Effective Leadership to Senior Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Currently, age-diverse workforce has become a reality companies and institutions all over the world have to deal with. This trend is largely determined by increasing lifespan in developed countries which inevitably results in the extension of working life that is supported in different countries by governmental initiatives such as ‘active ageing’ in the European Union or the directives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation. Multigenerational workplace management requires a sophisticated approach both in terms of age management strategies and communication styles, as communication across generations can generate discomfort and misunderstanding. We supposed that both younger and older employees might feel uncomfortable when reporting to each other in an age-reverse hierarchical structure. This study aims to explore whether the challenges of age-diverse workplace cause discomfort in both older workers who have to report to younger managers and in younger staff who manage senior employees. The research was conducted at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University). We surveyed a total of 125 employees aged 22–75. Respondents were asked to complete anonymously a questionnaire. Contrary to our supposition, the results of the survey clearly indicate that both younger and older employees are ready to work in an age-diverse environment. At the same time both groups showed awareness of the challenges that can arise in a multigenerational workplace.