Answers to 10 Questions About “Generations” and “Generational Differences” in the Workplace

Abstract

When seeking information about the influence of generations, policy makers are often faced with more questions than answers. One reason for this is the nearly ubiquitous nature of generations. Generations have been used to explain everything from shifts in broadly defined social phenomena (e.g., anti-war movements; Dunham, 1998) to the demise of marmalade (Gough, 2018). Likewise, owing to the fact that the modern workplace offers increasing opportunities for interactions among (relatively) older and younger co-workers, generations and especially generational differences have been used to describe a number of work-related phenomena, processes, and policies (see Costanza, Badger, Fraser, Severt, & Gade, 2012; Costanza & Finkelstein, 2015 for reviews). Despite these attributions, most generations research is suspect, and many supposed generational effects are likely not generational at all. Collectively, our author team has been studying the idea of generations for over 25 years. Over time, we have been asked numerous questions about what impact generations and generational differences have, especially in the workplace and for work-related policies adopted by organizations. In the present manuscript, we have collected the most common, policy-relevant questions regarding generations and generational differences, and attempted to answer them. Our goal in doing so is to “clear the air” about generations and generational differences in a way that informs better policy making regarding complex processes associated with age(ing) at work.