Julian Birkinshaw, James Manktelow, Vittorio D’Amato, Elena Tosca, and Francesca Macchi
In recent years, one of the most profound transformations in the workplace has been the increase in age diversity. Demographic trends across a number of African countries have focused increasing organizational attention on issues related to the management of age-diverse work groups. Projections of African workforce further suggest that age diversity will continue to increase well into the 21st century. Age diversity has been viewed as an important skills transmission mechanism within organisations and societies and an ecosystem of institutional memory. Institutional memory has been defined as "the stored knowledge within the organization" (Gibbons, 2007). Institutional memory requires the ongoing transmission of these memories between members of this group. Thus, age diversity could be consequential for important work outcomes. In this regard, agefocused diversity climate (ADC) can provide a more fine-grained construct that can enhance the validity of the measure and quality of prediction. Large organizations have employees from as many as five generations. Indeed, it is no longer unusual for organizational units to be comprised of members from multiple cohort groups, with member age varying by more than 25 years. Factors such as low inflation, low interest rates, and low savings have resulted in longer working lives, with many people working into their 70s and beyond. Millions of people are also living longer than ever – with growing numbers in developed countries expected to reach their 100th birthday (Bell & Narz, 2007; Gordon, 2018; Gratton & Scott, 2017; Wagner, 2007). A small but growing number of researchers have begun to study the mechanisms and contexts in which age diversity may exert their greatest impact on work unit performance. This research has 1 focused primarily on top-level management and research and development teams in the United States (Gebert, 2004; Jackson et al., 2003). While younger managers prefer narrower, more technical approaches, older ones tend to work through others and focus on the big picture. Age diversity, like other forms of diversity, brings significant benefits to the organizations that embrace it. Wegge et al. (2008) reported that age diversity positively correlates with performance only in groups solving complex decision-making tasks. But it also creates challenges. Different generations have their own expectations and demands, and working relationships can become strained. It is not always easy to report to someone who is significantly older or younger than you are. Prejudice and stereotyping can creep in, as well, when the differences aren’t properly managed (Nelson, 2004; Posthuma & Campion, 2009; Kunze, Boehm & Bruch, 2011). Findings from age diversity studies indicate two central themes. First, age diversity among work unit members may exert positive effects (e.g., higher quality decision making) or negative effects (e.g., increased team conflict) on work unit outcomes (Lauring & Semer, 2012). Second, organizational context factors, such as task characteristics and organizational culture, appear to moderate the impact of age diversity on work unit outcomes including performance. According to the resource-based view, the optimal level of age diversity would be a mix of older and younger members from different generations to help the company to achieve better firm performance (Li et al., 2011). The starting point for managing age diversity effectively is to develop a basic understanding of cross-age differences in working and management styles. How do these styles vary with age? Many researchers have addressed aspects of this question (see “Why does age matter?”), but the findings are fragmented and the observed differences are often small (Joshi, Dencker, Franz et al., 2010; Posthuma & Campion, 2009). Books and articles exploring intergenerational differences claim that members of the millennial generation (individuals born between 1981 and 1996) are more socially conscious and less loyal to their employers than are members of Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1980). But there is very little in the academic literature to support this generational view, either theoretically or empirically (Zabel et al., 2017). Another important area of research relating to age diversity is the problem of unemployment. In South Africa, the unemployment challenge is shaped by demography with special circumstances affecting particular groups. In this context of high youth unemployment, prolonged joblessness and idleness affect large numbers of young people, with many seeing limited opportunities for the future. In this regard, an important question awaiting the attention of researchers is: Can age focused diversity studies help address the challenge of youth unemployment in South Africa? Excerpt from: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/older-and-wiser-how-management-style-varieswithage/#ref4 2

Required: As part of an effort to address youth unemployment across South Africa, a team of business researchers is currently investigating the role that age diversity climate (ADC) plays within the dynamics of business organizations. Your task within the team is to investigate the role of age diversity in organizational performance across small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a province of your choice. Please outline how you would go about conducting the proposed study with reference to the following:

1.1 State THREE (3) research objectives and THREE (3) research questions that your study will attempt to answer.

1.2 With regard to your proposed research design: 1.2.1 Briefly discuss the essential ontological and epistemological elements of the research philosophy that would underpin your study.

1.2.2 Briefly explain the research design would you employ for your study and rationalize the choice of this particular design.

1.3 Based on the design you have chosen, discuss the methodology you would follow with regard to: 1.3.1 Sampling Methodology:

(a) Provides any TWO (2) reasons for sampling in your study.

(b) Identify the target population for the study.

(c) Is your sample probability or non-probability?

(d) State your method(s) of sampling, and explain why the method(s) chosen is appropriate for the study.

1.3.2 Method of Data Collection

(a) What data collection instrument(s) and or method(s) would you use to collect your data? Provide a rationale for, and justify the appropriateness of, the proposed data collection method(s). 

(b) What would inform your approach to data collection and the content of your proposed data collection instrument(s)?

(c) How would you ensure that your data collection approach and instrument(s) satisfice the highest quality of your proposed research design?
1.3.3 Method of Data Analysis (a) Briefly discuss all considerations for data analysis; including what the unit of measurement is, and how it will be analyzed.

3 (b) Briefly discuss what method(s) of data analysis would be used in your study (note: you are required to specify and explain, where necessary, the methods of analysis you would employ for each of your research questions in 1.1).

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11 State THREE 3 research objectives and THREE 3 research questions that your study will attempt to answer Research Objective s a To determine the effect of age diversity climate on organizational per... View the full answer