Business environment refers to factors, both internal and external, that affect the operations of a business. These factors may include clients, competitors, owners and suppliers. A part from communication, ethnic background, gender and age, business environment covers the multigenerational workforce for quality performance in the business world.
Workforce revolutionizes with age due to the beliefs and sets of values bestowed in different communities. To create a friendly working environment, one should understand and collaborate with organizations in order to create a room for solving problems.
Understanding the work productivity between different generations should continue as it will help future organizations to influence more workforces to be multi-generational in nature. The organization should improve talents, competition and enhance productivity in the businesses. Additionally, the business organizations have to note what keeps the customers and extend to leadership.
A multigenerational workforce is that which comprises of different age set-ups. It inculcates different human resources with vast age difference. This workforce has different generations namely, generation X and Y, the old and the young. The aged have immeasurable experience on how to run a business to realize recommendable growth.
This category of employees has wealth of knowledge on how to manage all the business activities (Swastika 2012). For example, if tasked with managerial duties, they will ensure success in business operations by meeting all stakeholders’ needs. On the other hand, generation Y, the youthful employees that fall below age 35 are always innovative and creative in their thoughts.
They always like to see businesses trying to apply different management and production techniques in their operations (Opportunities and Challenges of a Multi-Generation n.d.). Clearly, these different alternatives will enable businesses to be up-to-date with the constantly changing technology hence maintaining or increasing customers’ satisfaction.
In this scenario, the business will attract and maintain new customers’ thereby recording high productivity. As a result, the business will gain competitive advantage over its competitors in the market. This mixed workforce has different skills that if businesses tap can easily leads to high profitability (Buahene 2012).
A multigenerational workforce increases productivity in the business environment but it contributes to conflicts. The old generation are always resistant to accepting changes in the business environment while the young employees are always on the contrary (The Multigenerational Workplace 2011).
Moreover, in such business environments, there are always delayed recognitions in terms of promotion as the aged population occupies the higher positions. Additionally, it causes a major market failure due to a destructive outsourcing strategy. This twists the age profile of any organizational pyramid. To prevent these organizations should become more diverse than before to overcome the issue.
Multigenerational workforce can cause attrition to high potential talent, poor relationship at work minimising engagement and stress due to of generational diversity. According to Conference Board Economic Outlook of India, businesses have to change both the social and economic factors by 2020; this is due to the rapid economic growth (Engaging the Multi-generational Workforce – Wellness, Benefits & Compensation n.d.).
For instance, Japan will prefer to do business with India since the average age of the multinational subsidiaries and global coverage in India are about 24 to 55 years. This is an indicator that the majority of this generation consists of energetic people where workforce is certainly high. Organizational leaders in India have to think innovatively to maintain the workforce in their business sectors.
Most developing countries has studied the multi-generational diversity and classified them as generation X and generation Y. At workplaces, people come up with deeply rooted cultural experiences based on where they come from; this may bring a negative or positive attitude.
For instance, in India, people value good relationship and respect for age is mandatory especially to the seniors. Multigenerational has created a gap especially in India as 24 to 55 years of age are the majority workforce. In addition, human resource does not come from managing multi-generational diversity since they strategise in craft, support, development and training.
Therefore, an atmosphere of diversity must be on every individual in an organization. Moreover, employers and employees should engrain diversity in their workplace to understand generational groups (North 2009).
To sustain their organization in the long term, they have to take advantage of the attitudes, values and behaviours at work thereby building possible leadership strength and developing their talents for growth and sustainability of the organization.
Notably, in the health sector, multigenerational workforce has caused shortages of nurses. With ageing nurses who retire and go home with their knowledge and skills, increased recruitment to maintain the number of nurses is conducted. At the same time, a demand for nursing care will be needed to take care of the ageing population.
These two factors should be given strong emphasis to maintain the number of nurses and service provision. To overcome the challenge, nursing leaders and managers should find out what drive, motivate, and deter nurses from a different generation (O’Brien n.d.).
On the other hand, governments have to employ and retain nurses and establish a climate that favours nurses. Therefore, leaders should engage them with each of the generational groups in finding amicable solutions.
In the US, in a workplace, four generations share the same professional work. Human Resource leaders are forced to modify the working environment that favours the multiple age group; each with an exclusive view. This is compulsory as each group has to be comfortable and improve engagement between the two groups.
In 2008, a comprehensive study showed that 1,500 Baby Boomers and generation X are not able-bodied in satisfaction. Satisfaction organization has a duty to influence satisfaction in every working environment; a study revealed using the employees’ survey data.
