Why Are There Generational Cohorts?
Do you ever find yourself wondering about someone else’s behavior, speech, or dress?
“What were they thinking?”
“Did you forget you were coming to work today?”
“Did you really think that was going to work for you?”
Often, this happens when we look across generational boundaries.
Simply put, generational cohorts are groups of people who:
- were born about the same time, or during a specific time period
- have similar characteristics and behaviors.
- are different from members of other age groups
Examples of generational cohorts are:
Some interesting questions:
- Why are there different generations?
- Why are there similar characteristics within those generations?
- Why are there differences between generations?
Probably the best way to answer these questions is to think about each generation as having a separate culture, with different
- beliefs
- values
- customs
We can explain how these generations develop by applying the same techniques that we use to study different cultures. Our cultures are learned as we grow and experience the world around us. We are shaped by:
- educational systems
- families
- entertainment
- world events
- many other things
While people of all ages experience events such as the terrorist attacks that occurred on 9/11, the great recession of 2008, or even a natural disaster, the impact of those events on our attitudes, beliefs, and values is different depending on our age when we experience them. During our formative years, world events have a much greater, or at least different, impact on our future behavior than when we’re adults.
Elements of our environment change over time and those changes result in different cultures for different age groups. In the early 1960s, Ricky and Lucy Ricardo and Rob and Laura Petrie, had to be portrayed as sleeping in separate twin beds. In 2012, Claire and Phil Dunphy can be shown under the covers together. Is it any surprise that todays’ teenagers will have different values when they are in their 40’s than Baby Boomers? Our legal system, political parties in office, economic environment, educational system, families, technology, and other environmental forces create these differences.
Generational differences are real, and they actually make sense when you consider the impact of environmental differences on our beliefs, values, and customs. The challenge is to bridge the differences and use each member, of each generation, to their greatest potential. This is particularly challenging in a work environment, where all of those differences can collide. With all of our differences, the workplace requires us to find those commonalities so we can work toward a common goal. Sometimes this is easier said than done.
So, the next time you find yourself wondering, “What were they thinking?”, if they’re a member of a different generation, don’t be surprised that they’re thinking differently from you.
John Story, Ph.D.
Interim Burnett Endowed Chair in Leadership
Chair, Department of Management and Marketing
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