HVAD LEDER VI EFTER - Ledelse på tværs af generationer
Oversat titel
ZOOMING IN - on Cross-Genarational Leadership
Forfatter
Arnskov, Barbara Macdonald
Semester
4. semester
Udgivelsesår
2024
Afleveret
2024-06-13
Antal sider
50
Resumé
Mange ledere oplever, at yngre medarbejdere forholder sig anderledes til arbejdet end tidligere generationer. Hos Danish Ministry of Defense Accounting Agency har det i længere tid været svært at rekruttere og fastholde unge, og medarbejderudskiftningen er høj. Denne opgave undersøger, om generationsforskelle kan være en del af forklaringen, og hvilke ledelsesgreb der understøtter tiltrækning, onboarding og fastholdelse. Analysen bygger på Karl Mannheims generationslære fra 1928, særligt ideen om at hver generation møder samfundet med et friskt blik, som kan udfordre etablerede normer, samt Jean M. Twenges Technology Model of Generations fra 2023. Følgende generationer indgår: Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1979), Millennials/Generation Y (1980-1994), Generation Z (1995-2012) og Generation Alpha (2013-2029). Der er uenighed i forskningen om, hvorvidt egentlige generationsforskelle findes, eller om ændringer især skyldes tidsånd; i denne case anvendes generationsperspektivet som et praktisk, nyttigt blik. Metoden er et kvalitativt studie med fem semistrukturerede interviews med medarbejdere og ledere fra Danish Ministry of Defense Accounting Agency og Agency for Governmental Administration. Interviewene blev temakodet i to spor: først for at afdække om og hvordan respondenterne oplever generationsforskelle i arbejdet; dernæst for at pege på de lederkompetencer, de mener er nødvendige for tværgenerationel ledelse. Ballisagers Kandidatanalyser om dansk arbejdsliv fra 2021 og 2024 inddrages som supplerende data. I litteraturen fremhæves et forslag af Mie Sørensen Wittrup fra forskningsgruppen TRILO ved Syddansk Universitet om at bruge en situationsbestemt-dialektisk ledelsestilgang over for Generation Z; dette sammenholdes med de kvaliteter, interviewpersonerne pegede på. Resultaterne viser, at der opleves generationsforskelle i begge myndigheder. Generation Z efterspørger løbende udvikling, og det er ofte svært at fastholde dem længere end 1-2 år. Lederne betoner relationer og fællesskab, så kolleger kan rumme forskellige værdier og udnytte hinandens styrker. I perspektivafsnittet understreges de ældre generationers ansvar for vidensoverførsel af historie, værdier og erfaring samt deres åbenhed for de unges friske blik. Der reflekteres også over, om nutidens mange valg kan øge sårbarhed og utilfredshed. Endelig bemærkes, at omfattende brug af sociale medier går på tværs af alder, og at selv om teknologi frigør tid, bruger mange af os den på digitalt forbrug.
Many managers notice that younger employees relate to work differently than earlier generations. At the Danish Ministry of Defense Accounting Agency, recruiting and retaining young staff has long been difficult, with high turnover. This thesis explores whether generational differences help explain these challenges and which leadership practices support attraction, onboarding, and retention. The study draws on Karl Mannheim’s generational theory from 1928, especially the idea that each generation encounters society with a fresh perspective that can challenge established norms, and on Jean M. Twenge’s 2023 Technology Model of Generations. It considers Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1979), Millennials or Generation Y (1980-1994), Generation Z (1995-2012), and Generation Alpha (2013-2029). While some researchers argue that changes reflect the times and that within-generation differences can be as large as those between generations, this case uses the generational lens as a practical tool. Methodologically, the study is based on five semi-structured interviews with employees and managers from the Danish Ministry of Defense Accounting Agency and the Agency for Governmental Administration. The interviews were thematically coded in two steps: first, to identify whether and how respondents experience generational differences at work; second, to surface the leadership qualities they believe are needed for cross-generational leadership. Supplementary data include Ballisager’s candidate analyses of Danish working life from 2021 and 2024. In the literature, the thesis notes a recommendation by Mie Sørensen Wittrup from the TRILO group at the University of Southern Denmark to use a situational dialectical leadership approach with Generation Z, and it compares this idea with qualities suggested by respondents. Findings indicate that respondents at both agencies perceive generational differences. They highlight Generation Z’s strong desire for continuous development and that retaining many of them longer than 1-2 years is difficult. Managers emphasize building relationships so colleagues can accommodate different values and make use of each other’s strengths. In perspective, the thesis underscores the role of older generations in transferring knowledge, history, values, and experience, while staying open to younger colleagues’ fresh viewpoints. It also reflects on whether today’s abundance of choices may heighten vulnerability and dissatisfaction. Finally, it notes that heavy social media use spans all ages and, echoing Twenge, that although technology saves time, many of us spend that time consuming digital content.
[Dette resumé er omskrevet med hjælp fra AI baseret på projektets originale resumé]
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