Employee Relations: Leveraging Technology To Educate, Communicate, And Target Gen X And Gen Y
Employee Relations: Leveraging Technology To Educate, Communicate, And Target Gen X And Gen Y
Abstract
The efficacy of union organizing strategies used recently will be examined based on the context of unpleasant and pleasant employee experiences, product markets, and paternalistic labor and management. This paper will argue that the model of unionism faces the barrier of the lack of proper communication strategies between Gen Y and Gen X in unions. This research will be based on studies of survey research, literature review, focus groups, and observations. The goal of the study is to provide a glimpse of the challenges facing the young generations from being part of unions and the efforts that can be done by unions to involve and organize members and the young workers in order to establish harmony.
Introduction
Many unions are currently recruiting young member’s aged18-35, and encouraging them to be leaders. This has seen an increased number of union memberships and has gained power. However, still, there are many unions, which still face generation differences. This is a challenge that has left many union supporters, leaders, and members are concerned about the future of these unions. This indicates that the adult workers are still holding most of the leadership positions of these unions because of the minimal number and almost lack of young workers in the unions. It is essential for unions just like any other business organizations faced with the challenge of the generation gap, to come up with strategies for ironing out the challenges posed by generation differences (Smiley, 2009).
This brings into question on how goals and work can be accomplished when there are varying technological tools, methods, and expectations among members? Information and record management does have an impact on the two generations. This is due to the expectations, practices, technological change, and maturity in modern day technologies. This kind of challenge poses a threat to the right management styles to be used in the organization or to the Unions. The unions have to develop ways of integrating the differences and in adopting other new technological advancements in order to solve the dilemma (Bryson, Gomez, Gunderson, and Meltz, 2005). The ever changing generation landscape dynamic is affected with changes of information. Information unlike before is regarded as an essential aspect in conducting business and delivery of services.
The younger workers in most developed nations such as the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand (Annis, 2007) are less likely to be members of union organizations. The density of the young people aged 16-24 is approximately one third to one-half compared to the older generation (Bryson et al 2005). The low number of young people in the unions could be as a result of lack of Effective communication between the Gen Y and Gen X workers. The unions face a difficult challenge in ensuring that the young and older members do effectively communicate. Successfully serving the needs of Gen Y is a necessary aspect for credit unions and movements future. It calls for the need to establish a “Young Adult Strategy” in order to sustain the unions. This paper analyses and describes the link between the young people and their low turn up in Unions with the use of modern day technologies.
Definition
Social media; this is a kind of an application or website that acts as a vehicle of communication. Through the social media, people can interact, and discuss information, share ideas and content and even build relationships. The social media page; it shows the profile of a site user. Companies or individuals can register as members of a social media page. A user is able to publish statuses, photos, and other documents. Social media platform: It is a kind of software supported by the internet. It enables social media sites to be created on this platform (Vielhaber, & Waltman, 2008). The Millennial/generation Years; this is a generation group comprising of individual born in the mid 80’s to the late 90’s. This is a generation that is more comfortable with technology. They are also characterized with declining and weakening of labor movements and are greatly influenced by media entertainment. Their age range is 18- 35 years. They were the first young adults to try to make out their lives on a volatile new economy of the early 1990’s (Draut, 62). “Generation X’ ers” were born roughly between 1965 to the later 1970’s. They are considered to be cynical and pessimistic concerning job opportunities. The X’ers is also described to be more cautious and do not highly value entitlement compared to the Y’ers (Williams, 2009).
Literature review
A wide range of research studies have explored the subject of social media within the context of building relationships, but have not considered the issues of generation difference (Hanna, Rohm & 2011; Mangold & Faulds. 2009 Weiberge & Pehlivan 2011;Kietzmann, Hermkens, McCarthy & Silvestre, 2011; Pires, Stanton & Rita, 2006 and Wilson Guinan, Parise & Weinberg, 2011). In a discussion provided by Rowley (2008), he shows that there is the need for unions to approach social media and the internet for them to effectively communicate. Communication based on these modern technologies enables members of an organization to create mutual value, relationships, presence (Rowley, 2004).
Armelini and Villanueva (2011) have further discussed how companies have to establish the use of social media to blend with the existing market mix. In a study, by Kietzmann et al (2011) shows the prerequisite aspects for the establishment of relationships in the wide range of social media platform. Pires, Stanton, and Rita (2006) show the results of consumer empowerment as a result of the social media that give companies a new marketing strategy. They argue that there is no enough use of consumer centric strategies based on the social media. This limits the companies from gaining control and power concerning their strategies of marketing (Pires, Stanton & Rita, 2006).
