consideration should be
taken that the older generations may not be as proficient in. One training method shown to work
across the generations is the use of mentoring. A joint study by IBM and the American Society
of Training and Development found that up to 60% of respondents utilized mentoring while only
50% still use a document heavy means as a tool for capturing knowledge. (Stevens, 2010).
This study also noted that mentoring is an effective means to learn when doing realistic
scenarios that they may encounter, for which mentors give guidance to students. “Thus, the one-
on-one relationship between mentor and the mentee helps facilitate the transfer of experiential
and tacit knowledge” (Stevens,2010, p.80). Many successful people claim that their success was
based largely on being mentored. However an organization needs to know that for mentoring to
be effective it will require one-on-one contact along with policies that provide an adequate
amount of unstructured time for workers to spend together.
Reverse mentoring is now viewed as another method for managing knowledge transfer as
well. Reverse mentoring may be critical for older workers in order to keep important skills in
order to remain productive and effective in the workplace (Stevens, 210). Reverse mentoring can
treat generational differences as an advantage in inspiring creativity instead of a point of conflict.
Not only will older workers benefit with a better understanding of technology learned from their

younger counterparts, the younger workers will gain in their organizational and social
networking skills from their older colleagues.
GENERATIONAL MOTIVATORS
As motivating employees individually can be unwieldy to manage and motivating them
with blanket approaches, leave many employees unmotivated a better understanding of
generational trends may lead to a better organization wide approach. Reviewing several different
studies/literature gives some insight into motivational factors that each generation find important.
As it can be difficult to find studies going back far enough to research much on the Traditional
generation the following section will mostly talk about Baby Boomers, Generation X, and
Millennials.
Primarily there are two main motivational theories, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as well
as Herzberg’s follow up theory of Motivators. According to Abraham H. Maslow, only
unsatisfied needs are prime sources of motivation. This means that if you’re hungry will you
buy, grow or steal food to satisfy the primitive physiological need to survive (Montana and Petit,
2008). The same could be said about work success and motivation. You will learn and study
what you need to succeed only if that need remains unsatisfied.
Maslow list five identified needs into a pyramid system accounting for most all of human
behavior. The more primitive the need, the lower on the pyramid it belongs. The more mature the
need the higher on the pyramid. Progress up the hierarchy is similar to climbing a ladder, to get
to the next rung you have to successfully meet the need on the lower rung first. Figure one shows
his ranking system.

Figure1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
The bottom rung consist of our most basic need for survival such as food, shelter, water,
etc. The first need must be satisfied before the next rung of “Safety” can even be attempted. The
third rung represents the need to be accepted by others. It isn’t until the fourth rung, where we
begin to worry about our ego or status that a person even begins to worry about their contribution
to a group. The highest rung would deal with a sense of growth and achievement.
Herzberg, though with a different approach, came to much the same conclusions as
Maslow. However where Maslow focused on sources of motivation, Herzberg focused on only
the needs that were important to work and accomplishments. Herzog believed that only the top

three needs directly impacted motivation to work effectively. “Belongingness concerns, he
found, are somewhat linked to work motivation, especially in the area of supervisor-subordinate
relationships, and to non-work issues having to do with interpersonal satisfactions” (Montana
and Petit, 2008, p.141). Herzberg called these levels motivators as identified in figure 2.
Figure 2. Maslow’s Needs and Herzberg’s Motivators
Herzberg identified the factors in the workplace that motivate people which he called
satisfiers from the lowest two levels, which he labeled as maintenance factors. While the
maintenance factors could not be utilized to motivate workers, if not met, they could prove a
very unsatisfying factor in worker motivation. “According to Herzberg, motivation develops
from the challenge of the job itself through responsibility, achievement, recognition,
advancement, and growth” (Montana and Petit, 2008, p.142). Dissatisfaction will result if the

lower level needs are not met. In other words, job performance depends on satisfying both the
motivational and maintenance needs.
On an interesting note from a study done in 2008 comparing motivators in the workplace,
the same motivation checklist was given to 6,000 managers during the 1970’s and again to 500
senior-level executives in the 1980’s. The top three replies in order of importance were:
1. Respect for me as a person (Belonging, the third rung of the hierarchy).
2. Good Pay (Ego-status, 4th rung)
3. Opportunity to do interesting work (Self-Actualization, the 5th and top rung).
It wasn’t until the 4th through the 6th rankings which all related to self-actualization were there
any differences in motivators. Compare those findings to more recent surveys done of
Generations X (1990’s) and Millennials (2005-2007) and though the answers are different, they
pretty much relate to the same rankings on the hierarchy scale. From most important to least, the
top three ranks were:
1. Respect for me as a person (Belonging, the third rung of the hierarchy).
2. Good Pay (Ego-status, 4th rung)
3. Chance for promotion (GenXers-Ego status) and Getting along well with others on
the job (Millennials-Belonging)
GenXer’s begin to reach for self -actualization needs at the 4th rank (Opportunity to do
interesting work), and 5th rank (Feeling my job is important. Millennials do not reach for self-
actualization until 5th rank (Opportunity to do interesting work), and the 6th rank (Opportunity for
self-development and improvement).
Even though Gen X and Millennials answers are different overall from the previous
generations, they were very close to each other. Pay matters to them both for economic reasons

as well as status symbols. An understanding of what motivated these groups is vital for managers
to understand so they can manage the more effectively.
Baby Boomers
“64% of the boomers did not think that most companies are doing a good job of meeting
the needs of their generation” (Mills, Cannon and Cook, 1989, p.41). Unlike previous
generations, boomers place a high value on the work environment. Organizations can try several
approaches to make the most of boomers potential. The first approach would be to motivate
boomers through challenge and variety. Boomers view a career that is challenging and
interesting as a successful one.
Maximizing status and income were not important to them. In order to keep the best
employees, an organization needs to provide opportunities for development of careers and
training while limiting any emphasis on promotion. While stressing promotion might at first,
seem like a good way to motivate boomers, it actually reinforces a concept of “up or out”. It
implies that if one does not move up the ladder, they have lost out. This may lead to a loss of
experienced, talented, employees and worsen the morale of those that stay in the company.
Removing this mentality will allow talented employees to continue being productive,
making them more likely to stay with the company as long as they view their work as an
interesting challenge. Managers should be sensitive to employee’s interest and provide a
challenge to keep the job interesting. This can be done by organizing work into teams, frequently
varying assignments and making training and learning available.
Boomers want to be treated, respected, and seen as professionals. “Managers will relate
better with them if they set up teams in which the hierarchy lines are blurred. Baby Boomers
prefer an atmosphere where everyone’s opinion is important” (Mills, Cannon and Cook, 1989,

