The generation theory: a cross-cultural approach

Abstract

The challenge for management in all sectors of business comes from a clash of generations: a conflict of behaviors, values, expectations and attitudes. On the other hand, when meeting similar problems, people of the same age do not always keep to similar value systems and behavior because they are representatives of different national cultures. These national value systems together with the age factor are the drivers of behavior and attitudes, and very important layer of culture that is defined in cross-cultural management. The methodology of the survey is based on researching and analyzing relevant literature mainly from foreign as well as domestic sources which are focused on the cross-cultural management and the generation theory. Each generation encompasses a series of years after birth spanning roughly the period of time to become an adult. But the key factor of forming each generation is the list of values set at the subconscious level of a personality, at the age of 12 – 14 years through education, social, economic, political and technological environment. Combining the basic aspects of cross-cultural management (the layers of culture and their influence on personality) with the generation theory has made it possible to identify the features of cross-cultural profiles of modern managers of different generations.