Research Landscape of Multigenerational Workforce Literature: A Bibliographic Coupling and Co-Citation Analysis

Abstract

The multigenerational workforce is not a transient but a permanent phenomenon impacting organisation-level outcomes. People are the differentiators for a company’s performance, and it is pertinent to understand the facets that influence employee behaviour at the workplace. One such facet is generational diversity. This study attempts to understand the intellectual structure of multigenerational workforce literature and its relevance in HRD. Bibliometric analysis comprising bibliographic coupling and co-citation methods has been applied to analyse the selected sample of 109 journal articles from reputed journals obtained from the SCOPUS database. Results of this study indicate the most cited articles, the most influential authors, countries and educational institutions with leading publications and the most active journals. Lastly, the study delineates the major themes that emerge from the extant works in the area.

Keywords

Multigenerational workforce generational diversity at workplace bibliometric HRD

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Blau

P. M.

(1964). Exchange and power in social life . Wiley.

Bova

, & Kroth

(2001). Workplace learning and Generation X. Journal of Workplace Learning , 13(2), 57–65.

Brooks

A. K.

, & Clunis

(2007). Where to now? Race and ethnicity in workplace learning and development research: 1980–2005. Human Resource Development Quarterly , 18(2), 229–251.

Cennamo

, & Gardner

(2008). Generational differences in work values, outcomes and person-organisation values fit. Journal of managerial psychology , 23(8), 891–906.

Chaudhuri

, & Ghosh

(2012). Reverse mentoring: A social exchange tool for keeping the boomers engaged and millennials committed. Human Resource Development Review , 11(1), 55–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484311417562

Cogin

(2012). Are generational differences in work values fact or fiction? Multi-country evidence and implications. The International Journal of Human Resource Management , 23(11), 2268–2294.

Costanza

D. P.

, Badger

J. M.

, Fraser

R. L.

, Severt

J. B.

, & Gade

P. A.

(2012). Generational differences in work-related attitudes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Business and Psychology , 27(4), 375–394.

Cropanzano

, Anthony

E. L.

, Daniels

S. R.

, & Hall

A. V.

(2017). Social exchange theory: A critical review with theoretical remedies. Academy of Management Annals , 11(1), 479–516. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2015.0099

Cropanzano

, & Mitchell

M. S.

(2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management , 31(6), 874–900. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206305279602

10.

Deal

J. J.

, Altman

D. G.

, & Rogelberg

S. G.

(2010). Millennials at work: What we know and what we need to do (if anything). Journal of Business and Psychology , 25(2), 191–199.

11.

Emerson

(1976). Social exchange theory. Annual Review of Sociology , 2, 335–362. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.so.02.080176.002003

12.

Fenwick

(2010). Normalising standards in educational complexity: A network analysis. In Complexity theory and the politics of education (pp. 57–67). Brill Sense.

13.

Gallardo-Gallardo

, Nijs

, Dries

, & Gallo

(2015). Towards an understanding of talent management as a phenomenon-driven field using bibliometric and content analysis. Human Resource Management Review , 25(3), 264–279.

14.

Gallicano

T. D.

, Curtin

, & Matthews

(2012). I love what I do, but… A relationship management survey of millennial generation public relations agency employees. Journal of Public Relations Research , 24(3), 222–242.

15.

Garfield

(2001). From bibliographic coupling to co-citation analysis via algorithmic historic-bibliography . Drexel University. https://garfield.library.upenn.edu/papers/drexelbelvergriffith92001.pdf

16.

Gedro

(2010). The lavender ceiling atop the global closet: Human resource development and lesbian expatriates. Human Resource Development Review , 9(4), 385–404.

17.

Glass

(2007). Understanding generational differences for competitive success. Industrial and Commercial Training , 39(2), 98–103.

18.

Gursoy

, Maier

, & Chi

(2008). Generational differences: An examination of work values and generational gaps in the hospitality workforce. International Journal of Hospitality Management , 27(3), 448–458.

19.

Han

S. H.

, Chae

, Han

S. J.

, & Yoon

S. W.

(2017). Conceptual organisation and identity of HRD: Analyses of evolving definitions, influence, and connections. Human Resource Development Review , 16(3), 294–319.

20.

Hershatter

, & Epstein

(2010). Millennials and the world of work: An organization and management perspective. Journal of Business Psychology , 25(2), 211–223.

21.

, Herrick

, & Hodgin

K. A.

(2004). Managing the multigenerational nursing team. The Health Care Manager , 23(4), 334–340.

22.

Icenogle

R. S. H. M.

(2001). Preparing for an age-diverse workforce: Intergenerational service-learning in social gerontology and business curricula. Educational Gerontology , 27(1), 49–70.

23.

Johnson

J. M.

, & Ng

E. S.

(2016). Money talks or millennials walk: The effect of compensation on nonprofit millennial workers sector-switching intentions. Review of Public Personnel Administration , 36(3), 283–305. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X15587980

24.

Koch

, Gonzalez

, & Leidner

(2012). Bridging the work/social divide: The emotional response to organizational social networking sites. European Journal of Information Systems , 21(6), 699–717.

25.

Kupperschmidt

B. R.

(2000). Multigeneration employees: Strategies for effective management. The Health Care Manager , 19(1), 65–76.

26.

Lee

C. I. S. G.

, Felps

, & Baruch

(2014). Toward a taxonomy of career studies through bibliometric visualization. Journal of Vocational Behavior , 85(3), 339–351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2014.08.008

27.