p.42). By increasing the scope of boomers responsibility and opportunity to work with their
peers, an environment of increased professionalism can be nurtured along. The manager will
benefit by an increase of self-supervision from the baby boomers.
As boomers are individualistic, with a strong need for their contributions to be
recognized, compensation systems need to be able to provide those recognitions. Employees
should be rewarded according to their contributions with a minimal lag time between the
contribution and the award. Another individual reward idea is to do more to recognize the
contributions the employee’s families make. Holding lunches, sending the spouses or significant
others flowers, and even organizing children’s parties are all reward alternatives. Or the reward
can be as simple as being more flexible with their work schedules.
Because boomers value relationships and many are not married, their workplace plays an
important social role. They like to develop relationships and friendships at work and often like to
have their managers socialize with them. Developing work relationships has the added plus of
fostering cooperation as well as loyalty. Boomers prefer their managers to show concern for
them as well as view and treat them as human beings.
Boomers prefer smaller organizations with fewer levels of management. These flatter
organizations allow for greater autonomy and provide people with higher levels of responsibility
(Mills, Cannon and Cook, 1989). Boomers also prefer their CEO’s to manage as a facilitator and
promote talent as well as idea from inside the ranks. This is the polar opposite of their
predecessors, who believed that CEO’s should manage from a position of strength in a top down
hierarchy. The Baby boomers are very hesitant to commit themselves unless they feel they are
playing a part in the decision making process. They will respond best to CEO’s who understand
and respect their values and careers.

Understanding can reduce conflict as differences in values can often be a source of
conflict and anger between generations. Boomers will often feel misunderstood and view older
generations as too rigid. An awareness of these differences in values is the key to managing
those conflicts successfully. For business executives, understanding what makes baby boomers
tick is key to motivating them successfully in the workplace (Mills, Cannon and Cook, 1989).
Generation X
A study titled by Montana, P., and Petit, F. (2008). Motivating Generation X and Y on the
job and preparing Z., reviews a study from the 1990’s to study Generation X as well as their own
study from 2005 to 2007 to compare these two generations.
In most literature, when people were asked about important goals in their jobs, many
employees answered self -fulfillment and “Feeling good about what I do”. This and similar
answers were given by all the generations involved. The second most frequent response was tied
along the lines of “flexibility of schedule” and “advancement in my career/profession”. Oddly
enough flexibility scored the highest among Traditionalist and Gen Xers but among the lowest
among the Millennials. Large company hierarchies are often rigid, strangle initiative and can
smother creativity. Therefore steps should be taken to reduce hierarchies or ensure they do not
become smothering.
Managers should provide opportunities to allow Generation Y employees to work with
others on special projects or on teams. This will reward them for effective performance in team
efforts as well as develop there interpersonal skills. In certain situations, one-on-one coaching
and counseling may be needed. It should be noted that the Association of Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business International list the following competencies for Managerial Success.
Leadership- the ability to influence others to perform task

Analytical Thinking- the ability to interpret and explain patterns of information
Behavioral Flexibility- the ability to modify personal behavior to reach a goal
Oral Communication – the ability to express ideas clearly in oral presentations
Written Communications- ability to express one’s ideas clearly in writing
Personal Impact –the ability to create a good impression and instill confidence (Montana
and Petit, 2008)
An organization that works to satisfy employee’s motivators will benefit by gaining a
skilled, committed workforce. The Dale Carnegie Training center (R.R, 2013) gives four ways
to motivate Gen X Employees.
1. Don’t make generalizations about a generation
2. Try not to micromanage
3. Provide Passion Projects
4. Bridge the gap
They stress that just because an employee may fall into a generation gap that does not mean
everyone of that generation acts uniformly. There will always be exceptions. To make the most
of the creativity of Generation X, do not try to control their every action. This does not mean the
manager has to tread lightly. Generation X can handle constructive criticism, but they do
appreciate being recognized for their work. Provide projects and jobs that challenge their skills.
This generation is wants to make their mark. Push them to learn new technology and trends
providing them training on new technologies and how they change way business is done. (R,
2013)
Millennials

What kind of work environments attract, retain and motivate millennial co-workers?
Here are the six most frequent responses (Montana and Petit, 2008).
1. You be the leader; this generation has grown up with parents that gave them structure and
constant supervision. So much so, that they term “Helicopter Parents” was coined to
describe them.
2. Change me; this generation wants to be assigned to projects they can learn from. They are
looking for growth and development
3. Let me work with friends; Millennials want to work with, and be friends with, their co-
workers. So much so that a few companies have even begun to interview and hire entire
groups of friends
4. Let’s have fun; a little humor and silliness will make the workplace more attractive.
Organizations such as Google, and Yahoo headquarters are known for having relaxed
work place atmospheres.
5. Respect me; treat their ideas with respect. Do not dismiss their ideas simply because they
are inexperienced.
6. Be flexible; this generation has grown up with busy schedules and will not give up their
extracurricular activities just because of jobs. A rigid schedule is a quick way to
discourage this generation.
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Communication is critical. Organizational Communication is even more so. This area’s
underlying values are vital to the success of organizations. Ethics are heavily involved in
organizational communication between an organization and its workers. Philosopher Emmanuel
Levinas tells us that inviting one into discourse creates an ethical demand (1979). That being the

