Managers Making Sense Of Millennials: Perceptions Of A Generational Cohort

Keywords

Discourse analysis; Generational cohorts; Membership categorization; Social constructionism; Workplace diversity

Abstract

The study of generational cohorts has seen an increase in popularity in scholarly and popular literature. Millennials comprise the newest cohort to enter the workplace. This study explores how managers use social categorization to make sense of their Millennial-generation employees. Data were collected through interviews conducted with managers in order to learn how they viewed and described Millennials. Twentyfive managers in the hospitality industry were interviewed. Data were analyzed by searching for membership categorization devices (MCDs), then patterns in usage and meaning of the devices were explored. Three patterns were identified in using MCDs to reference Millennials: “kids”, “age group,” and “Millennials”/variations of the term. These findings are examined in reference to how they may inform managerial behavior as well as guide further study of generational cohorts.

Publication Date

1-1-2016

Publication Title

Qualitative Research Reports in Communication

Volume

17

Issue

1

Number of Pages

52-59

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1080/17459435.2015.1088895

Socpus ID

85006345120 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85006345120

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