According to this survey, organizations are competent in improving the retention rates and employees’ satisfaction when they discover factors influencing their perception of the organization (Impact of ageing in the workplace 2011). Another study carried by a health care organization to get job satisfiers showed that co-workers, employees and satisfaction did not vary by generation.
The management should engage generation X employees in everything they do and teach this generation on how to amass experience and skills that will enable them serve employees who are Baby Boomers. On the other hand, the Baby Boomers employees should be trained on how to deal with the employees of Generation X (Acas predicts ageing population will have far-reaching impact on the workplace 2011).
The research further revealed that the generation X tends to be contented in a business environment where freedom and employee independence are guaranteed. Additionally, these employees’ perceptions towards the business environment affect their level of satisfaction.
Baby Boomers had lower perception to the business environment than the generation X. This made generation X more satisfied with the business environment than their counterparts.
The research recommended that the management ought to offer employees’ training on the goals and objectives of the organization; this will enhance satisfaction. This culture of accepting new ideas as they come makes firms remain vibrant among their competitors.
Organizations, therefore, should ensure that they keep employees updated on any occurrence that can have some impact on the running of their operations. The continuous update motivates employees as they learn new ideas. This culture requires that organizations should employ creative, innovative, and self-motivated individuals who like learning (Impact of ageing in the workplace 2011).
This makes it possible for absorption of generation Y. During these learning processes, employees are updated of new changes in the market and how they expect to approach issues. Clearly, the training motivates employees as it makes them enjoy their work.
Besides, the leaders should view employees through several lenses using the life stage and individual employee as per the study. Changes in a business environment affect an employee’s life. Therefore, how the employee relates and interacts with the management can help him/ her realize whether the organization is helpful and adds value to his/her life.
Secondly, the individual employee and members of a generational group will be likely to share similar characters and reasons that are almost the same. It is exceptionally essential for leaders to view employees at an individual level since employees have different needs. The management should not use generation groups since it will limit it from finding an employee’s needs or behaviour.
Ageing population has a considerable impact on the economy. Majority of older people accumulate their savings at an extremely high level and spend little on consumption. Therefore, this generation brings in lower interest rates. The economy benefits, as there is low inflation.
Countries with the ageing population as the majority employees can advance in technology without creating unemployment since they put emphasis on a shift from Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to personal well-being (The Impact of an Ageing Population n.d.).
To meet this, government is forced to increase tax on goods or people to meet the cost of medication; as it will consist of health care and higher use of diagnostic used by the ageing population. On the other hand, the government is likely to spend less on the education sector as few young people will have to continue with tertiary education; they will be needed to work.
In addition, these different generations should be trained how to deal with each other. When there are minimal conflicts in the business, the business has high chances of realizing positive growth.
The numerous conflicts that exist within a multigenerational workforce and the ageing population can be mitigated through applying different job designs and motivational practices among the employees. Job design involves assigning tasks to jobs in relation to their interdependency.
In job design, employing a job rotation mechanism can assist in minimizing instances of boredom and promotion issues that are common in a multigenerational workforce (Motivating through Job Design n.d.). Job rotation should be for a specified period with constant employee evaluation. In addition, the employees will be multi-skilled in a wide section.
Clearly, this design will allow for employee movement to all sectors within a firm. Generation Y who are always disadvantaged in terms of movement into managerial positions will get this opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in management. Employer should also provide timely feedback to employees on their job performance.
This will be based on the employee’s experience in the job (How to Motivate Your Employees 2010). Feedbacks enable employees to work towards eliminating some of the challenges that they still face in their job performance.
Additionally, job enlargement, which involves increasing responsibilities and adding challenging activities in a job, motivates employees to learn new ideas thus increasing their skill levels (Employee motivation n.d.).
The management in any organization can apply motivational theories in eliminating stress and conflicts in the workplace. The conflict between the different generations in the workplace can be solved by using the Intrinsic Motivation Theory. The innovative and creative generation Y who tends to rely on technology in management will desire to do well for the business if they are appreciated for their hard work (Miller 2011).
Through this recognition, the employees will feel being part of the business. Moreover, the management should reward employees who are more productive than their counterparts that is, they meet or surpass their job targets.
For instance, employees who are given high salaries should be those who meet their targets (Ingram 2009). This motivation theory is the Theory of Scientific Management; it points out that the management should not rely on age and period of service to accord payment or rewards to its employees.
Organizations largely rely on the HRM to solve conflicts that arise in their daily operations. The different categories of employees require effective and efficient management system that is proactive in solving problems in order to create a favourable business environment for all.
References
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