Tammy Erickson is an author and expert on organizations and the changing workforce and, in particular, the generational differences between workers today. She has also done extensive research on how corporations innovate through collaboration
You recently wrote about managing Generation Y. Who are they and what makes this generation different?
My recent book, Plugged In, looks at how people born between about 1985 and 2000, Generation Y, are different from older workers. Because they grew up at a time when events such as terrorism and school violence were very much in the news, they tend to think in terms of how to make the most out of today and make sure that what they are doing is meaningful, interesting and challenging. They are a little less likely to defer gratification than some of the other generations.