Boss
Generational Gaps and their Effects on the Workplace
XYZ & Associates is a small to mid-sized CPA firm in Independence, Ohio. I am currently employed at the C-Corp as a staff accountant and client service manager. XYZ & Associates is a service based firm that provides services such as financial planning, tax planning & preparation, auditing and payroll services, as well as business valuation services. As of right now, the company is currently staffed with eleven employees. Of the eleven employees, only three are below the age of thirty. Two of the eleven employees are in their thirties, while all remaining employees are above the age of fifty. The employees age fifty and above are often referred to as “Baby Boomers,’ while the employees thirty and above belong to “Generation X,” and the final three employee’s aged in their twenties are called “Generation Y.” The CPA firm only staffs five licensed Certified Public Accountants. One of the “Generation Y” employees recently received his CPA, while all other practicing CPAs are ages thirty-one and above. Due to the smaller size of the firm, each employee focuses and practices all different aspects of services the firm provides, regardless of whether or not they are licensed CPAs. Clients are almost always satisfied with the work of the company; however, the employees do not always feel comparable in emotions. Employees often seem to clash in working styles, consequently causing adhesion in the office. Because the firm was formed in 1991, certain traditional values have been adopted into the company’s culture. While these values are embraced by the baby boomers in the company, the Generation Y does not seem to always understand these values. The dissimilarity between the generational gaps in the workplace often causes a negative tension in XYZ & Associates. Whether the issues relate to attire, technology, or opinions on promotions, the variance in beliefs between the generations exists.
XYZ & Associates is a small to mid-sized CPA firm in Independence, Ohio. I am currently employed at the C-Corp as a staff accountant and client service manager. XYZ & Associates is a service based firm that provides services such as financial planning, tax planning & preparation, auditing and payroll services, as well as business valuation services. As of right now, the company is currently staffed with eleven employees. Of the eleven employees, only three are below the age of thirty. Two of the eleven employees are in their thirties, while all remaining employees are above the age of fifty. The employees age fifty and above are often referred to as “Baby Boomers,’ while the employees thirty and above belong to “Generation X,” and the final three employee’s aged in their twenties are called “Generation Y.” The CPA firm only staffs five licensed Certified Public Accountants. One of the “Generation Y” employees recently received his CPA, while all other practicing CPAs are ages thirty-one and above. Due to the smaller size of the firm, each employee focuses and practices all different aspects of services the firm provides, regardless of whether or not they are licensed CPAs. Clients are almost always satisfied with the work of the company; however, the employees do not always feel comparable in emotions. Employees often seem to clash in working styles, consequently causing adhesion in the office. Because the firm was formed in 1991, certain traditional values have been adopted into the company’s culture. While these values are embraced by the baby boomers in the company, the Generation Y does not seem to always understand these values. The dissimilarity between the generational gaps in the workplace often causes a negative tension in XYZ & Associates. Whether the issues relate to attire, technology, or opinions on promotions, the variance in beliefs between the generations exists.
References: De Meuse, K. P., & Mlodzik, K. J. (2010). A Second Look at Generational Differences in the Workforce: Implications for HR and Talent Management Deyoe, R. H., & Fox, T. L. (2011). Identifying strategies to minimize workplace conflict due to generational differences. Journal Of Behavioral Studies In Business, 41-17. Elmore, L. (2010). Generation gaps. Women In Business, 62(2), 8-11. Generational differences can cause work clashes. (2012). Nursing Standard, 27(1), 9. Hahn, J. A. (2011). Managing Multiple Generations: Scenarios From the Workplace. Nursing Forum, 46(3), 119-127 Schermerhorn, J., Osborn, R., Hunt, J., Uhl-Bien, M. (2012). Organizational Behavior. Simons, N. (2010). Leveraging Generational Work Styles to Meet Business Objectives. Information Management Journal, 44(1), 28-33.