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How are people who were born at about the same time and experienced about the same events similar? This is what the theory of generation tries to explain. We tell you who invented it and why not everything is so simple with the theory
What is the theory of generations
Generational theory is a research approach that describes why different generations appear, what unites them and how they change.
The difference between “fathers and children” was discussed by medieval philosophers. And the issue of generational change was seriously taken up in the XNUMXth century. Scientists believed that the main sign of uniting people in a generation could be a commonality of values and life experience. If people experienced a major public or social event – a war or a crisis – this influenced their behavior and thinking.
Two books brought real popularity to the theory: Generations: A History of America’s Future, 1584-2069 (1991) and The Fourth Turn: An American Prophecy. Its authors are the writer William Strauss and the economist Neil Howe. They identified four archetypes of generations with their own set of traits and values. Social generations replace each other every 15–20 years.
Baby boomers – people who were born in 1946-1963. In their youth, they are ardent and bold, destroying their usual way of life. And in maturity, on the contrary, they actively defend stability and the way of life that they have chosen for themselves.
Generation X – were born in 1964-1980. People of this generation grow up in a period of destruction of the old way of life and the construction of a new one, so they grow up early. Xs are pragmatists and individualists. They highly value material values and often go to their goal, not paying attention to the emotions and opinions of other people.
Generation Y, Millennials and Millennials – people born from 1981 to 1996. They are focused on common values and benefits. Technology is valued by humanists and optimists.
Generation Z, buzzers – born in 1997-2012. Growing up, they react sharply to security crises. We are ready to exchange individual freedom and the complexity of political and social systems for enhanced external and public control.
What is the catch of the theory of generations
The Strauss-Hove theory has become popular in marketing and business management. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore called their book on generations the most impressive book on U.S. history he has ever read. He even sent copies of it to every member of the US Congress.
At the same time, professional historians and sociologists criticized the theory:
- Too strong generalizations. The characteristics of generations do not take into account the individuality of each person, while they are presented as exhaustive.
- In its original form, the theory is applicable only to US citizens. Other countries may have their own generational boundaries. In 2011, Neil Howe replied that for our country, these limits could be shifted 5–10 years ahead compared to the United States. In addition, people of the same generation in different countries may have their own set of characteristics.
- Weak evidence base. The authors do little to explain why they chose a 20-year span for a generation change, or why the life cycle is 80 years.
Here is what Teodor Shanin, founder of the Moscow Higher School of Social and Economic Sciences, said about generational theories in world history:
“The statistics confirm that despite the incessant talk about globalization, the difference between communities remains deep, and often deepens. Especially profound is the difference between what was once called the third world and what was called capitalist industrial societies. Even the dividing line does not change, because practically no society has moved from one world to another during the last two generations.”
At the same time, the ideas of Strauss and Howe inspired many researchers to study generations. Some began to look for generational differences, others focused on finding boundaries between generations. And there are at least six independent studies devoted to Generation Z and its characteristics.
How generational theory works in practice
Experts in the field of marketing, HR and management also differ on the usefulness of generational theory.
Julian Birkinshaw, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the London Business School, considers generational reasoning unproductive:
“I think we spend too much time talking about the differences between them. My research clearly shows that it is not a matter of some generational traits, but that people gain experience over the years, develop in different ways, and make healthier decisions.”
Member of the Board and Vice President for Human Resources, Element Group Oksana Kukharchuk notes that despite criticism, the theory helps explain to managers why employees of different ages can find it difficult to work in a team. And also – how to effectively set goals for them, what is the key difference between the perception of work and lifestyle:
“Trying to understand what drives generations will help company leaders build the most effective HR process and ensure business development. Using the value approach embedded in the theory of generations, we develop motivational programs, social events, and offer various management tools. For example, Gen Ys are better at seeing short-term tasks in a 3-9 month time frame. For them, we show a global task, but we always break it into subtasks and shorter subprojects in order to maintain interest and efficiency. Generation X survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, several economic crises and are used to working hard. Understanding this, we are implementing social programs on health care, burnout and a mentoring project “in reverse”, when young people train older employees to use mobile technologies and digitalization trends.”
At the same time Director of Human Resources and Culture of Hempel in our country, Turkey and Europe Alsu Polyakova does not focus on the theory of generations:
“First of all, the original theory is based on the history of the United States, and it is not suitable for our country. We have our own cultural code, our own history. But the main thing is that the theory itself contains a generalization, labeling. One out of ten people may fit the description of a generation, but the theory seems to cut everyone with the same brush. According to it, we miss where and how people grew up, what values they received in their families, what kind of education they began to work with. Of course, some provisions of the theory can be taken into account, but in HR, on the contrary, there is a trend towards individualization of work with employees. Instead of handing out the same insurance to everyone, now there is more often a cafeteria principle, according to which people themselves choose whether to take them, for example, additional medical insurance for a family member or expand their own. ”
Andrey Baikov, director of digital transformation at McDonald’s, believes that generational theory is fully applicable in marketing, as their statistics showed differences between generations and how they perceive information, how they react to it, and how easy it is for them to interact with digital channels:
“For example, baby boomers are more brand loyal than anyone else. Once you win their trust, especially in FMCG, they will stay with the company for a long time, if not forever. They respond quite well to cross-sells and upsells. At the same time, they are less inclined to purchases from smartphones and use desktops more often. The difference between Russian consumers of this generation and Western ones is that for them discounts are a much more important parameter for buying.
Generation X is the most economically active population in the country. They are tech-savvy and willing to interact with email, so email marketing is still very relevant for them. At one time they were the most active users of coupon sites. With all the love for online shopping, they continue to go to offline stores. Targeted advertising works well for them: they understand how it works, but they are not afraid of it. This generation also has a layer of people who care about the social responsibility of brands.
Millennials are very fond of modern technologies and are the first to try new services, social networks, applications. When searching for products on the Internet, they rely heavily on reviews, without them they can completely abandon the purchase. Willingly use social mechanics like “bring a friend”. Partly because it’s natural for them to share a post on social media and get benefits for it. Active participants in loyalty programs prefer smartphone applications instead of a pile of plastic cards. Almost unreceptive to banner ads, but audio clips or podcast ads are perceived well.
Is theory worth it?
The results of surveys and studies can be used in the organization of internships for young professionals or in educational programs for teenagers. But relying on theory as the only correct approach to the analysis of historical and social processes is not worth it.