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Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership

and the cross-generational workforce
Adam Murray
Published online: 08 Jul 2013.

To cite this article: Adam Murray (2011) Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-
generational workforce, The Australian Library Journal, 60:1, 54-65, DOI: 10.1080/00049670.2011.10722556

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00049670.2011.10722556

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 Mind the gap: technology, millennial
leadership and the cross-generational
workforce
ADAM MURRAY
This paper has been double-blind peer reviewed to meet the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science
and Research (DIISR) HERDC requirements.

It comes as no surprise that different generations respond to and utilise emerging

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technology in vastly different ways. However as more Millennials take on leadership

positions within academic libraries, their attitudes towards and uses of technology may
bring conflicting expectations for leadership to the forefront. What are the generational
traits and motivations of the Millennial and how will they manifest themselves as a
style of leadership? What are some areas of tension arising from Millennial leadership
and technology utilisation, and what steps can the Millennial leader take to alleviate
such tension?

Written by a Millennial who became a Dean of University Libraries at the age of 29,
this article explores the challenges faced by the Millennial leader and the inherent
opportunities for growth at both the personal and the organisational levels.

Introduction through approximately 2004. They are described

as being more comfortable with technology
The study of generational differences and the
and more prone to multitasking, collaborative
impact of generational conflict on the workplace
work, and as having a more integrated view of
is a topic of concern for many disciplines,
the organisational hierarchy than any previous
institutions, and businesses. The same is true
generational cohort. Members of this generation
for libraries, particularly when the defining
are increasingly gaining not only positions in
characteristics of generational differences include
the workforce, but are also achieving positions
attitudes towards technology, communication, and
of leadership, including positions of authority
collaboration – elements that play central roles in
in libraries. Results of Arn and Price’s (2007, 17)
modern library management. This article explores
survey of recent library science graduates provided
the implications of these and other defining
supporting evidence that recent graduates (of any
characteristics in a multigenerational library
generation) are ‘gaining significant amounts of
workforce from a perspective not routinely found
responsibility within a relatively short period after
in the literature of multigenerational supervision:
graduation.’ This article seeks to address a unique
that of the Millennial leader.
(however temporary) situation: the implications
Millennials are roughly defined as those individuals of the behavioral tendencies of the Millennial
who were born in the late 1970s/early 1980s generation when placed in positions of leadership

54 Volume 60 Number 1 The Australian Library Journal

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

within libraries. This article, written by a Millennial following labels and dating conventions will be
who became a Dean of University Libraries at the used throughout:
age of 29, is guided by the following questions:
• Traditionalists: born before World War II
1. What are the generational traits and • Baby Boomers: born following World War II
motivations of the Millennial generation and
• Generation X: born between the mid-1960s
how will they manifest themselves as a style
and the late 1970s
of leadership?
• Millennials: born in the early 1980s through
2. What are some areas of tension arising the early 2000s.
from Millennial leadership and technology
utilisation, and what steps can the Millennial While these generational labels and descriptions
leader take to alleviate such tension? apply across Western culture, both Egri and
Ralston (2004) and Bonnin (2006) outline
These questions are explored using behavioural the significant differences in Eastern culture
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tendencies and attitudes of the Millennial outlined and generations, specifically those found in
by Abram and Luther (2004) as a conceptual China. Egri and Ralston (2004) described the
framework, specifically collaboration, integration, four most recent generations in China since
multitasking, experimentation, and nomadic. the end of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. These
start with the Republican and Consolidation
It should be noted that a consistent definition generations, move through a Cultural Revolution
of different generations will vary across cultures generation, and conclude at the present Social
and societies, as each generation is defined in Reform generation. These cohorts displayed
large part not by the year range of births but an evolution from Confucianism as the ‘root of
by the large, society-changing events taking Chineseness’ through increasingly Maoist/Marxist-
place during the formative years of individual Leninist ideologies to the current generation’s
generational members. Historically, these types of entrepreneurial spirit and materialism. Because
large, altering events were unique to each society, of the variance between Western and Eastern
thereby creating differences in generational definitions of the generations, this study limits
definitions across different societies. However, the its focus to an examination of the Western
emergence of a global economy and the global generational cohorts.
impact of such events as World War II, along
with a worldwide adoption of rapidly changing As noted in the literature review below, the
communication technologies have resulted in majority of studies into Millennials and libraries
the convergence of generational definitions and deal either with the provision of services to
delineations across Western culture (Edmunds Millennials or the supervision of Millennial library
and Turner 2005). Four primary generational employees by members of previous generational
cohorts may be observed across Western society cohorts. This article is a conceptual investigation
since the early/mid 1900s, each sharing similar of the behaviors attributed to Millennials and
motivators, work styles, and attitudes, although how these behaviors might manifest as styles
the labels of these generations vary even within of leadership. It should also be acknowledged
particular societies. This variation in labels and that any discussion of generational differences
consistency in descriptions may be glimpsed is by nature a discussion based on generalities.
in almost any field of study or description of This investigation does not attempt to outline
the Western generational cohorts, from those the preferred behaviours of leaders, but rather
of Australian travel agents (Chiles 2005) and the implications of the behaviours attributed to
neurologists (Panegyres and Gray 2010) to British the Millennial generation on their approach to
retail outlooks (Broadbridge, Maxwell and Ogden leadership. As more Millennials take leadership
2007) and adult learners (Field 2006). For the positions within libraries, this conceptual
purposes of this conceptual investigation, the investigation fills a gap in the existing literature

