Presentation 1

Key Term:

Baby boomers: 1946 – 1964

Generation X: 1964 – 1977

Generation Y: 1977 – 1997

Introduction

1. What expectation does each of these generational groups have about life and about organizations?

Baby boomers

Life

- Social stability

-  Main priorities are home and family

-  Life expectancy and improvement

Organizations

-  Various experiences in life and organizations

- Seniority

-  Resist to make changes

-  Long-term employment (loyal and committed)

- Slow career development (wait for opportunities for advancement)

 Start looking for retirement

Generation X

Life

-  Highly educated

-  Highly individualistic (selfish, do not want to share their networking and experiences with others)

-  Alert the importance of network connections

Organizations

- Work as life (as natural as play)

- Ambitious and prefer self-direction

- Highly predictable behavior

- Structured and hierarchy-oriented

- Power and status (title is important)

- Goals are their motivation (self-motivated)

- Changes job if there are no opportunities

Generation Y

Life

-  Happy-go-lucky

- Multiculturalism and internationalism

- Changes all the time

- Impatient

-  Over confident (dislike people to judge on them)

-  Tech-savvy (Information and Digital Age)

- Socialization (social rather than work)

- Ambitious but over self-expectation

Organizations

- Work to live (not interested in the job)

-  Creative and Innovative

-  Dislike to follow instruction

- Dislike working and will avoid working when possible

- Avoid participation in daily organizational routines

-  Would not do any extra job if no compensations or OT allowances

- Shift job frequently (never truly comfortable in any organizations)




2.  What messages and experiences have contributed to those expectations?

Baby Boomers,

- They are looking for retirement and life expectancy.

- They want stability, that’s why they resist for changes and very loyal to the organizations.

-  They wait for opportunities to come to them, which lead to slow career development.

- They dislike young generation who do not follow and listen to their instructions although your position is higher than them.

Generation X,

- They are highly educated and ambitious, that’s why they do not wait and look for opportunities.

-  If the organization cannot afford or pay them what they want, they will leave the organization.

- They are independent and prefer self-direction; they dislike following baby boomers’ instruction, and always offence them.  

- They are structured and hierarchy-oriented.

- Achieving goals become their part of life and motivation in order to get more power and status.

Generation Y,

- They are fresh graduated, lack of experiences and are not interested in job.

- They are happy-go-lucky and unwilling to participate in daily organizational routines.

-  They change job frequently not because of others better opportunities, it is because they are impatient and dislike the boss.

-  They refuse to listen comment or judgment from elder people.

- They are ambitious but they are over self-expectation.

-  They beliefs that without any experiences, they may still start up a business by themselves.

3. Over what issues are the three groups likely to have conflicts? Why? 

Issues	Baby boomers	Generation X	Generation Y
Experiences	Expect in life and  organizations	Organizations	Fresh in life and organizations
Personality	Loyal and resist changes	Self-motivated and   look for opportunities	Impatient and creative
Generation Gap	Slow, traditional	Information age (predictable)	Technology age
Management Style	Slow career employment	Work as life	Work to live
Lifestyle	Home and Family	Power and Status	Happy-go-lucky
Communication	Hand writing, phone calling, face-to-face interaction	Email	Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger (mobilecasting)
Perception	A is A.	A is B. What is the  proven?	A is A. I knew it because everyone is talking in the same way.

Discussion Questions

1. To which, if any, of the three generational group do you belong? (Remember, if it is the experiences you’ve had more than your age that influences generational membership)

In between Generation X and Generation Y

2. How do your expectations and experiences correspond to theirs?

Generation X,

- Alert the importance of social networking

-  Ambitious

-  Work as life (is not a place for you to play, every decision made will bring certain outcomes

-  Prefer self-directed

- Self-motivated and personal satisfaction

- Promotions come from performances not long-term employment

Generation Y,

- Greedy (education and organization experiences)

- Impatient

-  Keep changes or unstable in life and organizations

- Willing to learn new skills and fast learner

- Change job frequently

-  Unwilling to contribute to the job if there are not related to my interests

- Rely on technology application such as Photoshop, Illustrate, Microsoft

- Dislike to follow instruction and direct refuse employer or manager if they are wrong




3. Over what issues are you likely to have conflict with the members of the three groups? Why?

Issues	Baby boomers	Generation X	Generation Y
Generation Gap	Old, Slow, Traditional, Stubborn, Loyal, Resist changes	Predictable,   Particular, Selfish, Self-motivated	Fast learner, Impatient, Creative
Management Style	Slow career employment and playing safe	Passion, Ambitious, Serious on the job	Not interested on the job, Shift job frequently
Lifestyle	Home and Family	Power and Status	Happy-go-lucky
Communication	Hard working	Social connection	Social networking
Perception	Include everything	Think of a way to combine both	Specialization

4. Are the strategies chosen by Generation Xers appropriate to the situations they face? Generation Yers?

Generation Xers,

In order to become more valuable and get higher pay or salary in the organizations, Generation X understands the important of achieving organization goals. Therefore, they plan their own careers and seek out opportunities by enlarging their network connects and polish their resume. It is appropriate to leave the organizations if the organizations cannot satisfy their needs and wants.

They talk to Baby boomers in ways of direct, bold and cut-to-the chase style. For my opinion, I don’t think it is an appropriate way of communication in the organizations. Although their action is understandable for young generation as opportunities should come in a way of fairness and equity, not seniority. But how will you feel if your juniors are refusing your statement or suggestion during meeting?

Generation Yers,

The innovation of technology brings much positive impact to our life and organizations. For example, access internet by using smartphone at anytime and anywhere, software makes our work more effectively and efficiently. If Generation Y uses technology for researching, evaluating, designing or working, then it is appropriate. However, if they use for talking to friends via mobile phone, instant messaging, downloading application while at work, then the results of using technology is making them worse.

In order to get the task done, they are willing to work as a team. They offer the help from senior, learn new skills from others. It is the appropriate way because they may prevent to make mistakes. 

5. What effects are their strategies likely to have on their relationships with their supervisors in traditional firms? With their co-workers? With their subordinates? Why?

Generation X,

- Try to comment or suggest opinion indirect way to their supervisors while at meeting.

-  Lower down their expectation to their co-workers and subordinates. Don’t expect them being able to do anything without more information.

Generation Y,

-  Try to pay attention at work, set goals for themselves.

-  Contribute and self-motivated to the organizations although organizations do not pay for overtimes.