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Dalahn Colley
Entrepreneur, United States
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What Motivates Employees? The Answer Depends (Partly) on their Generation
The age of retirement has been moved to 60, 65, 70 years and beyond. Where each generation used to pass the baton; there is no baton being passed anymore.
We can now find multiple generations (up to 4!) working in the workplace together. There are many intergenerational differences, including work motivation. While every person is different, it is proven that generational similarities such as priorities, motivators, reward preferences etc. do exist.
 An organization has to address that when creating a motivational plan. There are currently four generations in the workforce / rat race :-). Generational trends and motivators have been researched and identified by experts. To address the employees as a group an effective leader will understand and convey the messages proven to motivate each generation:
The generational names are debatable but these are the names I chose to use:
1. The Matures are born prior to 1946. They believe work is an obligation, no news is good news, their employer respects their experience and professionalism. Their satisfaction is gained from a job well done.
2. The Baby Boomers are born between 1946-1964. They view work as an adventure, want to be valued and needed by their employer. They don’t appreciate criticism and work for money, title and recognition.
3. The Generation X’ers are born between 1965-1980. They view work as a contract, want to do it their way without rules. They also feel freedom is the best reward and will seek feedback as opposed to waiting.
4. The Millennia's are born between 1981-1994. They view work as a means to an end, but want meaningful work done with other bright creative people, and want everything to manifest with the push of a button.
(Source: Lesonsky R., 2011).
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Welcome to the Expectancy Theory best practices. The topic being discussed here is: "What Motivates Employees? The Answer Depends (Partly) on their Generation".
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Scott Greenwood, United States
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What Motivates Employees? What's Behind Generational Differences
The generational differences are a function of what the environment offered at the time their behaviors were being forme...
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David Wilson
Manager, Canada
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Multiple Generations Have there Own Characteristics
I agree that every generation has its unique characteristics. However, I believe the challenge is developing reward and ...
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Daniele
Manager, Italy
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How to Arrange Employees into Motivational Groups
Generations is only one aspect to be take into account for exploring employees motivation: culture, geography, personali...
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Hinda K. Sterling, Ph.D.
Consultant, United States
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Motivation is Complex and is Primarily Based on Traits
Thank you for the thoughts you presented. However, even though assigning characteristics to generations is popular, it i...
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Loek Hopstaken
Consultant, Netherlands
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Generational Differences in Motivation / Communication Depend on the World Region
Communication across generations is definitely an issue, as most of us have experienced it in one way or another.
I'd l...
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Gil Vondrasek
Consultant, United States
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We Are What We Were When
There was a great training film from the 1980's entitled "We are what we were when". It describes quite vividly what Dal...
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Dr Hussein Laqwer
CEO, Saudi Arabia
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Culture Influences Employee Motivation More than Generation
I think the motivation for work is a cultural issue more than any other thing.
Cultures that give values for work will ...
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Dev Sen
Teacher, United Kingdom
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Age is Just a Number
We tend to forget the idea of "retirement" is just a recent invention. In fact the people being called "mature" come fro...
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SAMUEL LUZOBE
Consultant, Uganda
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The Relation between Maslow's Pyramid and Motivation of Generations
Employee motivation... Interesting! My contention is that Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs scheme seems to be operational in ...
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Prasanna
Student (University), Sri Lanka
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We Need a Method to Efficiently Assess Individual Employee Motivation
Motivation levels of workers differ from one to another because of their intensity, direction and persistence toward the...
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Truong Thi Lan Anh, Viet Nam
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Work-life Balance is the Common Motivator among Generations
I would suggest there's one thing in common among generations: work-life balance that finally brings in their happiness ...
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jorge eixeres
Director, Spain
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4 Generations for 4 Ways or Life
Imagine those 4 generations with the same instruments of knowledgement, as internet is. You can notice then that younger...
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Jone Sovalawa
Student (University), Australia
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Differences in What Motivates Younger and Older Employees
Motivating the younger generation remains a challenge in many work places because they can be more qualified, but their ...
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Johnny Michael Tan
Management Consultant, Malaysia
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6 Commonalities in what Motivates Employees Among Generations
6 commonalities straddle the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y! They are:
1. All three generations want to make money
2. E...
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Danilo Mazzarol
Manager, Italy
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The Age of Individuals Influences their Behavior and Motivation
For sure the individual's age makes the difference. The different generations produce different behaviours. The HR manag...
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Wulf-Dieter Krueger
Teacher, Thailand
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What Motivates All Generations?
What motivates all generations? Competence of and setting good examples by 'superiors'.
There might be variances accord...
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WALTER Pascal, France
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Common Motivations Among all Generations
I agree that the answer depends partly on their generation. That's a fact.
But all generations also have common motivat...
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JoAnn Becker
Management Consultant, United States
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Just Learn About the Multi-generational Workforce
I know a 98 yr young retired US Federal judge who still practices and gets called back to the bench to serve. All genera...
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karel sovak
Professor, United States
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Leaders can Motivate Multiple Generations with Empowerment
I think the best indicator of a motivated employee comes from the empowerment they are given and the ability to make use...
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Rebecca Kibazo-Gasque
United States
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Employee Motivation Across Age Groups
@Truong Thi Lan Anh: I agree with you that work life balance and sustainability are great employee motivators across al...
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gonzalez
Management Consultant, France
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How Employers Motivated Employees over the Years...
Since last industrial era in 1900, modern companies still have considered workers like machines or raw material. Now, th...
