The Challenge of Managing Different Generations and the Implications for the 21st Century Workplace.

The age of technology has presented the existence of globalization referring to the processes of cutting across national boundaries, along with connecting communities and organisations in a new chapter of time (Česynienė, 2008). Indeed, one of the few constants is change within today’s workplace. Due to the shifting in global competition and evolving of technology waves, the most difficult changes occurs when new employees are hired, especially if they are young and from a generation first entering the workforce in large numbers. Campbell and Twenge (2008) stated that generational differences are a diversity issue in the way these groups are motivated in the workplace since each generation has different needs and expectations. Indeed, generation is a meaningful psychological variable, as it captures the culture of one’s upbringing during a specific time period. Each generation is mode by distinctive experiences during their critical developmental periods (Campbell and Twenge, 2008). On the other hand, the effects of differences of generation, as a result, have failed to be examined, with these solutions often resulting in impacting of them on the workplace for the organisation, managers. Manager should expect to see those changing in younger workers and can respond to them by accommodating or countering pressure them as it is considered as the best reaction for their workforce. The purposes of the essay is by describing and analysing the term HRM and its features, the critical analysis will be provided of how BHP Billiton response to the challenge of managing different generations and how these results translate in to generation workplace practices by the empirical evidence on the psychological differences, along with their consequences that may occur upon the organisations and the implications for the 21st century workplace. This will be done by reference materials including academic resources and the textbook that are relevant to the topic.

Background of the organisation

BHP Billiton is a global leader in the world-class business and in the resources industry, formed from a merger between two highly complementary companies - BHP and Billiton. They have a diverse range of products, customers and markets as well as an outstanding management (BHP Billiton website, 2011). BHP Billiton is known as a Dual Listed Company (DLC) comprising BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc. The two entities continue to exist as separate companies, but operate as a combined group known as BHP Billiton. BHPB’ is known as one of the biggest resources company in the industry with the net operating cash flow of US$ 18.9 billion (BHP Billiton report, 2010). As the CEO of BHP Billiton – Marius Kloppers said in the company’s report, BHP Billiton acknowledge their responsibility to a diverse range of stakeholders and to be transparent about the company’s sustainability commitments and the standards for businesses to operate around the world ( BHP Billiton report , 2010 ). According to the CEO of Wesfarmers Limited – Richard Goyder, the main key points for business success is human capital and organisation’s culture (McShane ,Olekalns, and Travaglion, 2007).BHP Billiton sets up their norms as identifying, assessing and managing risks to employees, contractors, the environment and our host communities to enhance environmental and social performance along the supply chain and promote their responsible use and management.

The nature and extent of the issue.

According to Morgan and Ribbens (2006), generations are basically sociological groups defined by birth year and by world events that happens at the time they were born, hence, the interaction of four cores generations currently present in the workplace, included Matures, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennial is a diversity issue in the way these groups are motivated in the workplace. In addition , generation were stated as a group of people who share their common habit , nexus and culture containing a collection of memory that serve them to integrate ( Mannheim, 1950 , as cited in Morgan et al , 2006). The collection however can be an significant events or social changes that happened during the time they were born can become an individual part and influence people in the way that can impact the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of all persons born in that time period to create a collective peer personality mindset along with generational traditions and culture. In addition, each generation brings their own value of the world right along with their experiences, perspective and ethics (Haas, 2005). Hence, it may lead the generation forces society to see in a different way of focusing and resulting in changing to workplace policies. Within the areas of the article, Baby boomer, generation