case, then one must consider the ethical demand that occurs when employers hire workers and
accept their contribution to the organization (Harshman and Harshman, 1999)
Many times the organizational communication does not appear to be based on ethical
considerations. Traditional organizational communication is simply another version of the public
relations model. This model is based on communicating externally and is based on a top-down
hierarchy model where power and control in an organization is controlled by a small group at the
top. Employees have very little say and are treated as if they have no commitment or input to the
organizations well- being. This model is often not very motivating for today’s employees.
Today’s organizations are taking a more progressive approach and view of its
relationship with its workers. Instead of top-down, managers are providing information and
support, allowing the workforce to have decision making participation. This communication
model will assist in the employees having a better understanding the business and their role, as
well as how successful the organization is. “The communication process and content are based
on, and demonstrate, values such as respect, dignity, trust, and shared authority” (Harshman and
Harshman, 1999, p.4).
This model is not only clear about its organizations guiding values. To be effective a
communication style must not only support the success of the organization, it must also reflect
and reinforce the organizations values. Communication is not effective if workers do not
perceive it has integrity. They must see and believe the organizations leaders are acting
consistently with those same values.
Communication is not only a key factor in how well and organization performs, it is very
high on the diagnostic checklist. The easier it is for information to flow up, down, or even
sideways in an organization, the better, and healthier an organization becomes. There is a strong

connection between communication problems and performance problems. An organizations
performance is directly impacted by its communication issues. It is shows the employees what
their leadership believes and values. When it begins to conflict with the values of the workforce
or commonly held ethical values, the workers react negatively. They do not just ignore the
disparity. Or to put it another way, when the workers see and hear the management
communicating in ways not consistent to their values or the companies stated values they do not
just ignore the issue, it affects their performance.
Many types of communication issues may manifest in an organization. For example, one-
sided (usually downward) communication only, mistakes in facts or withholding of vital
information. Other possibilities include communication issues by the message recipient.
Messages may be misperceived, partially refused, or the recipient may not even be listening due
to lack of credibility in the sender’s message as a result of values being inconsistent. Employees
have a surprising ability to quickly pick up when values are being preached but not practiced.
Low credibility can have several effects; employees stop listening and miss vital
information. Even if they are listening, they may not believe what they are being told. If they
cannot believe what they are being told, then employees have their own interpretations of what is
developing within the organization. Giving birth to myths, rumors, and even “worst case”
scenarios to fill in the gaps in the communication. Communication is a strong sign of beliefs of
an organizations leadership. Employees have great difficulty with leaders who talk one set of
values but in daily communications violate those values. James Autry (1991), the former military
officer and corporate chief executive officer contends that:
“Management is, in fact, a sacred trust in which the well-being of other people is put in
your care during most of the waking hours. It is a trust placed upon you first by those

who put you in the job, but more importantly that that, it is a trust placed upon you after
you get the job by those whom you are to manage” (Harshman and Harshman, 1999, p.9).
This quote exemplifies the thought that you, as a manager, have a trust placed upon you to look
out for the well-being of those employees you manage, in return for their efforts and trust.
So, how do organizations and managers build credibility and trust? Be goal oriented and
present a clear vision for the future. Have high involvement with employees and a level of high
commitment. Use reward systems with a direct connection to the business performance. Other
useful strategies include have those in charge, lead, instead of manage. The organization must be
oriented to learning. And most importantly they must, have an effective, open, two way, and
credible communication process.
“If we accept the premise that communication in an organization is both a contributor to,
and reflection of, the overall culture and character of an organization, the question becomes:
What are the essential principles and practices of communication to create the kind of
organization described above”? (Harshman and Harshman, 1999, p.15).
Organizations are increasingly creating value statements as one part of their
organizational foundation. These are guidelines for leaders and their followers to emulate on a
day to day basis. This is important in identifying an organizations key value, and will help an
organization perform well and create a positive work atmosphere. With values in place an
organization can begin to build their communication process.
An effective organizational communication process should include some of the following
key roles:
To inform and explain
Educate about the business and its environment

Reinforce credibility, openness, and trust
Support an organizations messages and themes
Fulfill and employees needs of predicting, understanding, and controlling their
environment.
Make a positive impact on employees.
This is just a sample list but it makes apparent that the role of communication will be more
broadly defined than the old classic, public affairs model. It also places communication at the
heart and center of how an organization does business. Most importantly, it makes values such as
trust a vital key to communication.
Taking the trust value one step further, a communication strategy should have the
following characteristics:
Two way (for exchange and feedback
Relevant to employee’s needs;
Understandable
Believable
Useful
Timely; and
Mature (does not “talk down” to employees) (Harshman and Harshman, 1999).
Openness and trusting characteristics will allow an organization to build an ethical
communication process that will echo its stated values. Building communication practices based
on the above principles will ensure the process contributes to, and not detract, from an
organizations success.

How to tie all this together? Many high performance organizations use the following
methods to stay on track. Create a communication process that is collaborative with employees
so the process is relevant to them. Creating an oversight committee that includes employees to
identify issues. Give them the authority to create process to solve the issues. A communication
audit should be used to create a baseline, as well as measure changes over time.
Be clear about the values, principles and process; put it in writing. Create a process to
support the values. Most importantly of all, be willing to learn. Mangers should realize they most
likely will not get it right the first time and have the courage to not give up. If the employees are
kept up to date on both the success and setbacks of the process, a climate of tolerance and
support for the learning curve will develop (Harshman and Harshman, 1999).
COLLABORATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
Organizations that combine diverse areas or expertise are known as collaborative
organizations. These organizations encourage employees to work as a group. The focus is to be
motivated by the mission, not just for personal gain. By combining a sense of purpose to a
support structure, they are mobilizing employee’s expertise in a more flexible yet manageable
group work effort. The benefits are increased innovation and efficiency with the room for growth
built in.
“A growing number of organizations-including IBM, Citibank, NASA, and Kaiser
Permanente- are reaping the rewards of collaborative communities in the form of higher margins
on knowledge-intensive work” (Adler, Hecksher and Prusak, 2011, p.96).
By implementing collaborative organizations, these companies have made more efficient and
productive work forces. This is proof that collaborative communities see an increase in
productivity, efficiency and effectiveness.