These studies by different authors are centered on the need for companies to implement the use of social media as a tool for marketing. They have not analyzed social media within the context of improving communication among generation in order to strengthen their goals. More so, in relation to strengthening the power of unions that comprises of Gen X and Gen Y, there is the need to consider the changing dynamics within the generational landscape is also as a result of the change information technology. Information today is considered as the main source of conducting business and a key in service delivery. It is, therefore, essential to consider the issues of generational difference. Unions have in the recent past faced a decreasing number of memberships among the younger generation. This is a challenge that makes the future of these unions unpredictable. There are no new members to take up leadership positions. The density of unions has fluctuated by approximate 21.5% since 2005 (Haynes et al, 2005).This fluctuation has posed a continuous gap between the older and younger union density.
Various countries like, Britain, New Zealand, and Canada are making efforts to address this union density threat for the labor movement future. They have developed programs that target the younger workers so as to gain a voice in the labor movement and for them to take up leadership positions. The central goal of such programs is to enable the younger workers advance their labor related issues and for them to continue with recruit and organizing efforts. Such initiates have managed to make efforts within the labor movement in recruiting the young workers and to enhance their inclusion in the overall organizing and recruiting efforts at the workplace (Mui, 2009).I feel that through effective communication strategies, such as, social media, it can be possible for these unions to target, educate and communicate with the tech- savvy Gen Y and Gen X workers in order to ensure the sustainability of the labor movement. Other new technologies that the unions can use to target members include emails, faxes, cell phones and online directories.
Relevance
This research study aims to establish the main reason for the older-younger worker union density difference. It aims to establish the extent of this differential as contributed by a difference of attitude that has made the lower workers to have low preference in being union members. The paper will also examine the job characteristics of the younger workers especially in terms of technology knowledge. Last is on the role of experience and the shortcomings of the unions that the younger generations have seen. These questions will provide insights to how to effectively respond to the challenge of the union density differential among Gen Y and Gen X (Staebell, 2009).It is necessary to solve the union density be rational difference because unions rely on the ideas, enthusiastic, and ideas of the younger members in contributing to the changes that face the labor movement. The young leaders are required to take up leadership position, and other positions that the baby boomers will leave behind as they retire. This means that members and activists are needed to take up the roles of the labor movement (Barnett, 2003).
The main challenges that lead to the difficulty in involving and organizing young workers are as follows;
$1a.) Many young workers today are in jobs and industries that have a high employee turnover rate. This makes it difficult to organize them.
$1b.) The young workers do not see the jobs and the work they are doing as a form of career. Thus, making them move from one job to another when faced with objectionable conditions of work, thus making it difficult to involve and organize them in unions.
$1c.) Many unions today still use the traditional communication methods. This makes it difficult for the union leaders to effectively communicate and connect with the younger workers.
$1d.) There is also the challenge of union cultures, which only reflect on the experiences and taste of the older members. Therefore, they are not appealing to the young Gen Y members.
$1e.) The younger members of the unions are often most likely to go through two tier system and union give up while older union members make unsuccessful efforts in trying to convince the younger peers to appreciate the past struggles of the union.
The general attitude of the youth towards the unions
Research studies have generally conformed that the young workers do not hate unions in comparison to the older generation. Instead, they have little relations with the union and have no or minimal information concerning theses unions. This confirms the reason as to why union households have generally declined. Reports by union organizers have generally been met by blank looks and lack of awareness of the union concerns benefits history and function. This has made it challenging to organize and recruit the Gen Y to these unions. The younger generation can neither say yes or no to the unions but may ask what unions are all about.
Studies have shown that the youth find it easier to solve work related problem as individuals and not as collections (Haynes, Vowles, & Boxall, 2009). This, however, does not show that the modern day young generation is more an apathetic or individualities as compared to the earlier generations. Instead, the labor movement has not found ways of reaching to the younger generation by making them feel necessary in the work they do and in making them be active participants of the movement (Lois Gray).
The young people today have to work in various jobs for them to remain afloat to the challenges of securing a fulltime and permanent job today. These challenges include the climbing pressures of debt, and the shrinking of unionized has made the young workers take up to three jobs. Contract works, freelancing, and temp work all add to the growing unstable nature of the work environment among young people. Since the recession, the pay roll survey has indicated that those who have been hard hit are American youth workers at the time of recovery (Herbert) Issues concerning working conditions and two tier pay are further much more essential to the young workers because they are at their time of seeking employment, making them be of the lowest tier (Greenhouse 264).
According to most employers, they view that young workers can be bullied or manipulated easily. This means that these young workers are constantly disrespected and face harassment in their jobs. Apart from these challenges, the young workers are new in the workplace. These young workers may also not be aware of the individual rights and are not aware how to address and speak out these issues. Other issues faced by the young workers include huge financial debts high living cost and other financial burdens (Greenhouse, 2009, p 264). The young people are having the burden to provide care to their families, are the primary caregivers and are parents. This shows that the unions are still reverent in solving the modern day challenges faced by Gen Y (Haynes, Vowles, and Boxall, 2005).
