intergenerational conflict final

April 29, 2011

SHRM Poll: Intergenerational Conflict in

the Workplace

Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace| ©SHRM 2011 2

Key Findings

• Is Intergenerational Conflict a Problem in Organizations? About one-quarter of HR professionals reported substantial levels (responded “some degree” or “a large degree”) of intergenerational conflict within their organizations. The same proportion reported that intergenerational conflict is not at all a problem in their organizations.

• Which Intergenerational Issues Cause the Most Conflict Within Organizations? More than one-half of organizations indicated that people managers have raised concerns about younger workers’ inappropriate dress (55%) and poor work ethic (54%). By contrast, the top three concerns or complaints raised by younger workers about older managers are resistance to change (47%), low recognition of workers’ efforts (45%) and micromanaging (44%).

• How Do Organizations Respond to Complaints of Intergenerational Conflict? Among organizations that had specifically responded to concerns raised about intergenerational conflict issues, 61% had implemented or increased coaching/mentoring efforts for people managers and 44% had implemented or increased coaching/mentoring efforts for nonmanagement level employees. More than one-third (38%) reported that their organizations had increased job/workplace expectations training for new hires .


Not at all To a slight degree To some degree To a large degree0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

28%

44%

25%

3%

To what extent is intergenerational conflict an issue in your workplace?

Note: n = 432.

Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace| ©SHRM 2011

To what extent is intergenerational conflict an issue in your workplace?

• Not at all (by staff size): Smaller organizations (those with fewer than 500 employees) were more likely than organizations with 500 to 2,499 employees to report that intergenerational conflict is not at all an issue in their workplace.

• To a slight degree (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 500 to 2,499 employees) were more likely than organizations with 1 to 99 employees to report that intergenerational conflict is an issue to a slight degree in their workplace.

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Comparison by Organization Staff Size

Smaller Organizations Larger Organizations Differences Based on Organization Staff Size

•1 to 99 employees (32%)•100 to 499 employees (31%)

•500 to 2,499 employees (9%) Smaller organizations > larger organizations


•1 to 99 employees (36%) •500 to 2,499 employees (67%) Larger organizations > smaller organizations

Note: Based on a scale where 1 = “not at all,” 2 = “to a slight degree,” 3 = “to some degree” and 4 = “to a large degree.”



10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

44%

35%

19%

2%

To what extent does your organization actively work (e.g., through training or other programs, etc.) to reduce intergenerational conflict in its workplace?

Note: n = 432.


To what extent does your organization actively work (e.g., through training or other programs, etc.) to reduce intergenerational conflict in its workplace?

• Not at all (by staff size): Smaller organizations (those with 1 to 99 employees) were more likely than organizations with 500 to 2,499 employees to report that their organizations do not actively work to reduce intergenerational conflict in their workplace.

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•1 to 99 employees (59%) •500 to 2,499 employees (33%) Smaller organizations > larger organizations

Note: Based on a scale where 1 = “not at all,” 2 = “to a slight degree,” 3 = “to some degree” and 4 = “to a large degree.”



10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

4%

42%

39%

14%

To what extent have your organization’s efforts to reduce intergenerational conflict proved successful?

Note: n = 158. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding. Only HR professionals who indicated that their organizations actively worked to reduce intergenerational conflict in their workplace answered this question.


People managers

Nonmanagement-level employees

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

7%

24%

39%

37%

51%

35%

4%

4%

Millennials/Generation Y (age 30 and younger in 2011) Generation X (age 31 to 46 in 2011)

Baby Boomers (age 47 to 66 in 2011) Veterans (age 67 and up in 2011)

Age composition of organizations’ management and nonmanagement employees

Note: n = 214-226. Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding..


What complaints or concerns have people managers in your organization raised about the performance of younger workers?

Inappropriate dress 55%

Poor work ethic 54%

Excessively informal language and/or behavior 38%

Need for supervision 38%

Inappropriate use of or excessive reliance on technology 38%

Lack of respect for authority 36%

Lack of respect for organizational hierarchy 35%

Inability to balance work and life 28%

Inability to navigate office politics 24%

Inability to work within a defined structure 22%

Low productivity 19%

General skills deficiencies 18%

Inability to work as part of a team 17%

9

Note: n = 242. Excludes responses of "N/A, not aware of any complaints or concerns raised by people managers regarding younger workers." The response category "Unrealistic expectations of employment, current job and/or advancement" was added based on the write-in responses to "other." Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.


What complaints or concerns have people managers in your organization raised about the performance of younger workers? (continued)

Inability to work independently 15%

Missed deadlines 11%

Too much of a need to multitask 9%

Low ability to multitask 8%

Suboptimal learning speed/learning style 5%

Low acceptance of diversity 3%

Unrealistic expectations of employment, current job and/or advancement 3%

Other 5%

10

Note: n = 242. Excludes responses of "N/A, not aware of any complaints or concerns raised by people managers regarding younger workers." The response category "Unrealistic expectations of employment, current job and/or advancement" was added based on the write-in responses to "other." Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options..


What complaints or concerns have people managers in your organization raised about the performance of younger workers?

• Inability to work independently (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 25,000 or more employees) were more likely than organizations with 100 to 499 employees to report that people managers in their organization had raised concerns about younger workers’ inability to work independently.

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•100 to 499 employees (11%) •25,000 or more employees (45%)

Larger organizations > smaller organizations


What complaints or concerns have younger workers in your organization raised about older managers?

