The U.S. Office of Personnel Management reported the productivity levels of the American multigenerational workforce decreasing as leaders strive to actively engage employees to improve organizational output. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore what leadership strategies federal government managers use to engage a multigenerational workforce. The conceptual framework consisted of Kahn's employee engagement theory and Strauss and Howe's generational cohort theory. The sample consisted of 3 federal government managers within metro Atlanta, Georgia who had successfully managed a multigenerational workforce, demonstrated through the feedback they received from their employees. Data were collected using face-to-face semistructured interviews and a review and analysis of company documents. Data analysis consisted of applying Yin's 5 step data analysis process, and member checking and methodological triangulation of the data strengthened the trustworthiness of interpretations. Emergent themes included generational differences; strategies for working with multigenerational differences; and strategies for engaging a multigenerational workforce. The most effective strategies involved training, communication skills, and team building. Findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing federal government managers with the framework for understanding and engaging its multigenerational workforce, which can result in promoting positive relationships between coworkers, families, and communities. Positive relationships in the workforce may increase employee morale and motivation and decrease employee turnover and the unemployment rate.

No one is perfect, and that includes the brands that we use. Therefore, there will inevitably come a time in a brand’s existence where a transgression occurs that will harm their relationships with its customers. The decision to forgive a brand after a transgression is a complex and individual process that evolves over time. With the rise of social media, the ease with which negative word-of-mouth can be spread is an increasing challenge for brands to manage. However, social media usage tends to differ between people from different generational belongings, or cohorts. As a testament to the fact that you are shaped by the time you grow up in, this paper analyzes how brand forgiveness differs between consumers from the generational cohorts of Generation X and Generation Z. Furthermore, it was investigated whether brand image is a decisive factor that affects the consumer’s willingness to forgive. This study suggests that a certain brand image implies increased expectations toward the brand, which affects the forgiveness process. The willingness to forgive does, however, differ depending on the generational cohort. In contrast to consumers from Generation Z, Generation X are more inclined to forgive a brand after a transgression.

Konkurrensen på arbetsmarknaden är idag hög och det blir allt viktigare för organisationer att vara attraktiva arbetsgivare för att kunna attrahera och behålla personal. De olika generationerna som idag är yrkesverksamma har enligt forskning olika förväntningar och idéer om vad som identifierar en attraktiv arbetsgivare. Det är därför viktigt för organisationer att ta hänsyn till generationernas olika förväntningar och anpassa sitt arbetsgivarvarumärke därefter. I denna studie undersöker vi en organisation som upplever svårigheter att behålla medarbetare i generation Y och Z. Vi vill därmed identifiera vad dessa personer anser är attraktivt arbete, hur organisationen arbetar för att vara en attraktiv arbetsgivare och hur anställda och tidigare anställda inom generation Y & Z upplever att organisationen kan utvecklas. Denna studie bygger på en kvalitativ metod, datainsamlingen har skett genom semistrukturerade intervjuer samt information från avvecklingssamtal. Tillsammans med teorin och datainsamlingen indikerar studien att generation Y och Z lägger stor vikt vid bland annat feedback, flexibilitet och utveckling på arbetsplatsen. Andra identifierade faktorer har också visat sig ha betydelse, bland annat lön, relationer och ledarskap. Slutligen diskuteras förbättringsförslag till organisationen som kan bidra till att behålla medarbetare i generation Y och Z i framtiden. / In today’s labor market the competition is high and it is becoming increasingly important for organizations to be attractive employers in order to attract and retain employees. According to research, the different generations that are currently active in the labor market have different expectations and ideas about what identifies an attractive employer. It is therefore important for organizations to consider the different expectations and adapt their employer brand to the generations they recruit accordingly. In this study, we are examining an organization that is experiencing difficulties in retaining employees in the Y and Z generation. Thus, we want to identify what these people consider attractive work, how the organization today works to be an attractive employer. As well as how employees and former employees within generation Y and Z believe that the organization can be developed. A qualitative method has been used, data collection has taken place through semi-structured interviews and information from exit interviews. Together with the theory and data collection, the study shows that generation Y and Z attaches great importance to factors such as feedback, flexibility, and development in the workplace. Other identified factors have also been found to be important, including salary, relationships in the workplace and leadership. Finally, suggestions for improvements to the organization that can help to retain employees ingeneration Y and Z in the future are discussed.