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Maia de Lourdes Larrea, Ecuador
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Motivation is Different for Different Cultures
@Dr Hussein Laqwer: I also think that this theory is not applicable for everyone, each culture will have different motiv...
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Angel, Brazil
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It Doesn't Matter How Old People Are, they Want Only One Thing...
A promotion, better salary, a tap on the back, etc.
Isolated or combined, they mean only one thing: recognition!...
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Bert Walker, USA
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Dealing with Responsibility / Accountability When you Grow Older
@Gil Vondrasek: You wrote: "Does our birth date impact our willingness to accept accountability?"
I think that your acc...
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Vance E. Woods
Student (MBA), United States
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Generational Motivation
@Samuel Luzobe: Generation motivation is definitely a cultural phenomenon. It is relevant only in cultures with mixed wo...
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Daniel Newton Obaka, United States
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Two Levels of Motivation: The Natural-Purpose and the Environment-Tainted Motivation
This generational analysis comes at a time when the need to redefine value added leadership has become one of the greate...
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Alain Kriegel, France
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What Motivates People over the Generations?
I agree that everyone is looking for a balance between work and private life. The equilibrium point of the balance varie...
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Carlos Torres
Business Consultant
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Work Motivations of Young and Mature People
Indeed, the different generations may have other perspectives on the meaning and purpose of their work. For over 13 year...
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Shafiul Azam
HR Consultant, Bangladesh
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Employee Motivation also Varies According to Individual Personality
Indeed employee motivation varies from generation to generation to some extent. But it also varies among generations in ...
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Arif ur Rehman
Professor, Pakistan
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Careful with Generalizations of Generational Imbalances in Working Mindsets
@Gil Vondrasek: Another movie that comes to my mind is ‘The way we were’. Having said that we must remember that when we...
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Dev Sen
Teacher, United Kingdom
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Baton of Experience is Not Passed among Generations
@Carlos Torres: indeed the problem we face as more graduates and MBA students are churned out of business school believi...
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raffaele campanella
Management Consultant, Italy
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The Importance of the Boss
I have a very clear statement in my mind, after 35 years spent in industrial organizations: "The most difficult task of ...
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Dilip Khanal
CEO, Nepal
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Common Motivation for 4 Generations
Appreciation, challenge and reward are common in all generations. The Generation X'ers and Millenia's are also motivated...
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Upadhyayula Narayana Das
HR Consultant, India
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What Motivates Employees? Generational Determinant
Ascribing motivation as a function of generation might be too simplistic a view.
One might find a veteran for whom "wor...
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Martin Noonan, Australia
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Motivating Younger Employees to Find Greater Depth in Understanding
Motivation is like perception. "It's not mine, its theirs" is what is most important here, irrespective of age, ethnicit...
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Beddoe, United Kingdom
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Age / Generations Don't Matter Much
Personally I feel these simple categories are generalising and as many others have stated do not take into account the n...
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Ellis, United Kingdom
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What Motivates Employees from Various Generations
Basic needs, such as security and recognition have always been around. All that's changed is our willingness to accept t...
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Dr Gary Jones
Business Consultant, Australia
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Interesting Comments by All
All the comments are valid some coming from an academic research base, others from experience. Some of the participants ...
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Mbaile
Manager, South Africa
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What Motivates Employees: Use what they Like Most
For the younger generation of employees the most important aspect to use to get them motivated is, to show them what the...
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hendrick Sauzande
Manager, Malawi
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Motivation of Generations not Valid in Poor Countries
Motivation is not a direct function of generation, particularly in most poor or under-developed countries such as Malawi...
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Hemant Desai
Management Consultant, India
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Motivation Based on Generations Alone is Suicidal
All theories give you a point of view which necessarily has to be customised for the individual being managed.
In that ...
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de vries
Consultant, Netherlands
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Attributes of Generations / Cohorts
Generation planning is important. Not only in managing. Generations share common values but more important common experi...
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John limpus
Australia
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What Motivates Employees from Various Genarations
What motivates employees is reward. This is not always monetary:
- For the Mature generation, it is the satisfaction of...
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AKOM JOSHUA, Ghana
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Motivations of the Various Generations
According to Maslow, motivation need not depend on the type of generation but instead on the individual's need. It could...
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Gafar Bamikole
Accountant, United Kingdom
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Generational Traits in Employees’ Motivation
Compared to universal motivational theories, generational traits represent a more specific concept from which other (ind...
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DOUGLAS AIDOO
Student (Other), Ghana
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What Motivate an Employee does not Depend on Generation
I think flexibility in job designs and reward systems contribute greatly to employee motivation. If these fall short in ...
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abraham garshong, Ghana
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Common Denominator to Motivate Employees from Various Generations?
@David Wilson: I am in line with your thinking. It is possible to have a common denominator of factors that motivates em...
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KATHRYN STEINER, MBA
Entrepreneur, United States
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Various Generations Differences and Perspectives Worthy of Study
As the parent of a 21 year old, I have to admit I find it challenging at times to step into her shoes and see how she vi...
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hernando bernal
Professor, Colombia
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Media Motivate the New Generation?
Motivation is more than perception, Alvin Toffler said family and human behavior change with the greatest exposure to in...
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Naomi Elisabeth
Indonesia
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The World Changes and that Impacts the Motivation of Generations
Change can be associated with this topic. I mean, the world is changing over a century, decade, or even years.
There a...
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