A Study of Cross Generation Teamwork in Workplace: Perspectives from Generation X and Y

Abstract

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Generational differences have been a popular topic in the workplace in recent years. Generation X (Gen X) and Generation Y (Gen Y) are now dominating the contemporary workforce; their collaboration, communication with each other has become inevitable and influences their teamwork quality, job performance, further influencing organizational outcomes. The difference between them may increase conflict, misunderstanding and miscommunication, and it may reduce organizational citizenship behavior in the workplace. To better understand how generations differ, why they may not communicate smoothly and how matters stand between their collaboration in the workplace, the research is needed on cross generation teamwork in the workplace from the perspective of Gen X and Y in Taiwan. Therefore, two research questions are investigated in this research, including Gen X and Y’s (a) experience and differences and (b) coping strategies and suggestions. This study was conducted with a qualitative method. Twenty participants were interviewed in this research. First, experience and differences can be divided into four dimensions based on the goals, roles, processes, interpersonal relationships (GRPI) model. With these results, it provides references for human resource managers to understand their differences between communication and collaboration. Second, coping strategies and suggestions. The result shows that they use the same coping strategy when facing disagreement but different strategy when it comes to problems. Suggestion for Gen X is to improve their emotions, and for Gen Y is to look far forward in their future. The implications derived from the findings are also discussed.