conflict? A quantitative study in a local government organization.
Eva Platteau
Eva.platteau@soc.kuleuven.be
Sara Demuzere
Paper Presented at the 24rd Annual International Association of Conflict Management
Conference Istanbul, Turkey
July 3 – 6, 2011
WORK IN PROGRESS: PLEASE DO NOT CITE WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AUTHORS
Abstract:
In this paper, we tried to link the concepts of generation and intergenerational conflict to the
concept of organizational culture. The main research question is: to what extent do
generations differ with respect to perceived current and desired organizational culture.
Furthermore, we examined whether differences in organizational culture between generations
are associated with intergenerational conflict. To answer these research questions, a survey
was conducted among civil servants from a local government. The results of the quantitative
analyses are interpreted in light of the institutional context of local government.
The topic of age diversity in organizations has received growing attention from both
practitioners and academics (Shore, et al., 2009). The reason is that more and more
organizations are facing higher numbers of older workers and higher levels of age diversity
then before due to the aging of the population (Sullivan et al., 2009). While many scholars
have studied differences between age groups concerning work-related values and behavior
using a lifespan perspective, a generational perspective on age diversity is gaining field.
According to a generational perspective, differences between age groups must not merely be
considered as a result of age-effects but also from generation-effects. A generational
perspective acknowledges that people „change as they grow older and experience successive
life course transitions (Levinson, 1986; Schalk, 2004), but also stresses the fact that the
concept of „generations is fruitful for understanding and interpreting differences between age
groups. While a lifespan approach primarily focuses on psychological phenomena of aging, a
generational approach draws attention to sociological explanations as the way people grow
older, is also a function of societal factors (Kohli, 1985). This means that the older workers of
tomorrow are not necessarily the same as the older workers of todays workforce. In order to
understand the effects of age diversity in work settings, it might thus be necessary to take on a
generational perspective.
Some scholars have argued that in work settings generational differences potentially lead to
„intergenerational conflict (Burke, 2004; Blythe et al., 2008; Dencker et al. 2007; Dencker et
al., 2008; Jurkiewicz & Brown, 1998). Consequently, the „multi-generational workforce is
believed to challenge Human Resource Management (HRM), namely in preventing and
resolving intergenerational conflicts (e.g. Dobbs, et al., 2007). In this paper we are interested
in the prevalence of intergenerational conflict in the context of a specific type of organization,
namely local government in Belgium. In a previous qualitative study, we found that civil
servants in these organisations experience different kinds of intergenerational conflict in their
daily work life. Especially (perceived) differences in work and communication styles were
sources of tension between younger and older generations within these organizations. Also,
the situation wherein a younger person enters the organization in a leading position over older
subordinates, gave rise to conflict (Platteau, 2010).
In this paper we attempt to link the concepts of generations and intergenerational conflict to
the concept of „organizational culture. Organizational culture refers to “the core values,
behavioral norms and behavioral patterns which govern the ways people in an organization
interact with each other and invest energy in their jobs and the organization at large” (van
Muijen, 1999, p. 555). Furthermore, the concept of organizational culture refers to “how
organizational members interpret and understand their work-related experiences and how
these interpretations and understandings are related to action” (van Muijen, 1999, p. 553).
While organizational culture could be used at an aggregate level – i.e. a feature of the
organization – it is often considered as being the result of perceptions of individual workers.
With regard to organizational culture perceptions, the literature often distinguishes between
perceptions of the existing or current organizational culture and the desired organizational
culture (Hooijberg, 1993). The distinction between current and desired organizational culture
makes it possible to capture the perceived need for organizational change. Also, the concept
of desired organizational culture refers to the idea that (groups of) employees may hold
different notions about the direction in which the organizational should develop in the future.
In addition, different interpretation patterns are considered to be a potential source of conflict
and power struggle in the context of organizations (Martion, 1992 in van Muijen et al., 1999).
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For our study, we are especially interested in the desired organizational culture, as we might
expect that within organizations workers from different generations may have a different
perception about how the organizational culture should be. These different ideas about future
organizational developments could be a source of conflict between generations.
In this paper, we study generational differences with respect to organizational culture within
the context of local government in Flanders (Belgium). More specifically, our study subjects
are municipalities and local centres for social welfare. This sector employs about 170.000
employees and provides an interesting case, as these organizations are confronted with an
aging workforce. The mean age of the local civil servant is 42,5 and about 50% of the
personnel is between 40 and 55. Furthermore, 20 % to 25% of the personnel staff is older than
50 (Platteau & Hondeghem, 2009).
In reaction to their aging personnel staff, some of these local governments are – or are
intending to – implement age-related personnel policies that are targeted at keeping older
workers motivated and employable. However, it might as well be important to gain more
insight into the interactions between workers of different generations in these organizations,
as mentoring programs and knowledge transfers between generations could fail due to
intergenerational tensions. In addition, intergenerational conflicts could affect the decision of
older workers to retire early, which would undermine the goals of age-related personnel
policies. Finally, dealing with potential intergenerational conflict could be important in the
light of attracting and retaining younger newcomers in these „greying organizations (Platteau,
2010).
Therefore, our central research question is: To what extent are there generational differences
regarding perceived organizational culture within local government? In addition, we want to
examine whether generational differences regarding organizational culture affect
intergenerational conflict. To answer these research questions, we conducted a survey among
personnel members of a local government organization.
The paper starts with a description of the theoretical framework. In this part, we elaborate on
the two main concepts of the study, being „generations in organizations and „organizational
culture. We also propose some hypotheses on generational differences regarding perceived
organizational culture in light of some trends and evolutions within local government. Next,
the method of our empirical study is addressed. In the third part, we present the results of our
analysis. Finally, we draw some conclusions and discuss the present study in light of future
research steps.