The Australian Library Journal February 2011 55

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

that will only continue to become more relevant.

nature of Millennials through space design.
The conceptual investigation of potential Millennial Providing areas in a library that are conducive for
leadership behavior is supplemented by the group or team work fosters this natural set of
experiences of the author, a Millennial who behaviors and attracts a greater number of library
currently serves as a Dean of University Libraries. users. Lippincott (2010) supported this finding,
adding that the need for collaborative spaces to
be reconfigurable is based on group needs that
Literature review might change on a daily basis, while still providing
A review of literature related to the generations seamless access to technology.
and libraries or business management reveals
two major trends of study: library services for Becker (2009) took a somewhat different
different generations, and the supervision of a approach, suggesting that the information
multigenerational workforce. seeking and use behaviors demonstrated by the
Millennials are really no different than those of
Library services for different generations other generations when provided with similar
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Studies of the provision of library services for tools. Becker argued that while behaviors might be
different generations make up one of the two different between generations, the values of those
literature trends regarding libraries and the generations do not necessarily conflict. Treating
generations. This trend can be further categorised behavioral differences with regard to the adoption
into studies of services for opposite ends of the of communications technology as evidence of
generational spectrum: the needs of Traditionalists value-based differences may result in a treatment
and Baby Boomers versus the needs of Generation of Millennials and other generations as inflexible
Xers and Millennials. categorical labels.

Sweeney (2005) pointed out that Millennials have Connaway, Radford, Dickey, Williams, and Confer
developed a ‘lifelong culture’ of behaviours they (2008) examined more closely the difference
will exhibit at all ages across the lifespan. These in information-seeking behaviors between the
behaviors include a desire for personalisation, Millennial and Baby Boomer generations using
experimentation and experiential learning, instant focus groups and semi-structured interviews
gratification, collaboration, a balanced work and to determine how and why members of these
home-life, and high expectations for their careers generations satisfied their information needs. This
and quality of life. Libraries hoping to remain found that members of these generations turn
relevant must accommodate this lifelong culture to different sources of assistance. Despite this
by modifying services and hours for a social group both generations showed a similar use of Google
that expects point-of-need fulfillment of desires, and other online resources with a preference for
rapid feedback, and group engagement. As face-to-face interactions with Reference Librarians
Sweeney stated, this can range from shifting hours as opposed to virtual interactions. The largest
of operation, to developing new programming differences between the generations related to the
designed for the Millennial generation (such as immediacy of the information needs, the length of
gaming activities, poetry slams, and others), to time individuals would devote to a given search,
implementing new library systems that operate and the desires for library spaces to be both social
collaboratively and visually instead of traditional and quiet.
single-user oriented text-based systems. In order to
Moore and Wells (2009) studied the library
accomplish these shifts, Sweeney recommended
and information technology support service
hiring more Millennial workers in libraries and
preferences among current Millennial students
gaining valuable feedback about the physical
at W.E.B. Du Bois Library/Learning Commons at
space and services.
the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Their
Walker (2006) expanded on this by providing study was conducted through a questionnaire
recommendations for addressing the collaborative distributed to all who entered the library during a

