Michael J. Urick

The Presentation of Self: Dramaturgical Theory and Generations in Organizations

While interest in intergenerational phenomena has been growing in organizations, academic research in the field of organizational studies has questioned the existence of generational differences. However, despite this questioning, generational stereotypes are known and enacted in the workplace. Using a dramaturgical approach as suggested by Goffman (1959), the purpose of this theory article is to advocate a simple model of generational stereotype reinforcement in organizations in which individuals enact (or do not enact) prototypical generational traits and behaviors when doing so allows them to appear in a positive light to a particular generational group.

Engaging Conflict While Fostering Cooperation: An Organizational Case Study

This case study chapter is about a primary care-focused medical school that undertook a strategic planning process using Action Evaluation in order to craft a new mission statement and build greater alignment among its faculty and administrators. A conflict soon emerged between two identity groups (primary care and specialist physicians) causing the Action Evaluation process to be put on hold. Consultants switched to the ARIA conflict engagement model to help bring out Antagonism from the past and Resonance in the present and eventually move back into Action Evaluation for the future.

Alternatives to the Movie Sandwich Habit Practical Approaches to Using Movies to Teach Leadership and Power

Instructors often leverage movies in their classroom to illustrate management concepts. Sometimes, instructors fall into the “movie sandwich” habit, which may not allow for a comprehensive mastery of complex concepts. In this article, we define what we mean by “movie sandwich” and provide immersive alternatives to this approach to illustrate power and leadership theories. The two alternative approaches we advocate here are “movie club,” in which students are guided through an interactive discussion outside of class related to topics, and “modified gamification,” in which students are provided objectives and awarded points for showing mastery of concepts illustrated in a movie. These two approaches are demonstrated through practical examples.

Adapting training to meet the preferred learning styles of different generations

This article considers how training professionals can respond to differences in training preferences between generational groups. It adopts two methods. First, it surveys the existing research and finds generally that preferences for training approaches can differ between groups and specifically that younger employees are perceived to leverage technology more at work. Second, it uses a qualitative grounded theory approach to examine the perspectives of a sample of older and a sample of younger workers in the United States. It finds that both samples perceive a greater comfort level of younger employees in leveraging technology-enabled training and that the older sample were more comfortable with on-the-job and mentorship development efforts than more formal approaches. The implication for practice is that training needs to be more innovative so that, for any particular training intervention, potential trainees have a degree of freedom of choice of learning style. Possible approaches are discussed.

Teaching Leadership: Using Wonder Woman to Highlight the Importance of Gender Diversity

We review the film Wonder Woman as a teaching tool for leadership. The film illustrates transformational leadership, bases of power, and servant leadership while considering how gender plays into leadership. The approach we suggest is through a “movie club” activity in which the entire film is viewed, students are given prompts on what to look for, and an in-depth discussion is facilitated following viewing the movie. Wonder Woman is a useful teaching tool that engages students in ways that more traditional examples might not.

Social Barriers to Implementing Continuous Improvement Initiatives

Organizations report challenges in implementing continuous improvement or operational excellence initiatives as they strive for sustainability, yet few have considered the impact that social barriers have in creating resistance to implementation. Through a qualitative grounded theory method, this study highlights several contributions. First, social barriers are stronger than other challenges to implementing operational excellence. Second, these barriers include interpersonal (e.g., communication challenges, unwillingness to change, and workplace relationships) and organizational (e.g., employee treatment, cultural values, and formal organizational characteristics) issues. This article thus links sustainability to operational excellence and suggests that the greatest barriers to becoming more sustainable are likely social in nature. The study then concludes, in addition to these contributions, with a consideration of limitations and directions for future research.

Three generational issues in organizational learning: Knowledge management, perspectives on training and “low-stakes” development

Purpose Methods for facilitating learning and knowledge transfer in multigenerational workplaces are of importance to organizations. Yet, intergenerational learning is vastly understudied in academic organizational literature. This conceptual paper aims to recommend future directions for studying intergenerational learning by examining three interrelated considerations. Design/methodology/approach General knowledge management concepts, various generationally based perspectives on training and low-stakes development initiatives, are examined by integrating the existing literature. Findings The authors suggest that improved learning will occur in organizations that facilitate targeted socialization, respond to new preferences and trends in development programs while leveraging multiple approaches including informal/individualized initiatives (such as on-the-job education, mentorship programs) and embrace multiple types of volunteering activities. Originality value Although other work has reviewed intergenerational learning, this is the first research to focus on multigenerational learning while considering tacit and practical learning transference from inside and outside the organization.