For an organization to build a collaborative team and be successful they must address at
least four basic requirements; define a shared purpose, establish contribution ethic, develop
processes to allow people to work in group projects, and create an infrastructure where
collaborations is rewarded and valued. “Sociologist Max Weber famously outlined four bases for
social relations, which can be roughly summarized as tradition, self-interest, affection, and
shared purpose” (Adler, Hecksher and Prusak, 2011, p.96). Collaborative organizations
concentrate on the shared purpose base.
By concentrating on a shared purpose, collaborative communities work to establish a
basis of trust and cohesion that is greater than self-interest. Effective shared purposes will put
into words how a group positions itself apart from its competition and even other business
partners. It is what makes them unique. It also puts into words the principles they believe will
lead to their success. An example of this is Kaiser-Permante’s Value Compass, which defines the
organizations shared purpose as: Best quality, best service, most affordable, best place to work
(Adler, Hecksher and Prusak, 2011).
The shared purpose is a description of what everyone in the organization should be
working toward, or a common goal. It should be a guide for efforts for the whole organizational
structure to follow, from the top executive all the way down to the individual employee on the
line or factory floor. It recognizes the challenges that organizations face and should strive to
meet them on a daily basis. A shared purpose can be a strong principle for an organization. It is
not just words on a poster but practical statement designed to address real issues.
A shared value that collaborative business share could be called an ethic of contribution,
that places the highest value to people who look past their specific roles and work toward the
common purpose (Adler, Hecksher and Prusak, 2011). This view changes the outlook from just

doing the job, to going beyond the job description to solve problems beyond ones formal job
responsibilities. The emphasis is working within the group instead of as an individual trying to
control the responsibility. Or to put it another way, the emphasis is not to build your personal
kingdom of responsibility but to be a team player and build the business as a whole.
Traditional organization models are excellent at coordinating efforts up and down the
chain of command, but they are not so good at lateral movement. Collaborative Organizations on
the other hand excel at coordinating efforts 360 degrees in a type of coordination known as
interdependent management (Adler, Hecksher and Prusak, 2011). This process is flexible and
interactive with processes worked out and written into protocols. However, these protocols must
be continually reviewed and revised as the nature of work and the desires of the customers
change. The process is shaped by the people that have the hands on responsibility, and not from
the top down.
In this system, anyone involved can make or initiate a change if they see a need for it in
their work. The changes are not put into effect though, until all parties discuss how the change
may impact the other participants and the change is clear to everyone involved. This is a tough
way to manage as it requires participants to adapt to the needs of others. In addition the required
necessity of developing habits of documenting the process and process discussions can take a lot
of time to begin to show results.
Building a collaborative community or organization has its challenges and requires
constant attention. Some associates will not want to give up their independent goals and needs to
show how successful they are in order to concentrate on the group’s success. Another challenge
is the organizations purpose must evolve on a regular basis in order to meet the demands of the
market and their customers. This is a time consuming task. That is why this style must be

considered an investment in the long term, and many failures may take place in order to reap
greater success.
It can be argued that in today’s marketplace innovating quickly enough to keep up with
advances and the competition while cutting cost and improving efficiencies cannot be done
without the employee’s active participation. The ideas of everyone at all levels of responsibility
will be needed to do meet work demands cheaper and better. Collaboration is tailored to meet
that need. “The organizations that will become household names of this century will be
renowned for sustained, large-scale, efficient innovation. The key to that capability is neither
company loyalty nor free-agent autonomy but, rather, a strong collaborative community” (Adler,
Hecksher and Prusak, 2011, p.101).
ANALYSIS
Managers may be wondering how the different subjects covered so far have anything to
do with communication or making a more efficient productive multi-generational work team.
All the areas covered relate to each other and build upon the findings of the previous subject.
Skipping over any subject may not give managers a clear picture. Details, facts, and information
will be missing and avoidable communication errors will be made
This analysis will link the subject areas together and demonstrate how improved
communication in your workforce will increase the productivity, effectiveness, efficiency and
teamwork of your workforce. Any relationship, be it a working one or a personal one, begins
with getting to know the other party or parties. That is normally done by communicating with
one another our likes/dislikes, values, goals etc. as we search for a common ground to base a
relationship upon. In a working relationship part of the common ground has already been

established. The work of the organization that we have agreed to do is our common ground and
goal.
By covering the topics of generational descriptions we learn how each generation was
shaped and what generalities bind them together. When forming a relationship, values are
discussed. We covered some general values shared by each generation as a beginning to discover
what each generation holds dear. For example, “An examination of Table 2 shows a good deal of
congruence between the generational value profiles described above and in Table 1 and the value
profiles of Table 2 Health and family security ranked #1 and 2 for all three generations” (Gibson,
Greenwood and Murphy, 2009, p. 3).
This shows that even though each generation may be different, we hold common values
and can relate to each other. Being sensitive to the differences that exist among our workers will
assist in removing communication barriers, as noted by Gibson, Greenwood and Murphy (2009),
“It should be helpful, however, to be more sensitive to these gross generational differences I
order to bridge what is commonly called the generation gap” (p. 5).
Some of the values we covered are that Traditionalist have a strong sense of family,
strong work ethics, and self- discipline. They value fairness and managers would be well advised
to approach any topic with them by keeping that in mind. It is best to remember they most often
prefer face to face communication and may be uncomfortable with electronic communication.
Maintaining trust is of great importance to them. Managers should make sure they communicate
those ideas and values when dealing with this generation if they expect full cooperation. Eye
contact is important and oftentimes communicating in detail how important a job or a task
assigned to them is may be critical to get the most participation from them.

Boomers were taught to work well with others and value relationships. Managers should
understand and communicate their wants and needs to this generation on the terms of
relationship building. Managers can often get good results by appealing to a Boomers sense of
self-worth as they may define it by their jobs. Managers must also be very mindful of their
communication style with Boomers as they may take feedback as criticism and take it personally.
Be sure to phrase your comments tactfully. A Coaching or mentor style communication may be
very advantageous.
Generation X or GenXer’s grew up very independent. Managers need to keep that in
mind and that this generation may see communication that constantly request updates on their
task as micro-management. Business decisions should also be made and communicated quickly
or GenXer’s may become impatient. Showing an interest and helping hand in their careers will
strengthen your relationship with them and promote better teamwork. Keep in mind that
GenXer’s have a strong sense of worklife balance. Taking an interest in their family and family
events will give the non-verbal message that you think of them as more than just an employee
and value the time they give to their job.
Millennials grew up communicating via email, skype, instant messaging or even using
social media. This is important as a manager to understand as you may get a faster response from
them through electronic channels than through other means. On the other hand, managers will
need to know that this also means this generation may be a little lacking on their people skills
and some conflict may occur with older generations because of it. Millennials also look at job
loyalty differently. Managers who wish to keep talented workers from this generation will need
to take extra steps to let them know how much they are appreciated.