56 Volume 60 Number 1 The Australian Library Journal

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

twenty four hour period. The response rate in this Supervision of a multigenerational workforce
convenience sampling was 5% with an n = 717 of The second major trend in the literature is
completed questionnaires. Interestingly, their study comprised of studies into the supervision of a
found that Millennial students prefer face-to-face multigenerational workforce or on the supervision
interactions for reference, research (85%), and of specific generations. Many of these studies
technical support (80%), supporting the findings focus almost exclusively on the supervision
of Connaway et al (2008). Other questions of Generation Xers and Millennials by Baby
solicited feedback on students’ perceptions of Boomers in a workforce comprised of members
the Learning Commons environment, finding from four distinct generational cohorts. Martin
that students welcome the integrated social and (2006, 8) advises library supervisors to identify
academic environment with multiple options for the values a particular generation holds dear
academic support services (such as IT support and and use that to motivate workers’ and to foster
the writing center). generational diversity in order to provide library
users of all ages a staff with which they can be
Volunteerism and engagement appears to be an
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comfortable. Artman (2008) contributed to Library

element that spans the generations, as evident
Journal’s regular ‘NexGen’ column with advice
by the studies reported by Dempsey (2007) and
for supervising Millennial librarians, encouraging
the Illinois Library Association (‘They may be
library directors and supervisors to remain flexible
young, but they’re ready to be in charge’, 2007).
and to encourage the ideas Millennial librarians
The Illinois Library Association reported on the
might bring to the workforce. Artman (2008,
increasing inclusion of younger generations in
39) states that ‘they are ready to challenge and
library boards and governing bodies. The article
change the face and content of the programs we
reported on the wide disparity between the
provide as well as how we deliver library service.’
population of Millennials and the percentage of
In another ‘NextGen’ column, Schutz (2005) (a
equivalent-aged public officeholders that represent
Generation X library director of Baby Boomer
those populations. Dempsey (2007) provided
employees) discussed how working alongside her
a perspective of library services to the boomer
older employees helped alleviate the conflicts that
generation written by a boomer. With the growth
could have arisen from dramatic operating and
in service population over 50 years, Dempsey
policy changes. Stephen Abram, vice president of
suggested that libraries have a prime population
innovation at SirsiDynix, encouraged Millennial
for targeted services that could in turn lead to
librarians to reframe the resistance to change they
fundraising opportunities. Boomers also want to
meet as a chance for dialogue by acknowledging
contribute through an active retirement, providing
criticism and using it as an instigator for further
consulting opportunities and volunteerism to local
conversation (Hill &Johnson, 2008).
libraries. Dempsey argued that libraries would
do well to utilise this energy and commitment Gordon (Next generation librarianship, 2006)
to engagement in order to expand services to outlined how the Millennial generation, while
boomer generation library users. Similarly, Lloyd facing similar issues as those experienced by all
(2007) described how the Boomer generation’s new librarians, truly faces unique situations. In
desire to have active lifestyles in retirement addition to viewing the hierarchy as flattened
might lead members of this generation to pursue and participatory with technology integration as
degrees and a new career in libraries. Pierce (2005) a way of (work) life, Millennial librarians tend to
demonstrated just how engaged members of display a different attitude toward the workplace,
the Baby Boomer generation may be, describing particularly the ‘work/life balance’ and anticipating
ways in which retired librarians remain active in flexibility in scheduling. In a submission to the
professional associations or through volunteering ‘NextGen’ column in Library Journal, Gordon (In
at a local library. our own words 2004) presented the perspectives
of several Millennial librarians towards job seeking,
career development, and preferences for job
environments. Consistently, Millennial librarians

