The Impact of Generational Diversity on People Management

Abstract

The issue of generational diversity has received growing attention in recent years, as management and business consultants, together with the popular media, make increasing reference to the different generations in the population (Parry and Urwin 2009). Within the area of management practice much attention has been paid to generational differences in workplace attitudes and behaviours (Filipczak 1994; Kupperschmidt 2000). In this chapter we draw on this growing practitioner literature and consider how this relates to the academic underpinnings of the study of generations. The aim is to draw together an understanding of how generational diversity may affect the workplace, the relationship that this concept has to ‘age’ and ultimately the implications for practitioners.