The same goes for their work ethics; by covering this topic managers are prepared to
understand how each generation approaches work. Knowing this may influence how a manger
decides to handle conflict or needed discussion within the workplace. For example we know that
“Traditionalist are respectful of peoples’ titles and authority they represent, while Boomers may
question anyone of authority” (Gordon and Steele, 2005, p. 29). Knowing this we should expect
and not take it personally when Boomers question the manager and expect explanations in
greater detail that Traditionalist would. A manager should be prepared with clear communication
of the facts at hand.
Another important item to note from the same study is how the different generational
work habits and decision making may require patience on the manager’s part. Different
perceptions by each generation can cause misunderstandings. As noted by Gordon and Steel
(2005), “Patience is an important attribute for advisors of all generations to master because
perceptions about different aspects of work may cause misunderstandings or conflict” (p. 29). As
a manager, you will most likely have to be the mediator in these misunderstandings.
Understanding both sides will be essential to minimize conflict and promote teamwork.
Some of the areas were misunderstandings may occur are job mobility, work rule
compliance, and willingness to work overtime. Communication is perhaps the most important
tool to use in addressing these issues. At one time or another, a manager will be faced with these
issues and any of them can cause undue issues with teamwork, effectiveness and efficiency. It is
best to be aware of their potential to become issues before they do.
Job mobility is an obvious worry for a manager. Having a valued employee leave
your organization is always disruptive, even more so if you are in the middle of an important
project. From our research we can see that Baby Boomers, and most likely Traditionalist, are the

least likely generations to change jobs. They grew up when it was common to get a job and be
loyal an organization expecting job security. Think of the pension and a gold watch stories. They
may hold multiple jobs within that organization but did not leave the organization itself.
The same cannot be said of GenXer’s or Millennials however. They grew up and even
entered the workforce themselves during corporate downsizing and company layoffs of their
parents as well as themselves. They no longer view being loyal to a company and being
rewarded as a given. Who can blame them after seeing how that no longer worked for their
parents? These generations are more independent and comfortable with change.
Managers who have valued employees in either of these generations need to make sure
they communicate how valued the employee and their contributions are. Asking about these
generation’s future goals or concerns can give a manager a heads up if the employee may be
looking for greener pastures. A disgruntled employee may not be an employee much longer
regardless of how valued they are. Managers should also use this information in their long term
planning such as in knowledge transfer but we will discuss that later on.
Another major area of concern for managers would be compliance with work rules. Even
though the studies we reviewed looked at dress codes and attendance, these two issues could give
an indication if the employee will be difficult to work with or not. And of course if you are a
manager in production warehouse, unexpected absences can play major havoc on your work
production. Baby boomers should the least amounts of issues with absenteeism, as might be
expected. Oddly enough though it was GenXer’s that showed the most compliance with dress
codes.
Millennials closely mirrored Baby boomers in both attendance an appearance issues. The
study authors did note, however, that as people aged in each generational range, the more likely

they were to comply with work rules. Managers should keep these issues in mind when
explaining the organizations work rules and perhaps spend more time explaining to GenXers, on
how non-compliance with these rules adversely affects work performance, production, and even
detracts from teamwork.
The last work ethic discussed was each generation’s willingness to work overtime. We
see that GenXer’s were least likely to work overtime, every time when asked. This should not be
surprising as we discussed in generational values that GenXer’s more than any others want a
work-life balance. While the study showed they were least likely every time when asked.
GenXer’s did show the highest compliance under the table heading of “Most times when asked”.
As overtime is quite often a necessity to accomplishing a work goal, managers should
spend extra time and care with their communication to GenXer’s of the need for the overtime.
Managers should keep in mind this generation wants a work-life balance. Unnecessary overtime,
as viewed by the worker or consistent overtime may lead to a member of this generation feeling
that work is not taking their family time serious enough. If kept to a minimum and care is taken
to explain why and how much their cooperation is appreciated, this should not be a major issue.
Knowledge sharing is based almost entirely upon communication between each
generation. This is something the organizers will have to manage. As knowledge is often
guarded by some workers in the mistaken goal of ensuring their job security, it can often be lost
when that worker retires or is suddenly gone. Withholding information like this would negatively
impact the organization. For example, Stevens (2010), notes that “42% of corporate knowledge
resides in the brains of the workforce and the institutional knowledge that accompanies the
person out the door is both explicit and tacit” (p. 81)

Knowledge transfer is almost entirely communication based. Whether it be via hands on
demonstrations (non-verbal) or instructor, mentoring and even reverse mentoring (verbal), it is
critical to not only the organizations success but can be instrumental in maintaining your
workforce productivity. The knowledge should not only be passed to the upcoming generations
but also to the older generations. Reverse mentoring can be a vital tool to maintain and increase
productivity. “Reverse mentoring is critical for older workers. As workers advance in age, they
will need to refresh important skills to remain productive and effective in the workplace”
(Stevens, 2010, p. 81).
Knowledge is often considered intellectual capital and viewed as a corporate resource.
Structuring a training program with different generations sharing their knowledge will not only
keep the necessary skills an organization needs, but if structured correctly it can make for a
tighter, more productive team. Mentoring is often viewed by many successful people as the
largest contribution to their success. Having a Traditionalist or Baby boomer mentor upcoming
GenXer’s and even Millennials will not only retain knowledge it can also lower communication
barriers between the generations. Younger generations learning from their senior counterparts
will gain an appreciation for their knowledge.
The older generation, or mentors, will develop an appreciation for the younger
generation’s ability to quickly grasp new material and knowledge that may have taken them
years to develop on their own. While Traditionalist and Baby Boomers may be more comfortable
in an instructor-led classroom, Gen Xer’s and Millennials are accustomed to technology based
training. A good mix of the two should reach each generation. As mentioned earlier a good
method of promoting collaboration, and even communication, is to put multiple generations on
the same teams to tackle large problems. Managers that take that approach will not only increase

