In contemporary society, motivators, values, and styles of communication differ among employees. Diversity is brought about by differences in ethnicities, levels of education, ages, and gender among others. By definition, a generation is a cluster of persons sharing similar birth years or periods. Different generations are often defined by experiences, tastes, and sometimes attitudes. In relation to the Dubai Municipality, the main generations of employees belong to the Traditionalists (born before the Second World War), Baby Boomers (born between the late 1940s and early 1960s), Generation X (born between the mid-1960s and early 1980s), Millennials (born between the early 1980s and 2000s), and Generation Z (born after the Millennials) (David 51).
This paper reviews the aspect of generational diversity and its impacts on the current multigenerational workplace. Specification, the analysis is based on my workplace within the Dubai Municipality, which is an ideal example of a multigenerational workplace.
In relation to workplace communication at the Dubai Municipality, the Matures seems extremely loyal to the employer and have served for the longest time due to the solder mentality at the time when they were growing up. The Matures are much disciplined and respect the hierarchy and ranks in the organization. On the other hand, the Baby Boomer prefers teamwork and a consensual leadership approach. Besides, they hate conforming to the status quo and are often the change agents (Gandhi par. 4).
The Baby Boomers are the most workaholic employees in the Dubai Municipality. Generation X-ers are very autonomous and prefer self-reliance in executing their duties within the organization (Bustin 35). They have limited trust in the management and very skeptical when communicating or passing down instructions to others. Their loyalty and commitment are carefully selected for fear of disappointment. Interestingly, Generation X-ers are the most causal employees when approaching or communicating with those in the higher ranks at the Dubai Municipality. This group also hates bureaucracy with a passion, especially when they feel that the long chain of command is needless (Bowman 8).
Employees of the Dubai Municipality who belong to the Millennials tend to value opportunity and autonomy when engaging those in higher ranks and other coworkers. This group has internalized the habit of multitasking and keeps a long chain of communication networks within the organization. In most cases, the Millennials prefer “feedbacks on performance, but sometimes have difficulty accepting criticism” (Tricker and Tricker 3).
This could be as a result of their upbringing, which was characterized by making decisions on their own from a tender age. This group is very impatient and would walk away if faced with a decision to choose between themselves and the organization. Being relatively youthful, they are not afraid to seek opportunities or challenge some decisions in the organization as a means of creating space.
Employees falling in the category of Generation Z are the youngest in the Dubai Municipality. These employees are the most unpredictable, impatient, and excessively casual when communicating with coworkers and management (Bauer and Erdogan 23). They prefer the easy way out of every situation and prefer demanding space in the organization. However, they have the highest level of commitment towards achieving set goals when the level of motivation is equally high.
In relation to McClelland’s theory of acquired needs, the Traditionalists, Generation X-ers, Baby Boomers, Generation Z, and Millennials tend to vary. These groups have differences in affiliation, will to achieve, and communication ethics. Thus, the Dubai Municipality should create a more diverse environment that is accommodative of these groups of employees to get the best out of them.
Works Cited
Bauer, Talya and Berrin Erdogan. Organization Behavior, New York, NY: Flat World Knowledge, L.L.C., 2010. Print.
Bowman, Singh. “Corporate Restructuring: Reconfiguring the Firm.” Strategic Management Journal 1.4 (2009): 5–14. Print.
Bustin, Gerald. Take Charge: How Leaders Profit From Change, Irving, Texas: Tapestry Press, 2011. Print.
David, Fred. Strategic Management Concept and Cases, a Competitive Advantage Approach, New York, NY: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.
Gandhi, Sandeep. A Multigenerational Workforce is a Strategic Advantage. 2016. Web.
Tricker, Bob and Robert Tricker. Corporate Governance: Principles, Policies and Practices, London, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.