Resistance to change 47%

Low recognition of workers’ efforts 45%

Micromanaging 44%

Rigid expectations of following authority/chain of command 38%

Aversion to technology 31%

Low respect for workers’ work/life balance 31%

Generally poor management skills 29%

Inflexibility 29%

Poor training/coaching skills 28%

Unfair or excessive criticism 26%

“Out of touch” with the reality of the job 26%

Excessive workload 24%

Excessively formal expectations for dress 17%

12

Note: n = 231. Excludes responses of "N/A, not aware of any complaints or concerns raised by younger workers regarding older managers." Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.


What complaints or concerns have younger workers in your organization raised about older managers? (continued)

Intolerant 13%

Inaccessible 12%

Unkind 10%

Unreasonably short deadlines 7%

Excessively formal language and/or behavior 6%

Other 2%

13

Note: n = 231. Excludes responses of "N/A, not aware of any complaints or concerns raised by younger workers regarding older managers." Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.


What complaints or concerns have younger workers in your organization raised about older managers?

• Intolerant (by staff size): Larger organizations (those with 25,000 or more employees) were more likely than smaller organizations (those with fewer than 500 employees to report that younger workers in their organization had raised concerns about older managers being intolerant.

• Intolerant (by organization sector): Publicly owned for-profit organizations (27%) were more likely than nonprofit organizations (4%) to report that younger workers in their organization had raised concerns about older managers being intolerant.

• Generally poor management skills (by organization sector): Government agencies (50%) were more likely than nonprofit organizations (17%) to report that younger workers in their organization had raised concerns about older managers having generally poor management skills.

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•1 to 99 employees (9%)•100 to 499 employees (9%)

•25,000 or more employees (45%)

Larger organizations > smaller organizations

Comparison by Organization Sector


How has your company responded to these complaints?

Implemented/increased coaching/mentoring efforts for people managers 61%

Implemented/increased coaching/mentoring efforts for nonmanagement-level workers 44%

Increased job/workplace expectations training for new hires 38%

Implemented performance improvement process for workers 28%

Implemented/increased flexible work arrangements 25%

Implemented new performance measures 22%

Implemented/increased intergenerational training for people managers 19%

Relaxed dress code policy 16%

Tightened and/or formalized dress code policy 13%

Implemented/increased training for HR staff to respond to intergenerational conflict issues 13%

Implemented/increased intergenerational training for nonmanagement-level workers 12%

Modified job descriptions for workers 9%

Added new job/workplace policies , trainings and/or communications 3%

Other 3%

15

Note: n = 172. Excludes responses of “N/A, my organization has not implemented any specific response to complaints raised by people managers about younger workers, or to complaints raised by younger workers about older people managers.“The response category "Added new job/workplace policies , trainings and/or communications” was added based on the write-in responses to "other." Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options.


Yes; 85%

No; 15%

At your organization, do any employees report to a manager or supervisor who is a member of a younger generation than the employee?

Note: n = 263. Excludes responses of “not sure.”


Yes, a large number of complaints; 2% Yes, a few

complaints; 20%

No, I am not aware of any

complaints; 78%

Are you aware of any complaints due to this reporting structure?

Note: n = 219


Demographics: Organization Industry

IndustryManufacturing –other 16%

Health care, social assistance (e.g., hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, in-home care, nursing homes, EAP providers, hospice, etc.)

13%

Services--professional, scientific, technical, legal, engineering 7%

Educational services/education (e.g., universities, schools, etc.) 6%

Government/public administration--federal, state/local, tribal 6%

Other services (e.g., other nonprofit, church/religious organizations, etc.) 6%

Financial services (e.g., banking) 5%

Transportation, warehousing (e.g., distribution) 5%

Insurance 4%

Retail/wholesale trade 4%

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Note: n = 272


Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)

IndustryConsulting 3%

High-tech 3%

Arts, entertainment, recreation 2%

Real estate, rental, leasing 2%

Utilities 2%

Construction, mining, oil and gas 1%

Publishing, broadcasting, other media 1%

Manufacturing--auto/auto-related 1%

Association--professional/trade 1%

Services--accommodation, food and drinking places 1%

Biotech 1%

Telecommunications 1%

Pharmaceutical 1%

Other 6%

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Note: n = 272


Demographics: Organization Sector

Government sector

Nonprofit organization

Publicly owned for-profit organization

Privately owned for-profit organization

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

10%

20%

19%

51%

20

Note: n = 265. Excludes “other” organization sectors.


Demographics: Organization Staff Size

1 to

99

empl

oyee

s

100

to 4

99 e

mpl

oyee

s

500

to 2

,499

em

ploy

ees

2,50

0 to

24,

999

empl

oyee

s

25,0

00 o

r mor

e em

ploy

ees

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

30%34%

22%

10%

4%

21

Note: n = 251


Demographics: Other

22

Note: n = 275

U.S.-based operations 75%

Multinational operations 25%

Single-unit company: A company in which the location and the company are one and the same

41%

Multi-unit company: A company that has more than one location

59%

Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices

37%

Each work location determines HR policies and practices

6%

A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determine HR policies and practices

57%

Is your organization a single-unit company or a multi-unit company?

Are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit corporate headquarters, by each work location or both?

Does organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only or does it operate multinationally?

Note: n = 272

Note: n = 173

• 15% of organizations indicated that employees at their work location were unionized.

Note: n = 271


SHRM Poll: Intergenerational Conflict in the Workplace

• Response rate = 17%• Sample composed of 434 randomly selected HR

professionals.• Margin of error is +/- 5%• Survey fielded February 16-23, 2011

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Methodology

For more poll findings, visit: www.shrm.org/surveysFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SHRM_Research

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intergenerational conflict final

Documents

organizations efforts

larger organizations

smaller organizations

onehalf of organizations

people managers

intergenerational issues

performance of younger

younger workers inability