THE IMPLICATIONS OF AGE DIVERSITY in multicultural team working
Recent research at the University of West London’s Business School has examined the implications of age diversity and stereotyping in the management and effectiveness of multicultural teams. Vito Paldo and Dr Sue Shortland report on its findings.
T
he age profile of today’s workforce is multigenerational. Baby boomers work side-by-side with generations
X, Y and Z. As people continue to work beyond traditional retirement age and as millennials increasingly enter the workforce, so it is not unusual for four generations to be represented in workplace team structures. Such age differences present interesting challenges for organisations – the perceptions of age can affect working relationships, management styles and communications. Societal cultures have varied perceptions
of age – both positive and negative. For example, East Asian cultures such as Japan and China view older workers positively – bringing wisdom and experience to the workplace. Ageing employees are valued. Millennials undertaking foreign assignments to such countries might therefore experience difficulties in gaining respect due to their relative youth. In Western societies, ageing employees
may be viewed negatively. Older workers may be seen as being less flexible in their ability to learn, harder to train and more resistant to change. Younger employees, by contrast, are frequently viewed as ambitious, quick to learn and more enthusiastic. Perceptions of age are not consistent though. Older workers may, alternatively, be considered more reliable, loyal and courteous, while younger employees might be seen as concerned about self-promotion, lacking loyalty and liable to change jobs more quickly. In multicultural teams, age diversity can present particular challenges – especially when younger managers manage older workers.
Mixed views on age diversity Research carried out in a healthcare
organisation amongst supervisors and subordinates working in multigenerational and multicultural teams indicated mixed views on the benefits of age diversity. With staff ranging from under 25 to 50, the inter-generational age range spanned three workplace generations: X, Y and Z. Cultures represented included Western and Eastern European, Australasian, North American and Asian. Managers (typically aged 30-40) reported
that it was easier to manage younger team members in the main, as this enabled the development of authority through an age- related hierarchy. That said, the managers acknowledged the benefits flowing from an age-diverse team; age diversity was considered to have a positive impact on performance. Managers also revealed that they learnt from younger staff, improving their knowledge. When team members were older than their managers, problems were sometimes experienced by the managers in ensuring that their instructions were followed. Younger supervisors also reported some lack of respect from their teams, occasionally leading to loss of confidence. Considering team members’ views on
age diversity in management, opinions were mixed.
Some welcomed older
managers, recognising their experience and understanding of company career structures. Others viewed older managers as too set in their ways, preferring direction from younger people who were more flexible in managerial style.
Team members also expressed a range of
views on the benefits of age diversity amongst the subordinates in the team. Age diversity was mostly viewed in a positive light. Explanations indicated that the experience of older team members was valued highly while those at the beginning of their careers boosted team energy and spirit, bringing new ways of thinking into the team. Mixed ages helped team members to overcome problems through their different levels and types of experiences. However, co-ordination problems, leading to misunderstandings, were sometimes encountered when age differentials within the team were large, especially if different approaches were enacted by younger and older team members. Some team members welcomed homogeneity in age as they believed that they had more in common with each other.
The importance of training The research indicated that diversity
training was considered very important by managers and team members. A particular focus on age diversity was welcomed so that all could understand the potential dangers of age stereotyping together with the benefits that age diversity could bring to inter- cultural team working. Old and young, and different cultures,
will increasingly work together in multi- generational and multicultural teams as internationalisation gathers pace. A focus on age diversity training can most surely enhance team outputs through mutual respect and understanding.
28 | Relocate | Summer 2018
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