1.1. Generation in organizations
One of the first sociologists who developed a generation theory is Karl Mannheim. His theory
is still widely used to define the concept of generations. According to Mannheim, a generation
consists of people who were born in the same set of successive years and who share a
common generational identity because they experienced the same historical events in their
youth. Mannheims theory puts great emphasis on the importance of the so-called „formative
years which refers to the idea that experiences during the formative years, i.e. childhood and
early adolescence, have an impact on the attitudes, beliefs, and behavior of people at later
stages of their life (Mannheim, 1952; Dencker, Joshi & Martocchio, 2008, p. 182). The
fundamental sociological phenomena that underlies generations in society is the process of
socialization. Through a shared process of socialization, contemporaries are bound to each
other; they share a certain „Zeitgeist which makes them different from previous and later
generations.
Mannheim didnt make any statements about the relevance of the concept of generations for
work settings. Yet, since the new millennium, there is a growing interest for the idea that
workers of different age groups represent different generations with distinct values and
beliefs. It has been argued that understanding generational dynamics could be important for
managers in order to attract, motivate and retain members of all generations (Smola & Sutton,
2002).
In general, a distinction is made between three generations that populate todays labor market:
the Baby Boom generation, generation X, and generation Y (Crumpacker & Crumpacker,
2007; McGuire et al., 2007; Sullivan et al., 2009). The term „Baby Boomers is used for the
people who were born roughly between 1945 and 1965. The name refers to the fact that these
birth cohorts were relatively large in size, compared to previous and successive generations.
Sometimes, this generation is subdivided into two groups: the early Baby Boomers and the
late Baby Boomers. It is less clear to which birth cohorts the term „generation X is
applicable, since the starting and end dates for this generation vary from 1963 to 1978 and
1977 to 1984. Finally, generation Y is born between 1980 and 1999. Synonyms for this
generation are „Net generation, because they grew up with internet (Blythe, et al. 2008, p.
138) and „Millennial generation, because they entered the labor market in 2000 (Raines,
2000).
Each of these generations are believed to have specific work-profiles. For instance, baby
boomers are generally considered to value life-long employment and company loyalty, while
generation X would attach more meaning to participation, esteem development, teamwork,
and quality of life. Finally, generation Y is often characterized as being less focused on
developing a professional career. Members of this generation would value flexibility, task
autonomy, management support, and active learning environments. Their biggest advantage is
that they are technologically literate and highly educated (McGuire et al., 2007, pp. 594-595;
Crumpacker & Crumpacker, 2007).
A lot of research has been conducted in order to empirically validate these generational
profiling. These studies have shown mixed results (Sullivan, et al., 2009). While some studies
have shown differences between generation concerning work-related attitudes, values and
behavior, other studies have not found such generational differences.
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We argue that Mannheims generation theory is probably not sufficient for understanding
generational dynamics in organizations. It disregards the fact that when people enter
organizations, they are not already completely programmed to act in specific ways, but they
are again subjected to socialization processes that occur on the work floor. In order to
understand generational dynamics in organizations, it is therefore important to take the
organizational and institutional context of specific organizations into account.
Another way of conceptualizing generations in organizations is thus as the different groups of
workers that succeed each other within the organization. At a certain time, younger and older
generations interact with each other, and as the time proceeds, older generations leave the
organization and new generation of (mostly younger people) enter the organization. Given
this, intergenerational conflicts may occur, for example, when decisions of previous
generations have negative consequences for succeeding generations (cfr. Wade-Benzoni,
2002) or when different generations of workers in the organization have different opinions
about the values and/or strategy the organization should pursue (cfr. Gusfield, 1957).
Generational dynamics in organizations then refer to questions such as: where is the
organization coming from (organizational history), what is the situation „as is and what is the
situation „to be or where is the organization going to. These questions do not only refer to its
mission, strategy, and tasks, but also to the way in which the members of the organization
interact with each other and perform their daily tasks. In other words, it refers to changes in
the organizational culture as succeeding generations proceed through the organization.
This conceptualization of generations, does not mean that we have to throw the age or better
„cohort dimension overboard. We follow the generation theory that states that certain
historical events, the socio-economic climate and the available cultural repertoires that were
present during the coming of age of a cohort are highly influential for attitudes and belief later
on in life. In addition, we argue that the time one enters the organization and the subsequent
socialization process that takes place within the organization, affects the generational
dynamics within an organization. Also, in many work organizations employees still enter at a
young age and remain for a long time within the same organization. It means that in many
organizations there is a strong correlation between the age of employees and their number of
years within the organizations, although this traditional career pattern is eroding (Shore,
2009). Especially within the public sector, there has been a long tradition in many OECD
countries of permanent employment and job security, although this tradition is somewhat
disappearing during the last decades (Shim, 2001).
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1.2. Organizational Culture
Organizational culture has been defined in various ways in the literature. We will use
organizational culture in the sense that it reflects “the core values, behavioral norms and
behavioral patterns which govern the ways people in an organization interact with each other
and invest energy in their jobs and the organization at large” (van Muijen, 1999, p. 555).
In our study, we use the conceptualization of organizational culture that was developed by the
FOCUS group. FOCUS stands for First Organizational Cultural Unified Search, which was a
group of European academic researchers who developed an instrument for measuring
organizational culture in the beginning of the 1990s. Their instrument measures perceptions
of descriptive and value-characteristics statements based on the competing values approach
(Quinn, 1988). This instrument was validated and adapted in successive international studies
(van Muijen, 1999).
