Generational Differences and Conflict

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Generational Differences and Conflict Diversity in the workplace is not limited to religious, gender, and/or cultural differences. Age also commonly diversifies the workplace. With the current economy, individuals are continuing to work past what may be argued as an age of retirement. Likewise, young people are completing academic programs and entering the workforce at a younger age. Therefore, there is a merge of individuals from different age groups in work settings. Aside from the age that separates these groups, additional differences include how they see themselves as individuals, the characteristics of their generation, how they perceive others, and styles of communication. Adjusting to different age groups is one of the dynamics of the contemporary workplace. Locations, competencies, abilities, and communication styles also contribute to the dynamic. For example, geographically dispersed teams, varied functional skills, and the use of technology are elements of today’s organization. Leaders have a unique role in that requires the ability to merge these differences to form a collaborative and productive environment. When there is a disconnect with one of these variables, conflicts may ensue. How someone in one generational group approaches conflict may be diametrically opposed to someone else. Leaders have to thoroughly and continually assess working teams and identify the most effective intergenerational communication approaches for minimizing and resolving conflict. Literature Review Classifications of Generations Baby Boomers. Baby boomers are an age group with birth dates ranging from 1943 to 1965. Individuals in this age group are post-World War II. Over 17 million babies were born during this timeframe. Because this age group lived during civil rights, Vietnam, Martin Luther King, Jr. & John F. Kennedy’s assassination, they generally reject
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