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Introduction
Generational differences and their consequences are rarely considered or discussed in the context of projects and project teams. More often than not, the current reality is that four generations work together in project teams and their work-related differences deserve attention.
The generations comprising of Silent and Baby Boomers are looking to retire as more Generation Y are entering the workforce ([27] Levack, 2007). According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2010, the baby boomer population of more than 76 million will hand down their jobs to younger counterparts ([22] Kay and Cohen, 2008) and 60 percent of the workforce will consist of Generations X and Y ([29] Martin and Tulgan, 2001; [47] Westerman and Yamamura, 2007).
Specifically, with increased proportion of the workforce, Generation Y is assigned greater responsibilities on project teams. Past research shows that Generation Y people come into the workplace with a unique perspective, having a different approach in the way they view their job, network with others, and communicate. They use techniques, which are often not familiar to other generations, and their management style may lead to skepticism among other generations ([34] Pooley, 2005).
Considering that projects are used as means to achieve an organization's strategic goals and that global spending on projects is in the order of many billions of dollars annually ([48] Williams, 2005), it is critical that organizations engage people from different generations productively to complete projects on time, within budget, and as per specifications to meet customer and market needs.
As a subject, generational differences is still not understood well and it is critical for managerial research ([47] Westerman and Yamamura, 2007). Knowledge of the differences among the various generations in the workforce will help organizational leaders in making important decisions about human resource policies and practices ([41] Sullivan et al. , 2009). These two findings along with many other studies underline the knowledge gap and highlight the importance of this study. Specifically, these differences and similarities assume greater importance in the context of project management as projects are essentially managed using teams consisting of diverse groups of people representing various disciplines and functions.
The objective of this paper is to provide project managers with a knowledge base that can help them understand team issues...