The Australian Library Journal February 2011 57

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

sought work environments and positions that

Young, Hernon, and Powell (2006) undertook a
could challenge them, and where they could study of desired leadership traits and perceptions
challenge the status quo. of leaders in order to identify generational
differences in expectations of leaders. Conducted
Essinger (2006) discussed four tendencies she through a Delphi technique, this study asked
described as ‘practically ubiquitous’ in the members of Generation X to identify leadership
Millennials she has supervised: their highly social traits. They found a significant difference between
nature; their ambition; their literal-mindedness; what library directors ranked as important
and their preference for regimentation. Millennial leadership traits and what members of Generation
librarians have grown up with the technology X ranked as important, particularly relating
that allows constant communication with a to a balance between work- and home-life,
wide network of friends, coworkers, family, and the availability of mentoring and professional
acquaintances. Essinger described leniency in development, and merit based recognition.
socialising as a method to allow this highly social
nature to be harnessed for productive means. The Literature dealing with the supervision of different
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ambition of Millennials tends to reveal itself in generations is not, of course, limited to the realm
a confidence in their ability to lead without any of library science and practice. For instance,
prior experience, and a belief that leadership is Ferri-Reed (2010) in the Journal for Quality &
participatory. Providing opportunities for leadership Participation provides five tips for engaging
experience and professional development channels Millennial workers. These include ‘starting them
this energy into productive outcomes. While off strong’ (i.e. giving new Millennial employees
tending to view leadership as a flexible construct, more than a one-day orientation), creating a
Essinger described Millennials as very literal in ‘cool’ workplace, challenging them, coaching
their application of the rules to others, particularly them with constant feedback, and helping them
library users. Supervisors of Millennials must work chart their career. Deal, Altman, and Rogelberg
with them to teach when exceptions to the rules (2010) examined some of the more prevalent
are appropriate. Finally, Essinger detailed how the beliefs about the Millennial generation, debunking
Millennial generation is one that expects a strictly some (that Millennials work less than previous
regimented schedule with constant feedback generations or have less positive attitudes
about performance. According to Essinger (2006, towards work) while supporting others (that
106), Millennials have ‘been intensively over- they are less physically fit and more conversant
scheduled by their parents. They are used to with technology). Implications of these traits are
having every moment of a day mapped out for discussed, as employers may want to implement
them by an authority figure.’ health and wellness programs or to help limit the
impact of technology on the perception of being
Lancaster (2003) provided methods for retaining connected to work 24/7.
librarians of all generations by maintaining
sensitivity to the life experiences each generation Karp and Sirias (2001) examined the perceptions
has been exposed to as a cohort. For instance, of teams in the work environment, finding
members of the Traditionalist generation might that members of Generation X value the team
be retained through appreciation for their loyalty, environment as well as being able to operate as
while Millennials members of Generation X might an individual. This led Karp and Sirias to propose a
prefer to be rewarded through opportunities for new paradigm for the construction of workplace
professional development. Encouraging Millennials teams, built from the contributions different
to provide technology training for Traditionalists individuals can bring to a task, rather than
might help both generations further their careers, focusing on the similarities in team members.
giving Millennials a chance to improve their
leadership styles while expanding the skills of the While much literature is devoted to the supervision
Traditionalists. of Millennials or to the tailoring of library services
to different generations, exploration into the

58 Volume 60 Number 1 The Australian Library Journal

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

leadership Millennials might provide as they Depression and the war are accustomed to
enter the workforce is rare. This article seeks to sacrifice for the greater good. Members of this
contribute to this needed area of study. generation tend to be very loyal to an employer,
tending to stay with the same employer for life.
The high percentage of those who served in the
Generational traits and military resulted in a comfort with ‘top down’
motivations decision-making.
The first question guiding this conceptual
The Baby Boomers were born following World
investigation into Millennial leadership asks
War II, and may make up a large percentage of
what the traits and motivations of the Millennial
the workforce, as the members of this generation
generation are, and how might these traits
seek to stay involved with work even following
manifest as a style of leadership. In order to
retirement. Because of the high numbers of Baby
discuss the implications of Millennial leadership,
Boomers, this generation is more competitive than
it is first useful to provide an overview of
the Traditionalists, which may have contributed to
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the different generations currently in the

