An aging population in the united states underscores

An aging population in the United States underscores a potential skill gap in the future. As those
employees in the baby-boom generation retire—the 78 million people born between 1946 and
1964—the US workforce will lose the skills, knowledge, experience, and relationships possessed
by the more than a quarter of all Americans. This situation will likely create skill shortages in
fast-growing technical fields.

NOTE: These are results from a recent meta-analysis of 118 studies involving over 52,000
people. The researchers wanted to investigate the relationship between age and 10 dimensions of
performance: core task performance, creativity, performance in training workshops, helping
behavior at work, safety performance, counterproductive work behaviors, aggression at work,
substance abuse, tardiness, and absenteeism. Results demonstrated that older workers displayed
more helping and safety-oriented behavior. Older workers also exhibited less workplace
aggression, substance abuse, tardiness, and absenteeism. Age was predominantly unrelated to
core task performance, creativity, and performance in training workshops. The researchers
concluded that “these observations suggest either that older workers are as motivated as younger
workers to contribute to their organizations or that they are more consciously engaged in
discretionary behaviors to compensate for any losses in technical core performance.
III. Managing Implications of Demographic Diversity
A. Managing Gender-Based Diversity – Women also can help their own cause by
following seven recommendations proposed by Alice Eagly and Linda Carli, authors of Through
the Labyrinth .
1). Focus on being exceptionally competent and seek mentors for different
purposes. Second, build social capital. Social capital represents the totality of one’s professional
and personal relationships.

2). Learning to play the game of golf may represent one viable strategy in this
pursuit. For example, Susan Reed, editor in chief of Golf for Women, concluded that “[w]omen
are just now learning what men have known for years: that golf may be one of the best
relationship-building tools there is—both for business and for pleasure. Women resist going out
for the afternoon because they’re generally too responsible, shortsightedly so. Like men, they
need to realize that leaving the work on the desk (which will be there anyway) and going out to
play golf with a valuable business prospect is a good decision.”
3). Third, seek work-life balance by delegating housework or hiring domestic
help.
4). Fourth, improve your negotiating skills.
5). Fifth, take credit for your accomplishments; men do.
6). Sixth, work toward creating a partnership with your spouse that leads to a
mutually supportive relationship.
7). Finally, develop an interpersonal style that balances the need to be assertive
and communal.