Intergenerational Micro-mentoring: Addressing Ageism and Inclusion in the Workplace Academic Article uri icon

Abstract

  • Ageism, defined by Butler (1969) as “prejudice by one age group toward other age groups,” relates to how individuals think (stereotypes), feel (prejudice), and act (discrimination) towards others or themselves based on age (Global Report on Ageism,
    2021). The modern workplace often mirrors social attitudes surrounding aging (Lagacé, et al., 2019), resulting in prejudicial attitudes, discriminatory acts, and institutional policies and practices that spread stereotypical beliefs and perpetuate
    ageism (Global Report on Ageism, 2021). Ageist attitudes lead to reduced health outcomes and lower quality of life for older workers, resulting in increased costs to organizations (Global Report on Ageism, 2021). A multigenerational workforce is a
    vital component of diversity (Sánchez & Kaplan, 2014). Along with other elements of diversity (e.g., people of diverse racial makeups, gender identities, sexual orientations, geographic origins, socioeconomic statuses, religious affiliations, etc.), an
    age-diverse environment is essential for fostering diversity of thought (Diaz-Uda, et al., 2013), cross-generational mentoring (Knight, 2014), knowledge management, and productivity (Hillman, 2014). This paper presents a theoretical framework,
    supporting strategies, and best practices for utilizing micro-mentoring to facilitate and encourage organizations to embrace the novel experience of having four (and sometimes five) generations currently employed in the workforce (Balaskovitz, 2021). Embedding micro-mentoring aims to produce high-quality connections and enable organizations to fulfill their responsibility in establishing a work environment conducive to cross-generational diversity where unique perceptions, skills, and attributes of the employee workforce are recognized, valued, and leveraged.

Publication Date

  • 2021-12-01