their attitudes on social reform and activism. The
workforce. Of course, nearly every study into the
Baby Boomer generation took part in Woodstock
characteristics of different generations notes the
and the Vietnam War, changes in civil liberties
fact that generational descriptors are by their
for minorities, and the Beatles. Members of this
very nature generalised statements that do not
generation tend to be idealistic and involved.
always apply to the individual. There are also
many different perspectives on what defines a As mentioned above, skyrocketing divorce rates,
generation: there is not consistent agreement on the spread of AIDS, and various environmental
the age ranges or birth dates comprising specific disasters (such as Exxon Valdeez and Chernobyl)
generational cutoffs. There is also much made helped define Generation X as one that is more
of ‘cuspers’ – those individuals born at the end skeptical than its predecessors. Members of
of one generational period and at the beginning Generation X were roughly born between the
of another that tend to display behaviours or mid-1960s and the late 1970s/early 1980s. This
attitudes of both. The one element that many generation is often cited as harder to delineate,
studies into generational differences hold in as society and technology had by this point
common is the notion that social events (which become more diverse and self-defined, making
differ across cultures and countries) that impacted large defining events difficult to pinpoint. This
or drastically changed a society’s outlook help generation is accused of cynicism and a lack of
shape and define generational attitudes and loyalty to employers by the previous generations,
perspectives. Gordon (2006, 37) summarises this as members of Generation X are more likely to
view of generations by stating ‘much of what seek other employment in a desire to balance work
comprises a ‘generation’ is its members’ shared and life.
experience of defining events and formative
experiences – for example, the Veterans by World Finally, the Millennial generation (also known as
War II; the Boomers by Woodstock, the Cold War GenNext, NextGen, Generation Y, and the Echo
and the moon landing; Gen X by divorce, AIDS, Boomers) was born in the early 1980s through the
and MTV; and Gen Y by the Internet and 9/11.’ early 2000s. The Pew Research Center (2010) gives
a thorough overview of this generation, examining
Of the four generations that might comprise a demographics on data elements ranging from
work environment, the Traditionalists (also known religious perspectives to perspectives on the
as the Veterans, the Silent Generation, and the merits and negative consequences of technology.
Greatest Generation) are most likely to be the This generation has been strongly influenced by
smallest population. Many of these individuals may the attacks of 9/11 and shootings in schools,
already be retired or seeking to retire. Members and members have had access to computers
of this generation were born before World War and the Internet for virtually their entire lives.
II and through their experiences with the Great

The Australian Library Journal February 2011 59

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

This segment of the population is beginning to

included in order to provide a base of evidence
make up a large portion of the workforce and to the generalizations made in this conceptual
is motivated by opportunities to collaborate, investigation. It should be noted that this
diversify, and to make successful change. This article does not comment on desired leadership
generation is sometimes called the Echo Boomer behaviours outlined by the field of leadership
generation as the behaviours and attitudes of the studies, but rather focuses on the generalized
generation are very similar to the Baby Boomer behaviours attributed to the Millennial generation
generation, with the exception of the element of and the potential implications of those behaviours
competitiveness, which has been replaced by an for Millennials filling leadership roles.
expectation of collaboration. This generation tends
to multitask more than any previous generation, Members of the Millennial generation are
and mobile technology allows for multitasking described consistently as collaborative. Perhaps
from any location. Due to the violent social events one of the most positive behavioral tendencies
that define this generation and the ubiquitous of the Millennial generation, this trait can also
be the source of the most workplace conflict
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presence of mobile communication technology,

