We hear less about it than we did 15 years ago, but mainstream media still occasionally publish articles about generational differences in the workplace. Although scientific studies generally do not point to major disparities between age groups, researchers continue to look for them, to the point where the body of research on the subject has become substantial. It is in this context that Ravid, Costanza, and Romero conducted a meta-analysis recently published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.
Their review of 143 studies found that, for the vast majority of work-related attitudes, generational differences are non-existent, small, or mixed. The few significant gaps that did emerge could be explained by factors other than generational membership. For instance, it is natural that employees who have been with a company for many years would respond differently to questions about organizational commitment or turnover intentions compared to newcomers. The authors then went back to review each study to analyze how researchers interpreted their own findings. They found that researchers tended to exaggerate the scope of generational differences—even when their data provided only weak support. In other words, those studying these differences appear to be influenced themselves by the very hypothesis they set out to test.
Like these authors, I long thought that discourse around generational differences was mainly a matter of marketing. However, my perspective has shifted in recent years with the rise of anxiety disorders in the population, particularly among young people. This meta-analysis may need to be updated in the coming years, once today’s adolescents enter the workforce.