the team’s collaboration, but their communication with each other as well. Best ideas, and
approaches are tempered with experience and history of past methods tried.
We progress from knowledge transfer between generations to reviewing motivators.
Knowing what motivates a generation and how to communicate to those motivators is the back
bone of any manager’s job. Motivating your employees is essential to accomplishing the
organizations goals. Backing up that claim, Montana and Petit (2008) state, “Understanding the
factors that motivate each of these different groups is very important to managers to understand
in order to manage effectively” (p. 144). How does this improve workplace effectiveness?
The answer to that is by building on the values, ethics and knowledge transfer, motivating
the workforce will encourage them to work together. The following quote demonstrates this well
-known fact, “An Organization will benefit greatly, not only by satisfying these motivators, but
also by gaining a more committed and skilled work force” (Montana and Petit, 2008, p. 145).
Before a manager can motivate their workforce, they must first understand what motivators are.
To better understand motivators this study included what motivators are along with the role
communication can play.
The first thing we reviewed is Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s follow up of
Motivators. This gives a baseline explanation of what motivators are and how they work. From
Maslow we learn that needs are ranked in level of maturity. We cannot begin to address a need
on an upper rung of the hierarchy until we satisfy a lower level need. Herzberg identifies which
of these needs can be used as motivators and which ones, if not taken care of, can be
demotivating factors.
Once again, this is done by communicating to those values and needs. Communicating a
message of respect for our fellow workers addresses their need of “Belonging”. While explaining

to an employee the chance to do work that may be interesting may address their need of “Self-
Actualization. By addressing an employee’s needs or showing them a path to address those needs
a manger is showing interest in their well-being and strengthening their work place relationships.
People will better respond to others who understand, and respect their values. Addressing
an employee’s motivator’s shows not only do you understand their values, but that you are
actively attempting to help that employee succeed with their goals. Keep in mind that insincerity
is quickly noticed and will impact the working relationship negatively. Concern and efforts to
assist someone meeting their goals must be genuine or you will risk alienating that person. Once
the feeling that a manager is insincere is established, it can be hard to overcome that
communication barrier.
This brings us to Organizational Communication. The topic of organizational
communication covers how organizations can communicate their message of values, goals, and
objectives. If this step is missed or an organization is unable to properly communicate with its
employees, they will not trust the organization or give the job the attention it deserves. This
section ties everything together for what a manager and an organization must do in order to form
a tight, efficient, and productive work team.
Detailed steps are given in what steps an organization must meet in order to communicate
the message they want their employees to hear and believe. The result of not having an effective
organizational communication plan will be decreased efficiency and productivity. “Mistrust and
a lack of credibility are part of a pattern in organizations that results in morale, commitment, and
ultimately, performance problems” (Harshman and Harshman, 1999, p. 18). This highlights why
an effective organization communication strategy is vital to the organizations success. It provides
a shared purpose to everyone within the organization.

For two sides, in this case an organization and employees to effectively relate and
communicate they must share a common purpose grounded in ethics and values. This section
shows from an organizational standpoint, what the ethics, values, and motivating goals of each
generation are and how to align the organizations communications with them. Organizational
communications are heavily based on their stated ethics and values. Organizations are moving
away from the old public relations model of communication. That was a top down approach that
demonstrated all the organizations power came from the top, few, selected individuals.
This was not a very motivating message for employees to hear that no matter what they
think or do, the upper management is not interested in their ideas. Today’s organizations are
moving to a more collaborative environment where everyone’s ideas are heard and appreciated.
Managers are not telling workers how and when to do what. Now they are communicating
information and support. It is the workforce that is being allowed in on the decision making
process.
Organizations are taking the time to further explain to their employees their roles in
business and how that affects the organization. They state, for lack of a better term, their motto in
running their business. Or to put it another way, organizations are putting their values, in writing,
for all to see. The goal is to provide integrity, because without it, communication with the
workers will not be effective. If the communication is not effective it is counter-productive.
One of the goals for organizational communication is for information to no longer flow
from the top down, but from the bottom up, and any which direction as long as it flows freely. In
other words, the goal is free and open communication. Organizations have learned
communication problems will lead to performance problems as well. Just as in any relationship,

if clear, honest communication does not exist the relationship will never be as strong or healthy
as it could possibly be.
If communication does not flow freely, then messages may be misperceived, or the
recipient may not even be listening as they feel the sender has no credibility. In an organization,
communication is a sign of belief in the organizations leadership. No one believes or trust, a
person or organization that appears to preach one set of values, only to practice a different set of
values on a daily basis.
Taking Organizational communication and its purpose of increasing the ways
communication flows will naturally lead to the final section of building a Collaborative
Organization. This combines the sense of purpose in organizational communication with a
support structure that takes advantage of each employee’s knowledge and ideas. Work becomes a
group effort instead of a result of individual efforts within an organization. Or as stated by Adler,
Hecksher and Prusak (2011), “By marrying a sense of common purpose to a supportive
structure, these organizations are mobilizing knowledge worker’s talents and expertise in
flexible, highly manageable group-work efforts. The approach fosters not only innovation and
agility but also efficiency and scalability” (p. 96).
How do organizations build this sense of trust and credibility? They must be goal
oriented and set a clear vision. They are also highly involved with their employees and make use
of reward systems directly tied to performance. The organization must be geared for learning and
managers must lead rather than simply manage. One way for them to accomplish this is to use
value statements. These are guidelines for the organization, and everyone in it, to follow. This
will identify the organizations key value much as we identified each generation’s key values
earlier.

Many organizations create oversight committee’s so that they have a collaborative
communication process with the employees. Creating a committee will include the employees in
on the decision making process. Another important thing for organizations to do is keep their
employees up to date on setbacks as well as accomplishments. If done properly, employees will
understand that to be successful, the organization may have to adjust and learn as they go.
By encouraging employees to work as a group, they become involved in the mission, or
the organizations success. They are no longer simply motivated by what’s in it for them, but
begin to see the bigger picture. This will empower the employees to contribute ideas and to the
success of the company. Instead of a few select individuals at the top of the corporate ladder
trying to improve efficiency and productivity, the employees directly contribute to their and the
company’s success with increased innovation.
Successful companies must, at a minimum, address four requirements; define a shared
purpose, establish an ethic of contribution, develop processes to allow group projects, and create
a collaborative infrastructure. By organizations and managers using communication theories to
build more collaborative organizations and work teams efficiency, effectiveness, productivity,
and teamwork will all increase and ensure the success of the organization by being flexible in
today’s ever changing market.
And that may very well be the key to an organizations success and even their survival.
Reliability used to be the economic advantage business needed to survive. In today’s ever
changing market, that advantage may not be enough to survive. Collaborative communities will
be that key, as outlined by Adler, et al. (2011) “The organizations that will become the
household names of this century will be renowned for sustained, large-scale, efficient innovation.

