Identify the issue: Academic generations

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Learn how generational differences can cause conflicts and misunderstandings in school and at work.
Learn tips to improve communication and build rapport between you and those of a different generational cohort in your university and field

“I was used to being at the top of the class and getting really good feedback from professors and people telling me I’m the rock star. And he never ever did that. And so that was hard. I felt like I was definitely out of my element to be in a place where someone wasn’t pumping me up all the time.”

“There were also some personal things going on in my life so I kind of felt like, OK, I need to bring him up to speed. And I felt like it’s important — it was important to me, not necessarily to be vulnerable with my personal stuff but to get him to understand where I’m coming from.”

“My advisor expects me to be available to her day and night, but I simply refuse to give up my nights and weekends.”

“Children today are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food, and tyrannize their teachers.” –Socrates, Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC – 399 BC)

We all long for more free time, and we all wish we received more recognition for our work, right? It sure seems that way, but there is some indication that the younger generations of our culture are especially demanding of things like free time and positive feedback. In fact, it is possible that some common conflicts and misunderstandings between advisors and advisees (see Common Concerns: Advisor Issues) can be explained by generational differences in values and expectations.

The concept of generations is “fuzzy” (Campbell et al., 2017) in that there are not definitive differences between birth cohorts. Rather, it is useful to think about differences that arise due to socialization practices shaped by the larger sociocultural and historical environments of time periods.

Generational scholar Twenge (2006) compared data from the Baby Boomer generation with data on what he has dubbed the “Me” generation (people born after 1970). According to Twenge, the “GenMe” generational cohort is:

more concerned with the individual self (in other words, more self-centered)

less concerned about conformity and adhering to social norms

less deferential to authority

more open about their personal life and more blunt about their opinions

more likely to externalize problems

more inclined to place a higher value on leisure and work/life balance

more likely to feel entitled to wealth, success and praise

PhD Student (Millennials)
Approach to Research: Research is “Me”search, exploring multiple research interests

Approach to Career: Open to exploring multiple career opportunities; shaped by technology and globalization

Approach to Technology: Technology (Zoom, Email, Group Texts, Slack, Facetime, Tik Tok) is necessary and apart of daily life

Approach to Work-Life Balance: “Work smarter, not harder”, place value in life outside of work and take vacations/break

Senior Faculty (Baby Boomer)
Approach to Research: Becoming an expert in one area, a specialist

Approach to Career: Sticking to one career for 30+ years, loyal to career

Approach to Technology: Uncertain about how to use technology and does not see it’s value

Approach to Work-Life Balance: Feel a high responsibility toward the workplace, but it can also mean more stress and less work-life balance

Disclaimer: We recognize that doctoral students and professors can be in the same birth cohort. This is just a guide for how to bring awareness and navigate conversations around generational differences relevant to academic expectations and interactions..

Best practices for working with advisors or key players in your career who may be from a different generation.

Show that you are willing to do quality work and meet deadlines but also set boundaries for yourself.

Take a moment to reflect on whether there might be a difference in values or perspectives that might contribute to interpersonal difficulties

Consider whether you want to disclose personal information to your advisor

Take initiative with research and projects, and try to troubleshoot minor problems on your own.

Ask for feedback and direction directly (and use the feedback you asked for).

Set boundaries for yourself, but be sure to follow through on your commitments.

Generalizations about birth cohorts are about groups of people specifically from the American context and on populations in the millions. The module titled “Your Personality and Preferences” describes how culture, gender and personality traits also all factor into how well you get along with another person, independent of age. Still, being sensitive to potential generational differences between you and the key players in your career (like your advisor) is another tool that can help you to improve these important relationships.

Campbell, S. M., Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2017). Fuzzy but useful constructs: Making sense of the differences between generations. Work, Aging and Retirement, 3(2), 130-139. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/wax001

Chavez, A., & Jayson, M. (2015). Generational diversity in the academia: Ramifications and challenges for educational Leaders. Journal of International Education and Leadership, 2(1), 1-9. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1135351.pdf

Hernaus, T., & Vokic, N. (2014). Work design for different generational cohorts: Determining common and idiosyncratic job characteristics. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 27(4), 615–641. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-05-2014-0104

Leuty, M. E., & Hansen, J.-I. C. (2014). Teasing apart the relations between age, birth cohort, and vocational interests. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(2), 289–298. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035341

Parry, U. (2017). The evidence base for generational differences: Where do we go from here? Work, Aging and Retirement, 3(2), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waw037

Rourke L.E., & Carter L.M. (2018) Leading and working with millennials in universities: A case of delicate dancing or “You’re not the boss of me!”. In: Cho C., Corkett J., Steele A. (eds) Exploring the toxicity of lateral violence and microaggressions. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74760-6_15 

Steen, A., & Shinkai, K. (2020). Understanding individual and gender differences in conflict resolution: A critical leadership skill. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology, 6(1), 50–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijwd.2019.06.002

Trzesniewski, D. (2010). Rethinking “Generation Me”: A study of cohort effects from 1976-2006. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(1), 58–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691609356789

Twenge, J. (2013). Teaching Generation Me. Teaching of Psychology, 40(1), 66–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628312465870 

Twenge, J. M., Campbell, W. K., Freeman, E. C. (2012). Generational differences in young adults’ life goals, concern for others, and civic orientation, 1966–2009. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 102, 1045–1062. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027408

Yawson, D.E., & Yamoah, F.A. (2021). Gender variability in E-learning utility essentials: Evidence from a multi-generational higher education cohort. Computers in Human Behavior, 114, 106558–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106558 

Yu, H., & Miller, P. (2005). Leadership style. The X Generation and Baby Boomers compared in different cultural contexts. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 26(1), 35–50. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730510575570

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