Creating a room for the young people in unions
Many unions are not welcoming to the young workers. The kind of reception that the young members receive in union meetings could hinder them from joining the unions. Some are called kids by the older members. This makes the young workers have the feeling that they are looked down upon, they are not considered as full members and are not seen as being mature enough. Attending to such meetings makes the young unions feel left out (Staebell, 2009). However, the unions do have an opportunity of using different approaches in addressing the concerns of the youth and most importantly welcoming them in the unions. The young people can be organized and involved in to the unions through holding youth conferences, calling upon the youth to take up leadership training and encouraging them to take up leadership positions in the unions (Ochoa 175).
The unions can look for the best restaurants that are poplar to the youth where they can hold these conferences and training programs. The union also has to develop an attractive and engaging web page that will target the youth; the webpage address for the union will act as a necessary weapon in communicating with the union on the essential and relevant information of the union. Such information includes the history of the union, how it works, the youth position in the union and the benefits of the union. Other modes of communication technologies that the union should consider includes email face book, twitter, cell phones, faxes, and employee directories. When these new technologies are adopted, in the organization, it will be possible to reach out to the young generation. The older members of the unions who are tech-savvy will also benefit from these anew technologies.
Other strategies include events featuring young people, using electronic and social networking communications and making flyers and handouts. Theses approaches are some of the approaches that the unions should adopt in order to attract the younger generation. New ways of communication such as blogs, Twitter, facebook, emailing, text messaging, videos, and other social networking sites are easy and easily accessible to the youth. The unions have to select the right and most appropriate new technologies in reaching out to the young workers.Organizing in a union is the ability to reach out to the young workers. Effective organizers are those who manage to address the cultural differences, unique needs and ability to listen and know the way of targeting a specific group.
It is essential to demystify the terms of union in a straightforward and straightforward manner so as to effectively communicate with the young workers who have no or little information concerning unions. This will help the youth to know that they have a place in the union because they feel that they can express themselves appropriately. Union activists and leaders play a central role in showing the youth of their place in the unions. They will inform to the young workers how the unions can help them. The main failure committed by most leaders is that they give lectures to the young concerning the historical struggles of the unions. This makes them seem that they are stuck in their past and are not relevant to the modern day concerns. The leaders and activists of these unions should also encourage the young workers to share their ideas and knowledge of the modern day technologies and other relevant skills they have. This will help in the establishment of an intergenerational understanding and dialogue.
Union leaders can help in reaching out to the youth through various social events like film nights, artistic events, poetry slams, concerts, soccer games and music that are done in collaboration with the union (Takahashi, 2001). Through such events, the young workers can be taught on the role of the unions in representing them as professions and gives the union a chance to recruit more young people in the community and schools to be members. Through modern day technologies, unions have an opportunity of connecting with leadership organizations comprising of young people, student groups, professional, and vocational schools and community colleges so that they manage to provide them with useful information and services. The channels of communication mean that unions can work together with the mentioned groups on issues of mutual concern and in establishing relationships (Canadia Auto Workers, 2009).
Best practices for solving the key problems
Involving young people in the labor movement is highly critical in increasing union power and membership. The current union density generational differences have left union leaders, supporters, and members concerned of the coming years. By 2008, young workers were at the minimal point in the union density amount with much less than 5% (Smiley, 13). This is in comparison with the unionization rates among the youth of being 21/ 2 times that of the older workers (Gunderson, Gomez, at al, 2008). This acts as a clear indication of the future working world with highly low union density. The main aim of the labor union movement should not just be about increasing members but to bring an enthusiastic and renewed challenges, ideas, and energy.
The use of websites by local and international unions should be universal. These unions have the opportunity of setting up new links and page addresses on various social networking sites such as MySpace and Face book. Through these special internet pages, members of the union can connect with one another. Furthermore, other tools such as Flicker and YouTube provide unions with an opportunity to make use of pictures and videos in communicating with the media, members and the general country. Through blogs, the unions can have a space of their own to hold uncensored interactions and discussions. Other tools such as instant messaging, titter, text messaging, emails, and Face book messaging give the union members an opportunity to instantly communicate with one another . Communication supported by the new technologies supports communication to be conducted among hundreds of people simply with the clicking of a tab or pressing a button.The combination of blogging, Facebook, and Twitter has supported networking of thousands of people in all places of the world.
The new technology has various possibilities that are open and endless. There is also need to consider the positive aspect that these new technological inventions have towards the unions, as well as, its negative impact. This will help the unions to effectively communicate with the young people in this new technological era (Bussel, & Anya Kamenetz, 2006).There is evidence that communicating with the young general through modern day technologies are effective in communicating with the young people. Twitter updates, blog posts and tests messages according to Obama campaign do activate ad engage the young generation. For instance Obama’s staff people and aids have constantly sent messages to supporters as a way of thanking them for their efforts. Ellen Steinere, 23. In an article, on New York Times says that the direct style of communication makes young people to be appreciated and feel that they are part of something significant (Cave, 1). This clearly shows that the informal and fast style of communication used by Obama’s campaign does actually show the preference of the youth in their style of communication.
