Understanding and Managing Generational Differences in the Workplace by Kapoor and Solomon - Essay Example

Summary The article by Kapoor & Solomon en d “Understanding and managing generational differences in the workplace,” is mainly concerned about showing that a company ought to address various issues related to generational differences in the workplace in order for them to be productive and to perform effectively. Basically, it can be observed that the modern workplace is mainly comprised of four different generations namely: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. The behaviour of people belonging to different generations differs as a result of the fact that they have different perceptions about their worldviews. These people also have different needs in their lives which impact on the performance of the organization in different ways. Whilst there are certain challenges that are likely to be encountered when four generations work in one organization, it can be noted that there are also opportunities for this scenario. The findings of the article include the following: employers must make an effort to identify the characteristics of each generation of employees working in the organization since this can impact on their performance. The employers must also be in a position to build an environment that promotes productivity among all generations since they may have different perceptions towards their work. The managers should also promote mentor programs in the organization that are meant to promote learning and knowledge sharing among generational diversity in the company. It is also important for the managers to create an environment that promotes mutual understanding among the employees belonging to different generations. This helps to prevent conflicts which are often viewed as counterproductive in the operations of the organization. Value and purpose of paper The main purpose of the paper was to illustrate that employees in various companies belong to different generations. There are four generations identified in the study and they try to divide different generations into clusters of individuals with the same age. The behaviour of these people is shaped by their age in particular and the experiences they encountered as they were growing up. These generations have different perceptions towards various aspects of life. Even at workplace, it can be seen that people belong to different generations have different perceptions towards their work. The traditionalists in particular are content with the traditional way of doing things while the Generation X and millennial are interested in achieving good things that can change their life. However, this does not mean that these generations cannot work together in the organization. The managers only need to identify the characteristics of people belonging to different groups so that they can put programs that are designed to cater for the needs of these individuals. This paper is valuable in the sense that it tries to enlighten the managers in different organizations about the measures they can take in order to ensure that they satisfy the needs of the employees belonging to different generations. These people have different views as a result of their upbringing and their behaviour is shaped by their life experiences. During the contemporary period, it can be noted that it is possible to have four generations working in the same organization and these people as noted have different views and perceptions towards their work. These people may also have different views towards the management and leadership styles used by the leaders in the company. Therefore, the manager in the organization has a duty to first establish the characteristics of the people belonging to each generation so that they can be in a better position to adopt the right approach to manage diversity. If there are programs that are designed to cater for the needs of different individuals in the organization, it can be seen that they are likely to pull their efforts towards the attainment of the desired goals regardless of the differences in their views and opinions. If people share the same vision, aspects such as age of differences in opinions may not significantly impact on the operations of the organization since all efforts will be directed towards the attainment of the objectives. Nature of article This paper can be considered scholarly as a result of different reasons. The written style of this paper follows a scholarly method where it is divided into different categories. The paper uses in text citations to show that it is based on reliable literature. For instance, the following example is an in text citation drawn from the study: Spiro (2006, p. 17) found that Millenials want to “make an important impact immediately on projects they are involved with” and are “looking for immediate gratification and an opportunity to excel.” This is a statement that has been drawn from the work of the other scholar. In most cases, scholarly work should be characterised by extensive academic research that is meant to support the theoretical framework of the research being done. The literature reviewed for scholarly papers is also drawn mainly from peer reviewed journals. These journals have reliable information since they would have been approved by different institutions of higher learning. However, it can be seen that the article does not clearly outline the method of data collection. In other words, it can be seen that there is no primary data collected for this particular study and it does not show the population sample of the respondents. The study mainly relied on secondary data obtained from the studies already done by other people. This method of research is applicable mainly to social researches where the researcher may be interested in adding new knowledge on top of what already exists. This kind of scholarly work is reliable given that it is based on literature that already exists in the same field. However, the researcher is not in a position to contribute something new in the field of study since he or she would be relying mainly on the ideas of other people. When carrying academic research, it is allowed to use secondary sources of information alone if the study is case study based or is about investigating information that already exists. As long as the author acknowledges the sources, it can be seen that this kind of research is allowed in the academic field in as far as all the sources used have been acknowledged and listed in the reference list. Differences between academic and business report The findings in this study are presented in a general way where there is no clear format that is followed. In a business report, it can be seen that the report is presented in a clear format and the section of findings is clearly outlined. The findings in a business report are presented in a chronological order with the important ones listed on top. In a business report, it can be seen that the findings are presented in such a way that they answer all the questions that have been raised in the study. The terminology also used in a business language is different from the language that is used in academic researches. The main reason for this is that a business report should be presented in a professional way and it should be easy to understand. In academic reports, the terminology used when presenting the findings may be complex is this type of report is intended for academics purposes. These reports are also comprised of different theories that often used complex language. Therefore, when presenting the findings, the language used may also be complex as a result of the nature of the topic. The other difference is that the findings of the above mentioned report reflect the opinions of the author and he interprets them in the way he sees fit. The author has his own views towards the subject under review and he uses his opinions to interpret the findings. In other words, it can be seen that academic researches of this nature can be interpreted in any way that is suitable to the researcher. The findings in a business report are based on factual information unlike academic reports where the authors can include their own opinions to support their ideas. In a business report, the facts are meant to convince the targeted audiences such that they can also share the same views and ideas with the researchers. It is quite easy to convince a person if the report is comprised of facts and figures obtained from primary research unlike secondary research that mainly relies with data already existing in some instances. References Kapoor, C. & Solomon, N. (2011). “Understanding and managing generational differences in the workplace.” Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes 3(4) 308-318. Read More