Towards an Identity-Based Approach for Examining Age in the Workplace: Perspectives and Implications

Studies of age issues in the workplace have been crucial towards understanding diversity in organisations. Many such studies have focused on perceived differences in younger and older workers, age stereotypes, and ways to attract and retain an age-diverse workforce. However, few studies have focused on the concept of age identity. This chapter advocates for engaging in age identity research by linking age stereotypes and labels to identity and by discussing potential implications for the workforce and research. In order to stress the usefulness of age identity research, this chapter examines age components, identity definitions, the importance of labels, and age stereotyping.

Differences in Understanding Generation in the Workforce

ABSTRACT From an analysis of two age diverse samples in which we explored the ways “generation” is understood in the workforce, we make several contributions to generational research. First, we propose new conceptualizations on generations in the workforce. They are: contribution (a generation is defined based on the impact its members make on society or organizations) and generation as an ambiguous or irrelevant concept (generational categories are meaningless or inconsequential). Second, we note that individuals draw on a combination of multiple understandings of generations, making each person’s understanding unique and nuanced. Third, though most of our study participants leveraged age in their definition of generation, they did so in different ways. Fourth, we discuss outcomes of different understandings of generation, including conflict and identity work.

Mentoring in the Movies

N. Meyers (Producer and Director). The Intern [Motion Picture]. USA: Warner Brothers 2015. 121 min. J. J. Abrams (Producer and Director). Star Wars: The Force Awakens [Motion Picture]. USA: Walt Disney Studios, 2015. 135 min. Two recent films portray examples of intergenerational mentoring within their storylines. The Intern (Meyers, 2015) is a rare example of a movie that highlights positive intergenerational interactions and mentorship in a realistic work situation. The movie highlights potential challenges in intergenerational interactions in the workplace without the heavy leverage of stereotypes. Each of the main characters in The Intern has realistic strengths and weaknesses that, when used together in the workplace, help achieve positive results. As a young CEO, Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) breaks many stereotypes of the millennial generation. She is proactive, having started her own company; she is hands-on, constantly engaging with her employees while serving as CEO; and she is competent—her newly founded company is hugely successful. Similarly, 70-year old Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) breaks many existing societal stereotypes of older workers. He wants to continue to learn, he is open minded, and he is eager to help others. These characteristics make him a valuable asset in the workplace where he has been hired as an intern. Although he has been hired as an intern, Ben is soon regarded as a mentor—on everything from personal relationships to business strategies. On a deeper level, his stability of character and his lifetime of experience enable him to gently and unobtrusively “mentor” Jules as she struggles with the ramifications of the rapid growth of her new company. But in the process of all this Ben learns as much from Jules as she does from him. Mentorship, after all, is a two-way street, and by giving him an intern position (albeit reluctantly at first), Jules provides Ben with a purpose and identity later in his career. Furthermore, his experiences as an intern give Ben a broader perspective of working within a modern tech-savvy company. This is not to say that these two main characters lack flaws. While The Intern is largely a comedy, it is also a realistic portrayal of workplace interactions and, as such, it portrays some faults that might also exist within ourselves and people we work with. For example, Ben seems to judge other characters at times (shown, for instance, by his stern looks at Jules when he feels she may be drinking too much alcohol). Similarly, Jules is often a poor communicator (illustrated by her sending an inappropriate email and by her apparent inability to pay her assistant a compliment). By not relying on generational stereotypes, The Intern highlights ways that different generations might work together to bring about positive results in the workplace. Many of the strategies illustrated in the movie (being visible in the workplace, achieving positive results important to colleagues of other generations, and being honest) have been supported in academic research as effective ways to minimize the negative consequences of perceived generational differences (Urick, Hollensbe, Masterson, & Lyons, 2016). JOURNAL OF INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2016, VOL. 14, NO. 3, 268–270 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2016.1194731