Unions too have to learn form this by adopting the new technologies to communicate directly and fast with the younger workers. for this generation, informal way of communication means a lot as seen in the way that show their triumphs and foibles on MySpace, Twitter or blogs. To most of the older American generation, they view this kind of communication as a dangerous exhibitionism, but to the younger people they view it as a conversation that leads to consensus and mindedness (Cave, 1). The use of technology in communicating the young workers makes them relate to the information passed. This mode of passing information also acts as an indication that the young generation is more accustomed to the fast pace in the multimedia world (Fine, 2009).The kind of language also used in communicating with the young people is m critical.
Just like the speech given by President Obama in his campaign, unions too should communicate to the young generation in a way which will make them feel appreciated and recognized. In Obama’s speech, he emphasized on the words “hope” and “change” to reflect of the overall social change in America. In his use of language, one can clearly see that he took into consideration the power of the youth and the young Americans. This means that when union discuss the significant and positive picture that has occurred in the society, then they become more appealing to the young generation. The union’s goals and message can be made more inspirational through concentrating on the union’s future and recognizing that the unions form an element within the larger social movement. Unlike presidential campaign, the union campaign is mainly characterized by the “ask” picture. The unions may ask young workers to be part of meetings take up a specific job, speak not only for themselves and to others and take roles in the movement in order for them to respect the dignity of their workplace.
New technologies have proven effective and helpful in helping members of a union to communicate and to organize and target the younger workforce. The new methods of communications such as emailing and texting act as supplement means of communication that have not replace relationship building and face to face communication. The technology adoption in unions should not be the only means of communication and in developing superficial relations; instead, all members of the union should have full commitment in the activities of the union.
Through the use of new and existing technologies such as MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, millions of young workers are able to communicate. When unions adopt the use of these new technologies, they will be able to reach out to the young people and be relevant. The MySpace and Facebook can be used in sharing pictures, inviting members for conferences and events and exchanging of ideas and knowledge. The new technologies will further provide union members to increase theater networking. The sites give users an opportunity to freely express themselves more than face to face communication. Members can ask one another on delicate issues, hold intensive discussions, and share ideas one each other’s walls in an uncensored and open manner (Yates, 2004).
Unions can use MySpace and Facebook as a means of increasing their visibility. The facebook page of a freelancer button can have a button that lets the members’ friends see the union. For example, in the trade Unions Congress of Great Britain and Ireland, they had a “ My Union” application that made the members on their Facebook page have a” button” indicating the unions that they belong to (Barry,2009).Other unions have managed to develop their personal networking sites. For example the Canadian Auto Workers UFCW has established a Youth Network that has become successful because of its ability to reach youth speared far and wide (Workers online, 2009). This union has managed to provide the young workers with a chance to be part of the union that is made up of an online community where they can develop ideas, success issues, and make friends. Another union is the Unite Here which has also established a networking site that targets summer interns.
This site has helped the young people seeking for jobs to share ideas and resources despite their wide geographical distance (Uehlein, 2009). Blogging is also another essential technological tool. This is because members of the unions can get ideas and communicate with other. However, in the adoption of these technologies, unions should n know the limitations that theses technologies have especially on security concerns. Union blogs are, for example, faced with security concerns because they can be accessed and read by individuals who are against the unions. Emails can be the best and suitable means of communicating confidential information to all members of the unions. Also, cell phones and text messaging will be desirable for all members (Gomez, Noath, and Gunderson 2002).
Conclusion
This paper has tackled the main reasons to union generational density gap. This gap is as results of lack of effective means and ways of communicating to the younger generation, Gen Y. This paper has managed to examine the kind of language and technologies that the unions should use in attracting the younger workers as members of the unions. Also, another aspect that I have pointed out is that the lowering number of the younger workers in unions is not that they are personalized or individualistic in solving problems they face in the work place. Instead, the young people are in need of the unions to help them solve the wide challenges they face in the work place. This means unions still have a say in the current working situations of Gen Y.
What is needed is that the unions should be more welcoming and appealing to the young generation. The union leaders have to make the young workers feel appreciated and welcomed. They have to ensure that they use the right language in addressing the current benefits of the unions especially in solving the modern day challenges faced by the younger generation. The adoption of technology is one of the strategies to attract new young workers. These technologies will help them in learning more concerning the function and benefits of being part of the labor movement. The sustainability, strength, and enthusiasm of these unions rely of the recruitment of the younger generation and empowering them by making them take up leadership positions and other responsibilities in the unions.
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