The Generation Myth

Introduction

Let me begin by stating that I don’t know if generational differences exist or not, much to the same extent that I don’t know for sure that Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster exist. In my view, they are potentially all myths. Maybe there is some truth to the myth, but it is likely that any truth might have become exaggerated over time. From what I’ve seen in popular discourse and compared with my own research, I believe that generational phenomena possess a mythical quality—that is, societal and organizational communication about generations can present half-truths that have been exaggerated.

I’ve spent the past decade exploring the intergenerational phenomenon in the workplace. This book represents a lot of the findings that I have ...