The competing values model of Quinn (1988) consists of two dimensions. The first dimension
is the pole „internal - external. This signifies that an organization can be characterized as
more or less internally focused (on its procedures, its people, …) or externally focused (on its
customers, competitors, …). The second dimension consists of the pole „flexibility - control.
The combination of both dimensions results in four organizational culture orientations: the
support, innovation, rules and goal orientation (van Muijen, et al. 1999) (see table 1).
Quinn & Rohrbaugh (1983) state that in every organization, these four orientations are
present although they vary in the intensity with which they are present. Also, each orientation
corresponds with a particular aspect of modern work organization. The „support dimensions
focuses on relationships, the „innovation orientation on change, the „rules orientation on
control, and finally, the goal orientation on tasks (see table 1).
In the following sections, we first describe the four organizational culture orientations based
on van Muijen, et al. (1999). Subsequently, we link some trends and evolutions within the
local government sector to these four dimensions or orientations of organizational culture and
formulate hypotheses about generational differences with respect to desired organizational
culture.
Table 1: The competing values model according to Quinn: four organizational
culture orientations
Internal focus
External focus
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The „support orientation is characterized as encouraging employees to express ideas about
work and feelings about each other. Communication is often verbal and informal. Central
elements of this orientation are participation, commitment, team spirit, co-operation,
individual growth and mutual trust.
The central elements of the „innovation orientation are: searching for new information,
creativity, openness to change and experimentation. In these types of organizations, there is
few control from above as it is neither possible, nor required. Commitment and involvement
of employees is expected by the management.
The „rules orientation requires a hierarchical structure and power that is based on formal
authority. Communication is often written and top-down. Central features of this orientation
are: rationality of procedures and division of work.
Finally, the „goal orientation also emphasizes rationality, but puts an emphasis on the tasks
that should be done. Central elements of this orientation are performance indicators,
accountability and contingent reward central (van Muijen, et al. 1999, pp. 555-556).
1.2.3. Generational differences with respect to desired organizational culture?
While we expect no differences between generations in their perception of the current
organizational culture (H1), it could be expected that workers of different generations hold
different views about the desired organizational culture. Some trends and evolutions in the
institutional context of Flemish local government inform us about the nature of these
differences.
H1a: There are no generational differences regarding perceived current OC.
H1b: There are generational differences regarding desired OC.
During the last decades, the public sector, including local government, have been
characterized by the (gradual) implementation of reforms in accordance with so-called New
Public Management (NPM) (Hood, 1995). Since 2005, new management techniques and
governance principles for local governments were legally established in decrees of the
Flemish government (Schram & Wayenberg, 2006). At this time, local governments are still
implementing these changes. The question is to what extent older generations in these
organisations are still adapts of the „traditional civil servants culture and whether this gives
rise to conflicts with younger co-workers, being not entirely familiar with the organisational
history. Younger generations were also at younger ages exposed to the discourse of these
reforms, which may have resulted in a more strong internalization of the goals that are being
put forward by these reforms.
Important elements of these new management techniques and governance principles are
accountability, output-focused management, and the creation of a result-oriented
organizational culture. In other words, these NPM-like reforms promote a culture that is less
based on rules and more based on performance (Shim, 2001). This can be linked to the goal
orientation of organizational culture.
8
Research about cultural changes in local government in the Netherlands has shown that both
the age and/or seniority (number of years within the organization) of civil servants have a
negative impact on their willingness to change towards a more result-oriented organizational
culture (Pouwelse, 2007). Therefore, we expect that older generations are less likely to desire
a goal-oriented culture in comparison with younger generations (H2).
H2: Older generations desire a less goal-oriented OC than younger generations.
Further, a qualitative study on the relationship between organizational culture and the
implementation of quality management techniques has shown that Chief Administrative
Officers 1 of local governments in Flanders experience that younger personnel pursue a more
flexible organizational culture and that older personnel focuses more on rules and regulations.
This study also found that these Senior Managers observe a divide between younger and older
generations in that younger generations would be more inclined to hold an external focus,
while older generations would be more internally focused in accordance with the pole
internal-external of organizational culture (Molenveld, Demuzere & Bouckaert, 2011). In line
with this finding, we expect that older generations are more likely to desire a rules-oriented
culture compared with younger generations (H3).
H3: Older generations desire a more rules-oriented OC than younger generations.
Another important feature of local government is the strife for innovation. In the private
sector, innovation is regarded as an important determinant of successful businesses. Mostly,
the term is used to denote the “physical products or the technological processed used to
produce them” (Windrum & Koch, 2008,). For public sector organization, a more broader
definition of innovation is more in place. Innovation then refers to “ a purposive act or set of
acts aiming to do something better, to meet a new need or respond to new circumstances”. It
also encompasses the idea “to do something new” (Windrum & Koch, 2008). In local
government, innovation is closely linked to the concept of client-centeredness of services,
which was another important feature of the NPM movement (Pollitt & Bouckaert, 1995). The
idea is that traditionally, public services were not developed with the clients needs in mind.
The main critique of public sector was therefore that it was lacking transparency, that
procedures were too complex and that communication towards citizens was insufficient.
In order to overcome these limitations (and restore the legitimacy of the public sector) it has
been argued that the public sector needs to be governed with more flexibility,
entrepreneurship and more creativity in order to enhance the quality of its services (Windrum
& Koch, 2008; Osborne & Gaebler, 1992). Especially the introduction of new Information
and Communication Technology (ICT) can be regarded as an important organizational change
that has occurred during the last decades. Younger generations, who grew up with these new
ICT, have a head start compared to older generations to successfully implement these changes
in their daily work. We therefore expect them to be more demanding towards an innovative
organizational culture which enables them to adapt in a flexible way based on information
about the environment of the organization (H4).