this generation tends to display an even stronger between different generations. Literature related
desire for security and work/life balance than to the supervision of Millennials stresses the
Generation X. importance of explaining organisational hierarchy
to a generation that learned and played in groups.
Generalised descriptors of the generations can Essinger (2006, 105) stated ‘first, supervisors
help a leader who seeks to understand the should laboriously explain the concepts of
different motivators of a multi-generational hierarchy and rank. Millennials grew up with email
workforce reduce generational conflict. Based on access to the President of the United States and
these descriptions and adapting the terminology nonimperious parents. The chain of command is
used by Abram and Luther (2004) as the new to them, and its benefits must be explained.’
conceptual framework for this investigation, the When Millennials are promoted into leadership
primary traits of the Millennial generation that positions, this lack of familiarity, comfort, or
may manifest as elements of Millennial leadership adherence to a structured organisational hierarchy
styles are collaboration, integration, multitasking, may conflict with those who have grown
experimentation, and nomadic behaviors. The accustomed to ‘need to know’ communication
implications of each of these behavioral traits as an and involvement in decision-making.
element of leadership are discussed in more detail
below. Inevitably, leaders hope that the decisions made
are ones that everyone can operate under both
effectively and efficiently, and gaining buy-in
Millennial leadership at every level of the organisational hierarchy is
In order to explore the implications of Millennials one way to ensure this. As someone relatively
in leadership and administrative positions, new to the practice of librarianship and library
this article adopts the following commonly leadership, the author relies on the expertise of
identified behaviours and attitudes as a those who have been working in libraries for years
conceptual framework: collaboration; integration; as either professional librarians or professional
multitasking; experimentation; and nomadic. staff – regardless of position on the organisational
Through this, the second guiding question is chart or status as faculty or staff. It is the author’s
addressed, identifying areas of tension that experience that this approach gives those who
might arise from Millennial leadership and what have never previously had a voice a chance to
the Millennial leader can do to alleviate such influence policy and decisions, to the benefit
tensions. Additionally, the experiences of the of the organization. This has created tension
author a Millennial who became first an interim with those employees of previous generations
Dean of University Libraries at 27 years, followed who may expect a strict adherence to the
by a promotion to full Dean at 29 years are organisational chart for decision-making. In order

60 Volume 60 Number 1 The Australian Library Journal

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

to balance this tension with organisation-spanning The author holds more library-wide meetings
collaboration (and thus buy-in), the author and sends more library-wide emails than his
utilises work groups that span rank and years predecessors. In addition the author maintains
of experience, and may delegate the leadership a library blog restricted to library employees
of the work group to someone who would not on which weekly review posts describe the
normally be given leadership responsibility under previous week’s meetings, decisions, and events.
a strict interpretation of an organisational chart. While there are many positive implications for
This method of developing work place teams keeping library initiatives well-described across
is examined by Karp and Sirias (2001), who the organisation, senior managers (who are
recommended the construction of work teams traditionally members of the Baby Boomer
based on individuals’ contributions, as opposed generation) may feel that this type of information
to an earlier paradigm of putting together a team distribution lessens their authority or the prestige
of individuals that got along well together. This of their positions. This has been alleviated in the
allows for a flattening of the hierarchy within author’s situation, at least in part, by encouraging
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the confines of the work group, yet preserves those in management positions to utilise much
the hierarchy in the general work place and in the same technology or approaches to share
the implementation of the work group’s results. departmental initiatives or success stories across
While such a process will inherently introduce the organisation. It has also been the author’s
greater probabilities of conflict (both cognitive and experience that those employees who are at the
affective), the decisions and results of the work bottom of the organisational chart and who are
group should represent the needs of the entire of the Traditionalist or Baby Boomer generations
organisation and generates an opportunity for the do not believe they ‘need to know’ initiatives or
development of consensus. Such a blend of formal projects outside of their roles’ responsibilities.
and informal organisational hierarchies satisfies
both the requirements of position compensation The behavioral tendency of Millennials towards
and rank, while encouraging creativity and buy-in integration may also display itself by Millennial
from members of the organisation who may not leaders in the realm of performance feedback.
have typically taken part in library policy- and As has been noted in virtually every study into
decision-making. the characteristics of the Millennial generation
(Essinger 2006; Ferri-Reed 2010; Martin 2006),
Directly related to the behavioral tendency Millennials are accustomed to constant feedback,
towards collaboration, Abram and Luther (2004) whether it is through in-person interactions,
identify the trait of integration as another virtually through a gaming culture that provides
notable behavioral element of the Millennial instant feedback on activities, or a testing culture
generation. Millennials expect not only that that does much the same in the way of instant
decision-making be a collaborative endeavor, but analysis. The author tends to give feedback on
that individuals actively seek to be a part of the performance much more often than previous
decision-making process. Myers and Sadaghiani generations of leaders, taking place in many
(2010, 229) described this, saying ‘Millennials are more informal sessions than the traditional
unlikely to accept an organisational policy that yearly performance evaluation meeting. For
information is communicated on a ‘need-to-know those members of the Traditionalist and Baby
basis.’…Millennial workers feel a need to be Boomer generations, this constant feedback
kept in the loop of information.’ This tendency on performance (and in methods other than
toward integration might be demonstrated by a the traditional face-to-face meeting) may seem
Millennial leader who shares information about inappropriate and too casual or informal. Likewise,
organisational operations, upcoming decisions, the Millennial leader that is seeking feedback
and activities with wider distribution than the on their performance on a more regular basis
traditional management team, by following a may be perceived as lacking in self-confidence.
flattened organisational chart rather than relying The author recommends Millennial leaders to
on a downward distribution of information. cultivate an awareness of the feedback desires of

