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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Someone - specifically the father-daughter team of Larry and Meagan Johnson of Phoenix1, Arizona - has figured out that on some American job sites, five generations are working side by side.
And while such an age disparity adds a lot of texture2 and an assortment3 of life experiences, it can also bring tensions and conflicts.
The Johnsons are human-resource trainers and public speakers. Dad Larry is a former health-care executive; daughter Meagan is a onetime corporate4 saleswoman.
mimax, Flickr Creative Commons
If this were a billboard5 showing today's workers at today's US companies, you'd see many more kinds of hose and toes.
Here are the oldest and youngest of the five generations they identify:
They call the oldest group Traditionals, born before 1945. They were heavily influenced by the stern lessons of the Great Depression and World War Two. They respect authority, set a high standard of workmanship, and communicate easily and confidently. But they're also stubbornly independent. They want their opinions heard.
At the other extreme are what the Johnsons call Linksters, born after 1995 into today's more chaotic6, media-saturated world. They live and breathe technology and are often social activists7.
You won't find many 15 year olds in corporate offices except as interns8, of course, but quite old and quite young workers do come together in retail9 environments like bike shops and ice-cream stands.
Amacom Press
The Johnsons, Larry and Meagan, represent a generational discrepancy10 themselves in their work with jobsite issues.
The Johnsons' point is that as the average lifespan continues to rise and retirement11 dates get postponed12 because of the tight economy, people of different generations are working side by side, bringing with them very different ideas about company loyalty13 and work ethic14.
The five generations are heavily influenced by quite-different events, social trends, and cultural phenomena15 of their times. Their experiences shape their behavior and make it difficult, sometimes, for managers to achieve a cohesive16 mission at the workplace.
Larry and Meagan Johnson discuss all this in greater detail in a new book, "Getting the Most from an Age-Diverse Workforce," published by Amacom Press.
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1
phoenix
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n.凤凰,长生(不死)鸟;引申为重生 | |
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2
texture
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n.(织物)质地;(材料)构造;结构;肌理 | |
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3
assortment
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n.分类,各色俱备之物,聚集 | |
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4
corporate
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adj.共同的,全体的;公司的,企业的 | |
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5
billboard
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n.布告板,揭示栏,广告牌 | |
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6
chaotic
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adj.混沌的,一片混乱的,一团糟的 | |
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7
activists
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n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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8
interns
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n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留,关押( intern的第三人称单数 ) | |
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9
retail
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v./n.零售;adv.以零售价格 | |
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10
discrepancy
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n.不同;不符;差异;矛盾 | |
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11
retirement
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n.退休,退职 | |
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12
postponed
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vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发) | |
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13
loyalty
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n.忠诚,忠心 | |
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14
ethic
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n.道德标准,行为准则 | |
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15
phenomena
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n.现象 | |
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16
cohesive
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adj.有粘着力的;有结合力的;凝聚性的 | |
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