1 In the Dutch language the Chief Administrative Officer in local government is called „Secretaris.
The „Secretaris is the head of the civil service personnel and is, among others, responsible for the
daily management of personnel affairs.
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H4: Younger generations desire a more innovation-oriented OC than older
generations.
With respect to the support dimension, we formulate three divergent hypotheses. On the one
hand, some research has shown that social support is an important determinant for job
satisfaction and well-being at work (Ducharme & Martin, 2000). Therefore, we expect that all
generations desire an organizational culture that scores fairly high on the support dimension
(H5a). On the other hand, other research has shown that older workers find the „social aspect
of work more important than younger workers (Roozeboom, et al. 2007). Moreover, based on
the competing values framework for organizational culture (cfr. Quinn, 1988) a high score on
the goal dimension would be accompanied with low scores on the support dimension. If we
expect that younger generations attach more meaning to the goal dimension, we could expect
them to consequently attach less meaning to the support dimension (H5b). Thirdly,
Molenveld, Demuzere & Bouckaert (2011) reported that Chief Administrative Officers
claimed in qualitative, semi-structured interviews that younger employees would be more
focused on flexibility, while older employees would be more focused on control. This finding
leads us to the third hypothesis concerning the support-dimension, that states that younger
generations attach more meaning to the support orientation of organizational culture
compared with older generations (H5c).
H5a: There are no generational differences regarding support dimension of OC.
H5b: Older generations desire a more support-oriented OC than younger generations.
H5c: Younger generations desire a more support-oriented OC than older generations.
Finally, as stated before, the kind of organizations we are interested in are characterized by
relatively high numbers of older workers. This means that these organizations are dominated,
at least numerically, by members of the Baby Boom generation. Most members of this
generation entered the public sector at a time when job security and permanent employment
were still important elements of their „psychological contract. Because of this, many Baby
Boomers that are employed in local government have long tenure within the organization.
Therefore, this generation probably have had a high influence on the current organizational
culture within local governments. If this assumption is true, members of this generation would
be quite satisfied with the current organizational culture.
Contrarily, members of generation X and especially members of generation Y might feel
more the urge to change the existing organizational culture, because they are socialized in a
different way and consequently hold different values and beliefs about how one should act
and interact within the organization. Therefore, we expect that younger generations express a
higher need for change with respect to the organizational culture than older generations (H6).
H6: Younger generations express a higher need for OC change than older
generations.
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Molenveld, Demuzere & Bouckaert (2011) reported that some of the Chief Administrative
Officers of local government organizations declared in their qualitative study that differences
between generations concerning organizational culture are accompanied with conflicts.
Especially differences along the pole internal - external of organizational culture was seen as
source of conflict. An example of this, is the following quote of one of the respondents: “The
difference between generations (regarding the internal – external focus of organizational
culture) generates frictions and collisions. It is very difficult to direct the older workers
towards a more external focus. I think this would only succeed when the older staff retires. I
fear that this mentality will only then finally fade away” (p. 86).
In this paper, we further address the relationship between generational differences concerning
organizational culture and „intergenerational conflict. De Dreu and Gelfand (2008) define
conflict as „a process that begins when an individual or group perceives differences and
opposition between itself and another individual or group about interests and resources,
beliefs, values, or practices that matter to them” (p. 6). De Dreu and Gelfand also state that
conflicts should be examined at multiple level of analysis in the organization. Conflicts can be
located at the individual as well as on the group and organisation level. Intergenerational
conflict can be understood as a specific case of group conflict. However, conflict at one level
can influence conflicts and outcomes at other levels of analysis.
For this study, we conducted a survey among civil servants from a local government
organization. This means that we will conceptualize intergenerational conflict as perceived
intergenerational conflict at the individual level. More specifically, we expect that
generational differences with respect to desired organizational culture are associated with
negative attitudes among personnel members towards age diversity within the organization
(H7).
H7: If generational differences regarding OC exist, employees will have negative
attitudes towards age diversity within the organization or perceive intergenerational
conflict.
In addition, based on premises of the social identity theory (cfr. Tajfel & Turner, 1985) we
expect that perceived intergenerational conflict is associated with a lower identification with
the organization. The social identity theory predicts that individuals perceptions and
behaviors towards others are a function of categorisation into in-group and out-groups. This
process of social identity formation is inherent to inter-group interaction. Moreover, in
obtaining a positive self-image, individuals are inclined to attach positive attributes to
members of the in-group and negative characteristics to out-group members. We expect that a
negative attitude towards age diversity within the organization, is associated with a lower
identification with the organization (H7).
H8: Employees’ attitude towards age diversity within the organization correlates with
their identification with the organization.
Furthermore, we expect that the more employees express a need for change in the
organizational culture, the less they identify with the organization (H8).
H9: The more employees express a need for OC change, the less they identify with the
organization.
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Finally, as we expect that older generations express a greater correspondence between the
current and desired culture, we expect them to identify more with the organization, in
comparison with younger generations (H10).
H10: Older generations identify more with the organization than younger generations
(as they perceived less need for OC change).
