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

Abstract

This study aims at investigating the generational diversity at workplace 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 willpower 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 with workforce diversity; data was gathered from respondents belonging to Gen X Y and Z. Both individual and group-level data were obtained and analyzed for this study. This study highlights that generational diversity within the workplace has i) an 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 concerning workplace conflict.