Clash of Generations: Assessing the Impact of Generational Diversity in a Workforce

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the generational diversity at work place and how perceived generational differences formulate to actual differences between age cohorts which leads to a higher likelihood of dangerous workplace conflict, ostracism, and decreased will power caused by a difference in mentality, values, and work approaches relative to age distinctions. This study adopted a survey design and gathered data from organizations having work-force diversity; data was gathered from respondents belonging to Gen X Y and Z. Both individual level as well as group level data was obtained and analyzed for this study. The findings of this study highlight that generational diversity within the workplace has i) insignificant relationship with workplace conflict, ii) a positive relationship with ostracism and iii) a negative relationship with willpower. Moreover, the findings suggest that power in the workplace plays no role in the relationship between generational diversity and outcomes. This study has expanded the divided body of existing knowledge with respect to workplace conflict.