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2. Research method
To answer the research questions, we conducted a survey among the entire personnel staff of
a local government organization. This case organization is a municipality with a population of
about 20.000 and a personnel staff of about 215 employees. This correspondence more or less
with the average size of municipalities in Flanders. The survey was embedded in a broader
research project of the Policy Research Centre for Governmental organization in Flanders on
the relationship between organizational culture and the implementation of quality
management techniques. For this research project, data were gathered (and are still being
gathered) in several local government organizations. In this paper, however, we limit
ourselves to a first glance and discussion of the data of a single case organization.
The data gathering took place on one day in November, 2010. All employees were invited to
voluntarily participate in the research. Respondents were invited to come to the local town
halls auditorium to fill in a paper and pen questionnaire.
Organizational culture was measured with the validated FOCUS instrument (van Muijen,
1999). First, respondents were asked to answer on a 6-point scale 40 descriptive statements
about how often a certain event occurs („never to always) or for how many people in the
organization the event was true („nobody to „everyone). For these questions, respondents
were asked to the keep the entire organization in mind (van Muijen, 1999, p. 557). Each of the
40 item reflected one of the four dimensions of organizational culture. The items were used to
calculate the perceived current organizational culture. Likert scales were made for all four
dimensions. Missing values were imputed and the sum-scales were standardized, so that the
theoretical minimum of the scale is 1 and the theoretical maximum is 50. Score equal or
higher than 25 on these variables indicate that the respondent perceives that the current OC is
to some extent being characterized by the orientation. To more the score is below 25, the
more the respondent perceives that the given orientation is lacking in the current OC.
14 items measured the „goal orientation (e.g. „Personnel evaluation is directly linked to
goal-achievement, „Management defines precisely which targets should be reached).
12 items measured the „innovation orientation (e.g. „Profound investments are done in new
services, „There is external pressure for research and development, „Unpredictable events
provide new possibilities for the organization).
8 items measured the „support orientation (ex. „People with personnel problems are being
helped, „Conflicts are being addressed, „Managers show interest for personal problems of
employees).
6 items measured the „rules orientation (ex. „Work is done following standard procedures,
„Management emphasizes stability in daily work).
Second, respondents were asked to fill in the same 40 items, but then they were asked to keep
the organization in mind as they would like it to be. Four new variables were calculated (in the
same was as described above) that reflect individual scores on the four dimensions of desired
organizational culture.
Perceived need for organizational culture change was calculated by subtracting the scores
for current and desired organizational culture. The difference scores indicate whether the
respondent desires a different organizational culture than the current organizational culture he
perceives.
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The generation to which a respondent belongs, was based on their calendar age. We
distinguish between four generations: Early Baby Boomer, people born between 1945 and
1959, Late Baby Boomers, born between 1960 and 1969, Generation X, born between 1970
and 1979, and finally, Generation Y, born between 1980 and 1989. Table 2 contains the four
generations we distinguish in this study, their corresponding age groups, and their frequency
(in %) in the case organization. Note that in some hypotheses, we only distinguish between
younger and older generations. In this paper, we will use the term older generations to refer to
the entire Baby Boom generation (1945-1969). The term younger generations is used for
Xers and Yers (born after 1970). Younger generations are thus the people who were 40
years and younger when the data were gathered.
Table 2: Typology of generation, corresponding age groups and % in case organization
Generation
Early Baby Boomers 1945-1959
51 - 65 year 29
Late Baby Boomers 1960-1969
41 – 50 year 32
Generation Y <= 1980
< = 30 year 18
To measure the respondents perception of the extent to which intergenerational conflict is
present in the organization, we asked their opinions on six statements about the collaboration
between generations. The items were formulated by the researchers, based on the results from
a qualitative, explorative study on the matter, whereby civil servants from local governments
were invited to discuss the topic generations at work in focus groups (Platteau, 2010). For
each item, respondents could say whether they find the statement true or untrue. The
statements were both positively and negatively expressed and reflected whether respondents
think of age diversity rather as an asset to the organization, or rather as a burden to the
organization (because it is a source of conflict). Based on these statements, an index variable
for perceived intergenerational conflict was constructed by adding up the number of times the
respondents answered in the direction of age diversity as a burden, rather than as an asset to
the organization. The higher the score on this variable, the more intergenerational conflict is
being perceived.
- In our division, there is a healthy age mix.
- In our division there is a generation cleavage.
- In the organization, the contribution of everyone is valued, irrespective of the persons
age.
- Young and old working together, that usually generates conflict.
- Young and old work best together because then they can learn the most from each
other.
- In an ideal situation, the boss is older than his or her subordinates.
Identification with the organization was measured with a 6-item Likert scale that measures
respondents self-identification with the organizations. This scale was based on the work of
Vanbeselaere, Meeus & Boen (2007) who developed an affective in-group identification
14
scale. For each item, respondents were asked to answer on a 6-point answer scale ranging
from “not at all applicable” to “at all applicable”. The six items were:
- I feel at home within the organization
- Im proud to work within the organization
- I feel connected with my colleagues within the organization
- Im similar in many ways to my colleagues within the organization
- I regard myself as a typical member of the organization
- I find it important to work in the organization
Further, the questionnaire contained questions on background information of the respondents
such as sex, function level, number years within the organization and personnel statute.
With respect to function level, it is important to note that there are five function levels in
local government. Each employee is appointed to a certain function level. The highest
function level, „A, requires a masters degree, function level „B requires a bachelors degree,
function level „C a high school diploma, function level „D a lower secondary education, and
function level „E requires no formal education. In the case organization, about 4 % of the
personnel staff were A levels, 7 % B levels, 16 % C levels, 41 % D levels and 32 % E levels.