The Australian Library Journal February 2011 61

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

the individuals working in the library organisation

by the literature of change management and
in order to tailor the delivery of feedback more implementation. These are grouped into size of
closely to each individual’s preferences, while the change (transformative, incremental); impetus
cultivating patience for the reception of feedback for change (reactive or anticipatory); and agent
on their performance. of change (internal or external). Desirability
of the change and self-interest versus ‘greater
A Millennial behavior consistently mentioned in good’ outlooks, along with perception of the
studies of the Millennial generation is multitasking inevitability of a change have an impact on the
(Abram and Luther 2004) (Myers and Sadaghiani degree to which individuals will participate in
2010). Millennials tend to undertake more change. Interestingly, Dibella (2007) notes that
activities simultaneously to a greater degree than some changes that may initially be perceived as
previous generations. This may be exhibited by impossible can, over time, undergo an evolution
a Millennial leader who not only multitasks in through improbable and plausible to inevitable.
the current moment, but also may have more By cross-tabulating the appeal and likelihood of
organisation-spanning projects in progress
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a change, Dibella (2007) set forth a proposition

simultaneously than leaders from previous that change that is incremental is more likely to
generations. There is a danger in this possibility be perceived as inevitable, and therefore more
that employees may feel overworked or pulled accepted by a workforce.
in too many directions to adequately do a good
job in completing each project. Additionally, the Any leader who is not afraid to try new things still
author would note the danger for the Millennial has to convince his or her coworkers on a number
leader to underestimate the time and effort of fronts, ranging from fears that new processes
required of the leader to supervise multiple large or cost-saving procedures are a way of eliminating
projects, leading to burnout or attention that is positions to complacency with the way things have
too thinly spread to be effective. A successful always been done. Employees may demonstrate
Millennial leader should maintain observations resentment over the notion that effort may be
of the number of projects underway in order put into an experiment that has no guarantee of
to remain within the capacity of the individuals success. While this is the reality of any situation
completing those projects as well as him or herself. involving change, Millennial leaders may be ideally
positioned to utilise their behavioural tendency to
Abram and Luther (2004) describe another iterative experimentation to bring large changes
behavioral tendency of the Millennial as to fruition incrementally. It has been the author’s
experiential, meaning that members of the experience that awareness and communication can
Millennial generation tend to prefer learning help alleviate the anxiety which some coworkers
through an iterative and interactive experience. might feel over experiential and experimental
This is consistently depicted across the literature changes to library services. This iterative
as either a demonstration or outcome of approach combined with a deliberate effort to
the gaming culture that prevails among the clearly communicate the benefits of change or
Millennials. According to Sweeney (2005, 170), experimentation at the outset, and to be cognisant
‘gaming implies that you can learn by making of the potential points of concern that might
mistakes, and there are no long term penalties develop during the change can help make change
for doing so.’ This tendency towards experiential more successful.
and experimental learning may translate
within the workplace as an effective method One of the behavioral aspects of the Millennial
of introducing change. The field of change generation as described by Abram and Luther
management and organisational development (2004) was the tendency to be nomadic.
is devoted to understanding the mechanisms of Millennials are described as using information
change, particularly with methods for handling resources on the go. A Pew Research Center report
resistance to change. Dibella (2007) provided a gives detailed descriptive statistics for a number
summary of the categories of change as defined of specific mobile information resources such as

