SEMELHANÇAS E DIFERENÇAS ENTRE GERAÇÕES: Complexidade e Complementaridade no Ambiente Organizacional

Currently, four generations live together in the workplace: Baby Boomers and Generations X, Y and Z. Baby Boomers and Generation Z show some particularities around longevity in the workplace that distinguish them from Generations X and Y. Hence, this paper aims to analyze if there are differences in the behavior of Generations X and Y in organizations. Thus, three constructs were applied: organizational commitment, job satisfaction and intention to stay. They were applied under three different scales: Scale of Affective Organizational Commitment by Mowday, Steers and Porter (1979); Scale of Satisfaction by Price and Mueller (1981; 1986); and Scale of Intention of Staying by Porter, Steers, Mowday and Boulian (1974). A questionnaire of 16 questions was applied to a sample of 320 people whose difference in responses was analyzed by the method of ANOVA, pointing out the influential factors in behavior of these two generations. The results showed highly commitment but low intention to stay, regardless of the generation. However, individuals of Generation X seem to be more satisfied in organizations where they currently are than individuals of Generation Y. These results conduct more to similarities than to differences in behavior. Therefore, organizations should worry more with establishing ways to motivate, retain and promote a healthy coexistence between the prevailing generations than with behavior differences