Personnel statute refers to the fact that in local government organizations, there are two
categories of personnel, depending on the statute of their employment. Statutory personnel is
in principle the rule and is associated with job security. However, during the last decennia,
local governments have been appointing more and more „contractual personnel.
We used SAS™ for the data analysis.
15
3.1. Sample characteristics
Of the 215 employees 79 participated in the survey. This corresponds with a response rate of
37 %. The sample was representative for sex: 37 % of respondents were male and 63 % were
female. However, higher function levels and statutory personnel were overrepresented in the
sample. The youngest person in the sample was 24 years old. The oldest person was 56 years
old. Of the respondents, about 17 % belongs to the generation of the Early Baby Boomers, 38
% are Late Baby Boomers, 33 % belong to Generation X and 12 % to Generation Y. Late
Boomers and Xers were overrepresented in the sample. Also, higher function levels and
statutory personnel were slightly overrepresented in the sample.
Concerning sex, personnel statute and function level, there were no significant differences
between the four generations. The number of years one have worked in the organization
ranges from 1,5 years to 30 years. This variable correlates strongly with age (r = 0.69, p <
.0001 ***).
3.2. Organizational culture
A normality test for all dimensions of organizational culture was conducted. The results of the
Shapiro-Wilk test showed that all organizational culture dimension were normally distributed,
with exception of the orientations „support and „rules of desired OC. Therefore, we
conducted only non-parametric statistical tests . To assess the significance of the test statistics
we used alpha levels 0.1 *, 0.05 ** and 0.01 ***.
3.2.1. Current organizational culture
The analysis of the current OC shows that the „rules orientation received the highest mean
score: 28.19. The second highest mean score was given for the „support orientation: 27.34.
The mean scores for the „goal and „innovation orientations are respectively 24.2 and 23.29
(see table 3). Figure 1 shows the mean scores for all four orientations of current OC. Note that
all scores are fairly moderate, given the theoretical range from 1 to 50, whereby the lower the
score, the more respondents indicate that this orientation is lacking within the organization,
and the higher the score, the more the orientation is perceived to be present within the
organization.
To assess whether these mean scores significantly differ from each other, a two-sided t-test of
the six difference scores between each pair of orientation was performed. The null hypothesis
was that the difference scores are equal to zero. The test statistics showed that respectively the
„rules and „support orientation and the „innovation and „goal orientation do not differ
significantly from each other (see table 4). This indicates that especially the pole internal –
external is relevant for the studied organization. In other words, the data suggest that the
current OC is perceived to be more internally focused than externally as the „rules and
„support dimensions score significantly higher than the „goal and „innovation dimensions.
16
Table 3: Mean score, standard deviation, minimum and maximum score for the
four orientations of current OC
Current OC
Support 27.34 6.59 12.50 41.25
Rules 28.19 6.15 10.00 43.33
Goal 24.20 5.04 11.43 35.71
Innovation 23.29 4.19 13.33 36.36
Figure 1: Mean scores for the four orientations of current OC
Table 4: Results of the 2-sided t-test on difference scores between each pair of
current OC orientation (H0=0)
Rules Support Goal
Support t = -1.11
p < 0.0001 ***
t = - 4.99
p < 0.0001 ***
t = - 1.58
p = 0.12
To test the hypothesis that there are no generational differences regarding the perceived
current OC, a Kruskal-Wallis test was performed. The results of the test indicate that the mean
scores on the four dimensions of current OC do not differ significantly between the four
generations (alpha level 0.1). The data suggest that members from different generations do not
hold different perceptions about the current OC. This finding supports our first hypothesis
(H1a).
Additional analyses, however, show that statutory personnel scored the „rules orientation of
current OC significantly higher than contractual personnel (X² (1 df) = 5.30, p = 0.02 **).
Also, the mean scores for the four OC orientations differed to some extent between employees
of different function levels, though the test statistics of the Kruskal-Wallis test were not
27,34 28,19
24,20 23,29
17
significant at alpha level 0.05. A pairwise comparison, however, showed that respondents in
A level functions scored significantly higher on the support dimension in comparison with all
other function levels (X² (1 df) = 7.64, p = 0.0057 ***). A possible explanation for this is that
the measurement of the „support dimension contains some items about management support.
As the A-levels are managers, it could be that they estimate their own support toward their
subordinates higher than it is actually perceived by the employees in the organization. Finally,
there are no significant differences between men and female respondents regarding perceived
current OC in the case organization.
3.2.2. Desired organizational culture
The mean scores of desired OC were all higher than the mean scores of current OC (see table
5). All mean scores were higher than 30, which indicates that respondents reported that they
want more of each OC orientation.
A two-sided t-test revealed that all dimensions of OC differed significantly from each other
(see table 6). Respondents declared that they would like the OC to be primarily characterized
by the „support dimension (score 40.10). In second place comes the „rules orientation
(36.92). The „goal and „innovation orientations come in third and last place (scores are
respectively 33.32 and 31.46). The data suggest that employees would like the organization to
be more „goal and „innovation orientated. However, the desired OC is - in accordance with
the current OC - mainly internally focused, as the orientations „support and „rules received
the highest mean scores.
Figure 2 compares the current and desired OC. A two-sided t-test (H0=0) on the difference
scores 2 revealed that for each orientation, respondents significantly scored the desired OC
higher than the current OC.
