Y-ers, X-ers and Boomers: Investigating the multigenerational (mis)perceptions in the hospitality workplace

Abstract

Today’s hospitality workforce is more diverse than ever with the symbiotic co-existence of three different generations; Generation Y, Generation X and Baby Boomers. This co-existence poses numerous challenges for an industry that strives to achieve inter-generational comfort, thus avoiding conflict, an impediment to the effectiveness of even its most sophisticated organizations. Adopting a quantitative methodology, this article explores the occupational similarities and differences of the three prevailing generations, currently active in the diverse hospitality workplace, as well as investigating how each generation cohort is perceived by its own members in comparison to members of other generations. Findings, which provide invaluable insights of interest to hospitality stakeholders, confirm the vast perceptual inter-generational differences within a plethora of work-related issues.

Sustainability and the Tourism and Hospitality Workforce: A Thematic Analysis

“…Based on the birth cohort perspective, differences among three age cohorts ("Baby Boomers": 1945-1964; "Gen X": 1965-1980; "Gen Y/Gen Me/Nexters/Millenialls": >1980) have been explored from: (a) frontline and service contact employee perspectives [72][73][74]; (b) managerial perspectives [75]; and (c) the perspectives of both groups of employees' and managers [76][77][78][79][80][81] (except housekeeping [82]). Students' perspectives on work values and their career expectations have been explored in terms of understanding the entrants' (Gen Y) ways of thinking on arrival in the tourism and hospitality labor market (e.g., [83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91]).…”

“…According to studies that are focused on the determination of differences on work values within the hospitality context, the biggest differences were reported in their attitudes towards authority and work-life balance [73,[75][76][77]81,82]. For Gen Y, in comparison to their older colleagues, work environment and economic return are very important issues.…”

A Influência Da Geração X E Y Na Inovação De Produto E Processo Na Indústria Metalmecânica Do Rio Grande Do Sul

“…Conforme Zopiaris et al (2012), todas essas características peculiares desses indivíduos trazem à tona outras que nem sempre são bem vistas pelas empresas, os Y's tendem a ser imediatistas e o excesso de autoconfiança os torna superficiais e, muitas vezes, arrogantes. As organizações que buscam a inovação arriscam nas potencialidades dos jovens da geração Y, pois acredita-se que precisam sofrer estímulos a fim de identificarem de que forma podem auxiliar a sua empresa.…”

“…Diferente dos costumes precursores, ele precisa ser fonte de prazer e conhecimento, sendo a fonte de renda, geralmente, posta em segundo plano. Também pode-se pontuar, como peculiaridades dos Y's, o respeito e a aprovação ao conhecimento do indivíduo, mais do que ao nível hierárquico (Veloso, Silva & Dutra, 2012;Zopiaris et al, 2012;Akhras, 2015).…”

“…Nas empresas pesquisadas, ficou evidente o quanto as características da geração Y estão vinculadas à busca do novo, ao não ter receio da mudança e ao espírito empreendedor. Neste cenário, acredita-se que a geração Y possui maior influência que a geração X na inovação de produto e processos das empresas, o que já vem sendo preconizado pela literatura (Zopiaris et al, 2012;Maurer, 2013;Ng & Gossett, 2013;Lyons et al, 2015).…”