The key to that capability is neither company loyalty nor free-agent autonomy but, rather, a
strong collaborative community” (p. 101).
RECOMMENDATIONS
This study began with the question on how managers can best apply communication
theories to improve efficiencies, effectiveness, and teamwork in a multi-generational workplace.
So how does all of this tie together and benefit the manager? By making your jobs easier in the
long run. Part of being a manager is being able to use the asset’s you have at your disposal, be
they human or material to reach a business goal. The hardest assets to manage are people as they
have a mind of their own. A talented manager will know how to build his department or
organization into a well -oiled machine that is capable of accomplishing any reasonable goal
given to it.
Building a working team means building strong working relationships with your fellow
employees, and the first part of building a relationship is getting to know the other person. We
learn about ourselves an each other through multiple forms of communication, both verbal, and
non-verbal. We hear the messages being sent to each other but we also listen to the tone of the
message sender, their body language and even judge their rate of speech. Knowing a few items
about a person early in the relationship gives the manager the edge on developing a strong,
working relations.
As we are dealing with multiple generations, and everyone is shaped by the times, and
culture they grew up in, we first covered some general finding about each generation so a
manger may understand where that person is coming from in their discussions. Next values were
discussed as this is a vital part of who each of us are. We are shaped by and act accordingly to

our value system. Knowing if someone values hard work and loyalty can tell a manager a lot
about what type of worker they may be.
Now that a general feel for the type of person an employee may be outside of work, an
attempt was then made to show the work ethic of each generation. This knowledge should be of
great interest to the manager as it may give insight into if a particular employee is going to have
attendance issues to be addressed. Or it may even caution a manager employees that may be at
risk of changing jobs frequently. I would highly suggest that managers pay close attention to this
descriptions as it may allow them to address issues before they become a major problem. For
example, if you know someone may be prone to change jobs frequently, communicating with
them may determine if they are happy in their job or not.
By communicating with this person more often, the manager may discover that the
employee really wants to be challenged in their job and feel they are not being used to their
potential. In effect, without asking a manager may have an employee move to another job simply
because they didn’t get enough challenging work! With hard working people hard to come buy
this would be a mistake most managers would rather avoid.
I would recommend that managers understand how the generations in their work areas
were shaped, their values, ethics, and keep that in mind during work communications with them.
Some generations are more open to constructive criticism, while others need their feedback
handled delicately in order to avoid demoralizing or de-motivating them. Also keep in mind
some generations may be lacking in people skills. The next time a manger gets a compliant about
how one worker rudely dealt with another, they may want to ask themselves was the rude person
a Millennial, with weak people skills and is it possible they didn’t even realize they were rude?
Instead of a disciplinary moment, it might be better handled as a coaching moment.

Managers should take close note of the knowledge sharing between generations. They
should structure training programs with a mix of styles to accommodate all generations. It is
highly recommended to task employees of multiple generations to be on the same work teams
and allow them to address set goals and issues. This will promote cross learning, team building,
and ensure that valuable knowledge will not leave the company when more senior members
retire.
Mentorships should also be implemented if possible. Managers would benefit greatly
from teaming some of their younger members with more senior staff. The increased one-on-one
communication will break down communication barriers, share knowledge up and down the
generations, and again improve working relations. Reverse mentoring, even if it is informal, can
also assist the more senior generations become more comfortable with technology if the younger
generations show them the ropes.
Even though managers may be limited on how much they can affect Organizational
Communication, they can affect it. Not only can they push the idea up the organizational
structure but they can implement it at least in their department and show by example the benefits
of using this technique. Even if your organization does not set or post its work values and ethics
does not mean a manger cannot set them for their department. It is the same idea, just on a
smaller scale.
How can you expect your employees to work to your satisfaction if you never tell them
what you expect? This is my example of how this issue affected me when I took over a
department during a role re-alignment shift in our organization. I took over a department of five
workers, all but one of them was older than I was. Four of them had 20 + years working or the
company. They had been manager previously by a manager who preferred to micromanage their

every move and when to do what task. My managing style is more of a coaching style and
incorrectly assumed it would be a welcome change.
About two months after taking this position, the Vice President of Operations called me
into her office. She had received a complaint from one of my more senior workers, that I never
told them when I was going to lunch. The VP, asked me if I would consider informing this
person when I was leaving for lunch. Seeing how this person worked for me and yet never told
me when they wanted to take their lunch break, I found this to be an odd request.
I asked the VP if she checked out with me and the other managers before going to lunch,
even though I already knew the answer to that question was no. During our discussion, it
occurred to me that I had never sat down with my department and let them know my
expectations of them. Could it be that this older employee was just anxious over the change in
management and not knowing what was expected of her? I explained my reasoning to the VP
and asked her to give me a chance to see if I could correct this issue my way. She agreed to let
me try and we would follow up later.
The first thing I did was schedule a department meeting that day. From my past
experiences in the military I had gone through some leadership training and I was anxious to
apply some techniques I had already learned. I began the meeting by apologizing for not having
had one when I took over the department. It is important for employees to see that their managers
are human and can admit they make mistakes. This little step in humility opens the door to
building trust.
I then informed the department that I knew I was new this type of work (again
demonstrating humility), but that I considered myself fortunate to have a staff that was
experienced, knew their job, and hoped they would be willing to show me the ropes. This little