Lester

S. W.

, Standifer

R. L.

, Schultz

N. J.

, & Windsor

J. M.

(2012). Actual versus perceived generational differences at work: An empirical examination. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies , 19(3), 341–354.

28.

Lyons

, & Kuron

(2014). Generational differences in the workplace: A review of the evidence and directions for future research. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 35(S1), S139–S157. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.1913

29.

Lyons

S. T.

, Ng

E. S.

, & Schweitzer

(2014). Changing demographics and the shifting nature of careers: Implications for research and human resource development. Human Resource Development Review , 13(2), 181–206.

30.

Mannheim

(1927). The problem of generations. In P. Kecskemeti (Ed.), Essays on the sociology of knowledge (pp. 276–320). Routledge & Kegan Paul.

31.

Mitsakis

(2019). Modify the redefined: Strategic human resource development maturity at a crossroads. Human Resource Development Review , 18(4), 470–506. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484319847043

32.

Myers

K. K.

, & Sadaghiani

(2010). Millennials in the workplace: A communication perspective on millennials’ organisational relationships and performance. Journal of Business and Psychology , 25(2), 225–238.

33.

Nafukho

F. M.

, Graham

C. M.

, & Muyia

H. M. A.

(2010). Harnessing and optimal utilization of human capital in virtual workplace environments. Advances in Developing Human Resources , 12(6), 648–664.

34.

Narwin

(2016). Social exchange theory in human resource development context. St. Theresa Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences , 2(2), 74–78.

35.

Park

J. D.

, & Gursoy

(2012). Generational effects on work engagement among U.S. hotel employees. International Journal of Hospitality Management , 31(4), 1195–1202

36.

Parry

, & Urwin

(2011). Generational differences in work values: A review of theory and evidence. International Journal of Management Reviews , 13(1), 79–96.

37.

Posthuma

R. A.

, & Campion

M. A.

(2009). Age stereotypes in the workplace: Common stereotypes, moderators, and future research directions. Journal of Management , 35(1), 158–188.

38.

Qin

, Muenjohn

, & Chhetri

(2014). A review of diversity conceptualisations: Variety, trends, and a framework. Human Resource Development Review , 13(2), 133–157. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484313492329

39.

Rani

, Bouzdine

, & Samuel

C. A. A.

(2016). Generational differences in work values of Indian employees. International Business Management , 10(18), 4358–4364.

40.

Redmond

M. V.

(2015). Social exchange theory (p. 36) [English Technical Reports and White Papers]. Iowa State University.

41.

Schmidt

S. W.

, Githens

R. P.

, Rocco

T. S.

, & Kormanik

M. B.

(2012). Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgendered people and human resource development: An examination of the literature in adult education and human resource development. Human Resource Development Review , 11(3), 326–348.

42.

Small

(1973). Co-citation in the scientific literature: A new measure of the relationship between two documents. Journal of the American Society for Information Science , 24(4), 265–269.

43.

Small

(1997). Update on science mapping: Creating large document spaces. Scientometrics , 38(2), 275–293. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02457414

44.

Smola

, & Sutton

C. D.

(2002). Generational differences: Revisiting generational work values for the new millennium. Journal of Organizational Behavior , 23(4), 363–382.

45.

Sparkman

T. E.

(2019). Exploring the boundaries of diversity and inclusion in human resource development. Human Resource Development Review , 18(2), 173–195.

46.

Thompson

, & Gregory

J. B.

(2012). Managing millennials: A framework for improving attraction, motivation, and retention. The Psychologist-Manager Journal , 15(4), 237–246.

47.

Torraco

R. J.

, & Yorks

(2005). Editorial note. Human Resource Development Review , 4(4), 371–372.

48.

Twenge

J. M.

, Campbell

S. M.

, Hoffman

B. J.

, & Lance

C. E.

(2010). Generational differences in work values: Leisure and extrinsic values increasing, social and intrinsic values decreasing. Journal of Management , 36(5), 1117–1142.

49.

Van Raan

A. F.

(2005). Fatal attraction: Conceptual and methodological problems in the ranking of universities by bibliometric methods. Scientometrics , 62(1), 133–143.

50.

Vogel

, & Güttel

W. H.

(2013). The dynamic capability view in strategic management: A bibliometric review. International Journal of Management Reviews , 15(4), 426–446.

51.

Wang

G. G.

, Gilley

J. W.

, & Sun

J. Y.

(2012). The ‘science of HRD research’ reshaping HRD research through scientometrics. Human Resource Development Review , 11(4), 500–520.

52.

Wang

, Bruning

N. S.

, & Peng

(2007). Western high-performance HR practices in China: A comparison among public-owned, private and foreign-invested enterprises. The International Journal of Human Resource Management , 18(4), 684–701. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190601179610

53.

Werner

J. M.

(2014). Human resource development ≠ human resource management: So what is it? Human Resource Development Quarterly , 25(2), 127–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21188

54.

Wesner

M. S.

, & Miller

(2008). Boomers and millennials have much in common. Organization Development Journal , 26(3), 89.

55.

Yang

, Yu

C. S.

, & Wu

(2018). Work values across generations in China. Chinese Management Studies , 12(3), 486–505.

56.

Yeager

K. L.

, & Nafukho

F. M.

(2011). Developing diverse teams to improve performance in the organisational setting. European Journal of Training and Development , 36(4), 388–408. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090591211220320