1.

How would you resolve a conflict between a baby boomer manager who
worries about privacy and productivity aspects of social networking and a
generation y employee who wants to use these tools on the job?

Baby boomers are a large section of the workforce that now holds job titles in
different levels of upper management. Generation Y, also known as millennial’s,
is the youngest generation in today’s workforce. Generation Y is known for their
ability to be greatly tech savvy with entrepreneurial tendencies. This is where the
conflict begins. Generation Y looks at technology as a business opportunity for
growth by utilizing social media to develop new forms of communication
channels, while baby boomers only percept the negative effects with potential
threats to business information. When employees of two or more generations
are involved in a workplace conflict, they can learn a great deal by sharing their
perceptions. The best way to solve the conflict between the generations would be
to present baby boomers in a non-micromanaged approach with the benefits
social media can provide for the business. Not only can social media reach more
customers than traditional practices, technology tools could potentially cut cost
and raise productivity by incorporating social media business systems. Each
generation has their lessons they live by, it’s important to maintain
communication with each group to learn from one another for future
generations.

2. Consider the range of labels from the Radio generation to the Net generation.
What does this tell you about the possible influence of technology on business
communication habits?

Considering the advancement in mobile communication, technology has a major

impact on everyday business communication habits. The Radio generation was
from a time that had rotary phones, preferred one-on-one communication and
used memos. The advancement from the Radio generation to the Net generation
not only changed the way we communicate but has as well changed the Net
generation’s values. The Radio generation believed in keeping their nose to the
grindstone and the ultimate goal was to eventually move up within their current
organization. The radio generations kept to themselves, were very formal, had
good grammar, superior manners and used less emails because they preferred
human interaction. The Net generation is the total opposite of the radio
generation. Net generation developed technological skills at an early stage
because of advancements such as email, internet, smart phones and various
forms of social media channels. The Net generation prefers to learn in teams
using multi-media while keeping engaged through excitement. They also think
communicating through cell phones, text messages and emails are fun, but will
communicate in person if the message is important. One difference that stands
out to me is that the Net generation focuses on working to live while the radio
generation believed keeping work and life separate. Technology has made a
dramatic impact on the improvement of business communication practices,
creating diverse and multicultural work environments and as well as changing the
way of communication in life.