62 Volume 60 Number 1 The Australian Library Journal

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

Short Messaging Service (SMS) and mobile web who can, may arise. Added to this is the cost;
browsing adopted by the different generations. those who have access to SMS services with their
Consistently, the Millennial generation outpaces cell phone carrier may not appreciate using it for
both the Baby Boomers and Traditionalists by work. It has also been the author’s experience that
a wide margin, and Generation X by a smaller immediate access to a supervisor does not allow a
margin. For example, 88% of Millennials use ‘cooling down’ period after personnel altercations.
their cell phones for Short Message Service Some employees tend to contact the leader first in
(SMS) texting, compared to 9% of Traditionalists situations of conflict rather than reflecting on the
(Pew Research Center 2010). On the global situation and attempting to handle it themselves.
stage, this trend is noted in numerous studies of The availability of the leader through mobile
mobile adoption (Kalba 2008; Grande and Taylor technologies tends to amplify this tendency.
2010; Castells, Fernandez-Ardevol, Qiu, and Sey
2007). Castells et al (2007) suggested that the A Millennial leader who makes themselves open
development of cell phones with larger keys and to communication through this technology must
make clear efforts to remain open to traditional
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displays have contributed to an increased adoption

by older customers, particularly in Europe. forms of communication. This is especially true for
Specifically in Australia, Grande and Taylor’s (2010) particular types of workplace communications;
10-year survey of nearly 15,000 South Australians while smart phones can allow for off-site
on mobile only or mobile plus landline households decision-making and issue resolution, it does not
showed that many Traditionalist and Baby necessarily give a Millennial leader the opportunity
Boomer households maintain landlines as a voice to investigate all sides of a situation in order to
connection method. Sangjo, Song, Sherah, Heejin, make the best decision. Workplace issues involving
Mackay, and O’Doherty (2008) described the personality conflicts or personnel problems should
characteristics of mobile data service users (such not be resolved through a smart phone, unless
as mobile web browsing), reporting that age is the there is no alternative.
most influential factor in predicting mobile data
Associated with this behavioral tendency
service use. Castells et al (2007) likewise found
labeled nomadic by Abram and Luther (2004)
that texting is solidly an activity undertaken by
is a difficulty for the Millennial leader noted in
younger generations. Many Asian countries report
many descriptions of the Millennial generation:
similar trends. Lu, Yu, and Liu (2009) reported
the work/life balance (Abram and Luther 2004)
that while adoption of cell phones is prevalent
(Martin 2006). For members of both the Millennial
in urban China across generations, the use of
generation and Generation X, who grew up
mobile devices for web services, email, and media
seeing their Baby Boomer parents as workaholics,
messages was dominated by the 30 and under age
maintaining a division between work and life is
bracket (86%).
important. Mobile communications technology
For the Millennial leader, this behavioral tendency can impinge on this desire. A library is typically
may create situations in which decision-making open many hours of the day, and for a leader who
and leadership take place by smartphone with the has encouraged open communication through
Millennial leader accepting questions or comments SMS or other technologies, it may be difficult
and distributing policy decisions from and to to clearly delineate work time from non-work
colleagues and coworkers via SMS. While this time. A possible solution is to outline the types of
may allow the Millennial leader to stay in constant situations that warrant communication after work
contact and to deal with issues as they arise, it hours. Overall, it must be remembered by both
also has implications that are not always positive. the Millennial leader as well as by coworkers that
Being available via SMS is reliant on employees or forms and timeframes of communication are often
coworkers having an SMS plan for their cell phone. lifestyle choices, rather than simply career choices,
In the author’s experience, those individuals who and to respect those choices.
do not possess the means to access SMS may view
that access as evidence of favoritism for those

The Australian Library Journal February 2011 63

 Mind the gap: technology, millennial leadership and the cross-generational workforce

The tendencies of Millennials to display

in this area may include more in-depth analysis
collaborative, integrated, multitasking, of Millennial library leaders, particularly as more
experimentation, and nomadic behaviors were Millennials move into positions of leadership or
adapted from Abram and Luther (2004) as the authority within libraries. It will be interesting
conceptual framework for this study into the to note what other studies take place into the
leadership styles of Millennials and the areas of impact of Millennial leaders on a multigenerational
tension that might arise within a multigenerational workforce.
workforce. Of course these and other descriptions
of Millennials are generalised and may not apply
to any given individual. However, these general
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