Table 5: Mean score, standard deviation, minimum and maximum score for the
four orientations of desired organizational culture
Desired OC
Support 40.10 7.32 12.50 50.00
Rules 36.92 7.23 15.00 48.33
Goal 33.32 5.71 21.43 48.57
Innovation 31.46 6.26 15.00 46.67
Table 6: Results of the 2-sided t-test on difference scores between each pair of
desired OC orientation (H0=0)
Rules Support Goal
Support t = 3.54
p < .0001
t = - 11.97
p < .0001 ***
t = - 3.02
p = 0.0035 ***
2 The difference scores were calculated by subtracting the score for desired OC from the score of current OC.
18
Figure 2: Mean scores for the four orientations of current and desired OC
While we observed no generational differences concerning the perception of the current OC,
the data show that in the case organization generations hold different views about the desired
OC. This finding supports our hypothesis (H1b). Table 7 presents the mean scores for the four
orientations of desired OC for each generation. It also contains the test statistics and p-values
of the group comparisons (Kruskal-Wallis test). The scores for the „support, „rules and
„goal orientations differed significantly between generations. There were no significant
differences between generations with respect to the „innovation orientation.
Although the data show significant differences between generations on the „support, „rules
and „goal orientation, it is not easy to interpret these differences. As figure 3 shows, members
of the Late Baby Boom generation gave the highest scores for each orientation. Generation X-
ers gave the lowest scores for the „rules orientation and Early Boomers seem to attach the
least meaning to the „support orientation of OC.
Additional analyses also show that some differences between respondents of different
function levels. More specifically, we observe a strong correlation between function level and
the „support orientation. The higher the function level, to more respondents desire a support
oriented OC (r=0.27, p=0.015 **). B-levels significantly scored the „rules orientation lower
than all other function levels (X² (1df) = 7.41, p = 0.0065 ***). Note, however, that the mean
age of the B-levels in the sample was significantly lower than the mean age of the other
function levels (X² (1df) = 6.08, p = 0.013 **). This means that the lower score for B-levels
with respect to the „rules orientation can also be attributed to a generation effect (see below).
A-levels desired more than other function levels an OC that is characterized by a „goal
orientation (X² (1df) = 6.57, p = 0.010 **). The data also suggest that men in the organization
seem to like an output-focused organizational culture more than women, as they gave
significantly higher scores for the „goal orientation of desired OC (X² (1 df) = 2.99, p = 0.08
*). Finally, the data show that statutory personnel do not desire a different OC than
contractual personnel.
27,34 28,19
24,20 23,29
19
Table 7: Mean scores for the four orientations of desired OC for each generation
and results of the group comparisons
Generation
Chi² values (3 df)
P values
p = 0.13
Figure 3: Mean scores for the four orientations of desired OC for each generation
3.2.3. Do younger and older generations differ with respect to OC?
As we expected that younger and older generations hold different views on the desired OC
(H2-H6), the next paragraphs describe the results of pairwise comparisons between on the on
hand members of Generation X and Generation Y (i.e. „younger generations) and on the
other hand members of the Early and Late Baby Boom Generation (i.e. „older generations).
To test hypotheses H2, H3, H5 and H5, we conducted Wilcoxon rank sum tests. The results of
the analyses are shown in table 8.
The hypothesis that older generations desire a less goal-oriented OC than younger generations
(H2) is contradicted by the data: older generations scored the goal dimension of desired OC
significantly higher than younger generations. In other words, the older civil servants (40-
plus) on average like an OC that emphasizes tasks, performance indicators and accountability
more than their younger co-workers.
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
20
The hypothesis that older generations desire a more rules-oriented OC than younger
generations (H3) is supported. In other words, the older generations in the case organization
find aspects such as formal authority and written, top-down communication more important
than younger co-workers.
The hypothesis that younger generations desire a more innovation-oriented OC than older
generations is not supported by the data, suggesting that younger and older generations do not
differ in their desire to work in an organization that puts emphasis on creativity, openness to
change and experimentation (H4).
Finally, with respect to the „support orientation of desired OC, there are no significant
differences. This means that both younger and older respondents expressed a desire for an OC
that is highly characterized by participation, team spirit, co-operation, individual growth and
mutual trust. This supports the hypothesis that good social relations are equally valued by the
different generations (H5a).
These findings indicate that the difference between older and younger generations is
noticeable on the pole control – flexibility. Older generations expressed a stronger desire for
the „rules and „goal orientation of OC, which suggest that they attach more meaning to the
control dimension of OC than younger generations.
Table 8: Mean scores for the four orientations of desired OC for younger versus
older generations and results of the group comparisons
Generation
Chi² values (1 df)
P values
p = 0.50
3.2.4. Do younger and older generations differ with respect to perceived need for OC
change?
To assess the perceived need for OC change, we took a look at the difference scores between
current and desired OC. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that the discrepancy between
current and desired OC is larger for the younger generations (H6). The results of the analyses
are presented in table 9.
The data suggest that younger generations do not significantly expressed a higher need for OC
change than older generations. Both younger and older generations expressed they want a
more „noticeable OC on all dimensions of OC. Further, a two-sided t-test (H0=0) also
revealed that the difference score for the „support orientation is significantly higher than the
difference scores of the three other orientations. This suggests that the employees of the case
organization especially experience a discrepancy between the current and desired OC in the
21
dimension „support. Their „perceived need for organizational culture change thus
particularly runs in the direction of an intensification of an OC that emphasis good social
relationships among co-workers.
Table 9: Mean scores for the discrepancy between current and desired OC for
older and younger generations and results of the group comparisons
Generation
Discrepancy
between
Chi² values (1 df)
P values
they find evaluative statements concerning age diversity in the organization true or untrue.
The results are presented in table 10. Only few respondents gave answers that could be
interpreted as being indicative for intergenerational conflict.
The variable „perception of intergenerational conflict that was calculated, ran from 0 to 5.
