31% Said Gen Z Is More Likely To Be Involved in Workplace Conflict

The generational gap in the workplace has become more pronounced in recent years due to technological advancements and changes in society. Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zers all have different approaches to work, leading to workplace conflicts.

Significantly, Baby Boomers value work ethic and loyalty to the organization, while Gen Xers prioritize work-life balance and autonomy. Millennials seek collaboration, flexibility, and purpose in their work, and Gen Zers value independence and creativity.

Intergenerational conflict in the workplace arises due to differences in communication styles, career goals, and work-life balance priorities. Generational gap and workplace conflict are more likely to occur when people work in teams, with each generation perceiving the others’ strengths and weaknesses differently.

Real Research, an online survey app, launched a survey on generational gap and workplace conflict to gauge public opinion about generational gap and workplace conflict.

Highlights:

• The survey found that 29.45% of respondents were millennials.
• 40.59% of respondents said they were very comfortable working with colleagues from different age groups.
• A majority of respondents (62.94%) think that generational differences significantly contribute to workplace conflict.

According to our survey on the generational gap and workplace, found that when asked “Which generation do you fall under,” 29.45% of respondents responded as Millennials, 26.56% as Gen Z, 22.13% as Gen X, and 21.86% as Baby Boomers.

In the next poll, we asked the respondents how comfortable they felt when working with colleagues from different age groups. Survey results indicated that 40.59% of the respondents felt “very comfortable” and 33.67% felt “moderately comfortable.”

On the other hand, 19.26% felt somewhat comfortable, 4.33% felt barely comfortable, and 2.15% felt uncomfortable.

Furthermore, according to Figure 1, the majority believe that generational differences play a significant role in creating conflicts in the workplace.

The majority of respondents, 62.94%, believe that generational differences play a significant role in creating conflicts in the workplace and 37.06% said disagreed.

Generational Gap and Workplace Conflict: Navigating Conflict with Colleagues

The survey aimed to explore the prevalence of workplace conflicts arising from generational differences. The results showed that out of all the respondents, 39.6% stated that they had never experienced any conflicts with colleagues from a different generation.

On the other hand, 31.59% reported that they have indeed experienced workplace conflicts due to the generational gap. Interestingly, 28.81% of respondents reported that they had experienced workplace conflicts, but the conflicts were not related to the generational gap.

These results highlight the need for a better understanding and management of generational differences in the workplace to minimize conflicts and improve productivity.

Which Generation is Most Likely to be Involved in Workplace Conflicts

In our survey about the generational gap and workplace conflict, respondents were also asked which generation is more likely to be involved in such conflicts. The results revealed some interesting insights into how generational differences can impact workplace dynamics.

According to the survey data, 31.35% of respondents believe that Gen Z is the generation most likely to be involved in workplace conflicts. Millennials came in second at 24.54%, followed by Baby Boomers at 22.07% and Gen X at 22.04%

Furthermore, recent reports reveal that managers find Gen Z one of the toughest generations to work with. However, some say they are favorable to work with, and some say they let go of the Gen Z employees.

Based on the following poll, we asked the respondents their views on this. Results revealed that 43.81% somewhat agreed and 41.78% strongly agreed. On the other hand, 12.04% somewhat disagreed and 2.37% strongly disagreed.

Causes of Workplace Conflicts Between Generations

Furthermore, the survey asked the respondents about the main factors that they believed contributed to intergenerational disputes at work.

The results were: disparity in technological skills (26.51%), differences in effort (24.74%), different levels of productivity (12.22%), communication skills (9.33%), lack of mutual respect toward other generations (7.1%), conflicting values and ethics (4.5%), attitude toward change (4.44%), differences in work-life balance expectations (3.89%), differences in working styles (3.73%), and differing perceptions of work ethics (3.55%).

Results indicated various factors that occur in workplace conflicts. Therefore,  it is important for employers to recognize these factors and take proactive steps to promote intergenerational understanding and collaboration in the workplace.

Lastly, the survey asked, “Which is the ideal way to bridge the generational gap and foster positive relationships between employees from different age groups?”

According to Figure 3, the majority of the respondents (24.68%) suggested encouraging employees to learn from each other, followed by 14.93% who said offering training on diversity and inclusion, providing opportunities for shared experiences (14.39%), encouraging flexible work timings and work styles (13.96%), and encouraging a culture of feedback and recognition (13.89%).