Today's workplace includes the members of four generations: the Radio Generation,Baby Boomers,Generation X,and Generation Y.What challenges does the composition of the contemporary workforce pose for on-the-job communication?

Dramatically different world events,social trends,and technological advances have shaped the four generations.Therefore,each generation brings its own perspective into the workplace.Since people tend to resist change,they often assume that the way they're doing something must be the best way to do it.Moreover,diverse generations sometimes feel competitive pressures for resources,influence,control,and jobs.The result can be tension,mistrust,conflict,and communication breakdowns.The multiple generations in the workplace present another dimension of diversity-different communication habits.For instance,Generation Y workers often prefer to communicate via short electronic messages; however,Baby Boomers and Generation Xers may find these brief messages abrupt and impersonal.