About 36 % of the respondents expressed an entire positive stance towards age diversity.
Another 36 % of the respondents expressed one „negative answer. Only 7 % of respondents
gave three or more „negative answers. Our hypothesis that employees hold a negative attitude
toward age diversity when generational differences regarding OC exist (H7), is therefore not
supported.
Table 10: Percentages of respondents who answered true for statements on age
diversity and intergenerational conflict
96.10 %
valued, irrespective of the persons age (+)
88.00 %
3. In our division, there is a healthy age mix (+)
85.53 %
4. In an ideal situation, the boss is older than its
subordinates (-)
50.0 %
generates conflict (-)
6. In our division there is a generation cleavage (-) 14.86 %
22
To test the hypothesis that employees perception of intergenerational conflict affects their
identification with the organization (H8), a spearman correlation test was performed. The
results of the test support our hypothesis that „perceived intergenerational conflict correlates
negatively with „identification with the organization (r = -0.36, p = 0.0014 ***).
Further, we assessed the correlation between the „perceived need for OC change and
„identification with the organization. For these tests, we used the absolute difference scores,
since it can also be possible that one desires an OC that is less „strongly on a particular OC
orientation. We also calculated a sum variable of the four absolute difference scores between
current and desired OC. Table 11 contains the correlation coefficients and p-values. The data
show that although there is no correlation between identification with the organization and
expressed need for OC change on the dimensions „goal and „rules, we did found a negative
correlation for the „innovation and „support dimension. This means that the more
respondents perceive that the current OC is not yet support-oriented or innovation-orientated
enough, the less they identify themselves with the organization. This negative correlation is
the strongest for the „support orientation. In general, (if we look at the sum variable over all
orientations) the hypothesis is supported that the more employees express a need for OC
change, the less they identify with the organization (H9).
Table 11: Correlation coefficient between „perceived need for OC change and
„identification with the organization for each orientation of OC
Support r = -0.27
absolute difference scores between current and
desired OC)
r = - 0.31
p = 0.007 ***
As our hypothesis that younger generations do not perceived more need for OC change (H6)
was rejected, our final hypothesis that older generations identify more with the organization
than younger generations because they perceived less need for OC change (H10) should be
rejected as well. Despite this, we did found that the average score on identification with the
organization differs between generations (Wilcoxon rank sum test). The mean score of the
older generations is significantly higher than the mean score of the younger generations (X²
(1df) = 6.30, p = 0.012 **).
In fact, we found a positive correlation between identification with the organization and age
(r= 0.22, p = 0.05 *). Men and women do not differ in the extent to which they identify
themselves with the organization, and there is also no difference with respect to personnel
statute.
23
Conclusion and discussion
In the present study we tried to link the concepts of generations and intergenerational conflict
to the concept of organizational culture. More specifically, we examined whether older and
younger generations hold different views on the desired OC in the case of a specific type of
organization, namely local government in Flanders. We formulated hypotheses taking the
institutional context of these organizations into account. To test these hypotheses, we
conducted a survey among the personnel of a single case organization. The results of our
study are summarized in table 12.
The findings show that there are some generational differences between generations regarding
desired OC, especially along the pole flexibility – control: older generations desire an OC that
is more articulated on the control dimension („goal and „rules orientation) than younger
generations. However, we found no evidence that this generational difference is accompanied
with intergenerational conflict. Further, it appears that younger generations do not perceived
more need for OC change than older generations. We did found that when employees are not
satisfied with the current OC, they are less likely to identify strongly with the organization.
We also found that when employees hold negative attitudes about age diversity, their levels of
identification with the organization are lower. Finally, the older employees identify
themselves more with the organization than their younger co-workers.
Table 12: Research results: summary
H1a: There are no generational differences regarding
perceived current OC
desired OC
than younger generations
goal-oriented OC than younger generations
H3: Older generations desire a more rules-oriented
OC than younger generations
oriented OC than older generations.
Rejected → No difference between younger and older
generations
support dimension of OC
oriented OC than younger generations
Rejected → No difference between younger and older
generations
oriented OC than older generations
Rejected → No difference between younger and older
generations
OC change than older generations
Rejected
diversity within the organization or perceive
intergenerational conflict
the organization correlates with their identification
with the organization
change, the less they identify with the organization
Supported
organization than younger generations (as they
perceived less need for OC change)
Partially Supported → positive correlation between
age and identification with the organization
24
There are some limitations of the present study. First, it is not clear to what extent the findings
can be generalized to other organizational contexts: other local governments, other public
sector organization, private corporations, and so. However, we believe that generational
differences regarding OC and intergenerational conflict should be studied taken contextual
factors into account. Therefore, our aim is not to generalize our findings to other
organizations than local government in Flanders. We do want to enhance the validity of our
research by including other local government organizations. A dataset with different
organizations makes it possible to compare local governments and to answer the research
question: to what extent do differences in desired OC between generation affect
intergenerational conflict.
A second remark is on the operationalization of the concept „intergenerational conflict. We
are well aware that the operationalization of this concept was rather weak. Some items only
indirectly addressed the topic of intergenerational conflict. Moreover, the dichotomous
answer-scale did not gave respondents much room for nuance. Therefore, we already adapted
our questionnaire so that is would include a better measurement instrument for
„intergenerational conflict. More concrete, we added five statements on the collaboration
between generations within the organization and provided a 5-point answer scale. The adapted
questionnaire also contains a 10-item scale for job satisfaction. This will make it possible to
study whether intergenerational conflict has a negative impact on jab satisfaction.
25
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