step accomplishes multiple task. It demonstrates my appreciation for their knowledge, informs
them how valuable I think they are, and again demonstrates my humility by asking them to show
me how their day to day jobs are accomplished. It also makes them feel their roles are important
to the company and vital to our mission.
The last step I took was to explain to them what my expectations were, that I wanted
them to know my door is always open to them as they are my number one priority, and that if
they felt we had any issues, I would hope they would bring them to me first and give me a
chance to correct the issue. I never brought up the issue of one of them going around me or that I
had heard any complaints.
This was done deliberately. I had been taught that when it comes to work issues, to
always praise in public and criticize in private. I had contemplated having a one on one
discussion with the individual in question but thought better of it. I understood that this person
was a Baby Boomer and did not handle criticism well. Our VP had told me this detail and also
explained that the person in question did not handle change well.
That was valuable information for me to understand and shaped how I was going to
communicate with my department. My goal was to build a tight working team that was unafraid
to collaborate with me with new ideas, or problems that needed to be solved. Most of my
department had worked together for at least 10 years. They were friends and alienating the most
senior of them would have backfired on me. My relationship with my new department had
already started off on the wrong foot by my not addressing them when I took over. That
approach may have made the relationship irreparable.
Instead I communicated to them that I understood they knew their jobs well, and that I
was the new person with some learning to do. I also informed them that though I was new to this

department, I had been managing people for almost 15 years and was not new to that task. My
steps at humility showed my vulnerability to them. This can be an important step in not only
work relations but in relationships in general. When we show vulnerability, we open the door to
the other party to let down their guard and reciprocate in kind. It can be a powerful first step in
establishing trust.
By communicating to them that I appreciated they knew their jobs better than I did and
asking them to show me the ropes, I put the power in their hands. By informing them I was not
new to the role of manager, I implied that they should not abuse the trust I was giving them.
Informing them my door was always open, demonstrated to them that I thought of them as equals
and it was my role to help them accomplish their job. By not pointing fingers and naming names
I passed along the non-verbal message that I could be trusted to handle matters discreetly.
The end result was my VP never got another complaint about me. My team came directly
to me with their issues first and gave me a chance to address them. I spent time during the next
week with each member of my staff in one-one-one training sessions of them showing me how
they do their job. For the next four years, Judy never again questioned my authority and even
trusted me when I would explain to her that we needed to change work processes.
We became a team that functioned well together, and increased our efficiency to the point
that when our staff size decreased with Judy’s retirement and our work load doubled due to
acquiring a very large client, we were able to still do the job on time and to the customer’s
satisfaction. And it all began by correcting a failure to communicate, communicating in a non-
confrontational way, and treating my employees as equals. By communicating my expectations
in this way as well as my acknowledging my employees importance and my gratitude for having
an experienced team, we set the groundwork and became much more collaborative.

Many times, my team would come to me with an issue and already have an idea on how
to correct it. By having an open door policy I opened the lines of communication and actually
made my job easier. Even though I had the last word on implementing new ideas, most times, the
team solved the workplace issues for me. I simply had to guide them along and keep the
communication lines open.
I highly recommend the book “Humble Inquiry; the gentle art of asking instead of
telling” by Edgar H. Schein for managers wanting to develop a more effective communication
method as a means of developing positive relations. It is well written and goes into great detail
how to build relationships. The information is very useful for work or personal relationships.
CONCLUSION
This paper began with the question “How warehouse managers can best apply
communication theories to improve efficiencies, effectiveness, and teamwork in a multi-
generational workforce?” The problem was stated that up to four generations are in the
workforce and that companies and organizations will have to find a means to utilize the positive
attributes of each generation. It was stated that no single style exist and leaders must be flexible.
Teaching each generation how to communicate with one another would be crucial to building
strong teams and organizations
Several items of literature were reviewed. Some of it was based on observations, and
others were more fact based studies. Exploring general descriptions of each generation was an
important first step. If you are going to understand a generation, it is imperative to understand
what shaped their views, ethics, and outlooks. Understanding where a group stands on certain
issues helps to establish common grounds to base your communication on.

For example, it was discussed that Traditionalist, growing up between wars and during
the Great Depression, grew up with a strong sense of family commitment. That is not hard to
relate to. It was also discussed that this generation was raised by strict parents and developed
strong work ethics, and self -discipline. Both of those values are easily understood and
appreciated in a work environment.
Baby Boomers make up the largest generation to hit the workforce. Being raised after the
war and during a time of economic boom, they are optimistic, and were taught to “work well
with others”. Manger can use that information to their advantage when trying to build teamwork.
Knowing that Boomers bring as service orientation and ability to form good relationships will be
beneficial to managers in making a more collaborative workplace.
Understanding that GenXer’s grew up during times of change in family roles, and
corporate downsizing explains to managers that this generation is more independent and is
comfortable working alone. That may be a disadvantage that managers will have to deal with in
team building. However this is somewhat offset with the understanding that this generation is
also pragmatic, they should be able to see the value of teamwork.
Millennials, on the other hand, grew up less independent. With “Helicopter Parents”
monitoring their every move, they are less independent than the previous generations. Managers
will need to understand this generation will need the most feedback to feel as part of team. The
fact that they are sociable and civic minded, similar to Traditionalist, means they should make
good team players as long as managers understand their people skills may need some work.
Even though the first section simply gave generational descriptions, much should be
taken from this section. It lays the groundwork for understanding each generation’s values and
work ethics. Though not everyone in a generation entirely fits their generational description if

does provide a good overview for the next two sections, which dig a little deeper into
understanding the generations and how to best communicate idea to them.
Values of each generation was the next area discussed. Understanding values is important
to understanding each generation’s wants and needs. A good grasp of this area will assist
managers when it comes to motivating members of each generation and getting them to work as
a productive team. This section primarily discusses studies that were based on evidence. The
results were compiled from actual surveys of each generation itself.
Covered were each generation’s terminal values and instrumental values. Terminal values
can be described as the ultimate end goal of existence. Instrumental values can be described as
the means for achieving end goals. The top five values of each generation were reviewed for this
paper. The study referenced reviewed a full eighteen values, for further study and understanding.
For the most part, each generation covered show the same top five terminal values, with
only one or two discrepancies. The major differences were the order of importance. Boomers
ranked Health as their number one goal, perhaps due to their advancing age and health issues.
Both Generation X and Millennials ranked Family Security as their number one value (that was
number two for Boomers). For managers, that is good news as oftentimes job security is seen as
a means for Family Security.
As for Instrumental values, each generation scored honest, and responsible, in that order,
as their top two values. Boomers and Generation X also ranked Loyal and Capable high on their
list, just in different orders. Interestingly though, Millennials did not rate either of those two
values in their top five. It may be argued that this could be due to their willingness to change jobs
frequently as deemed needed. Job mobility will be discussed later.

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