Author(s): Samson Nambei Asoba, Nteboheng Patricia Mefi
Millenials are slowly getting managerial roles in contemporary organizations resulting in a complex organizational management matrix that is diverse in terms of generations. In particular, generation X managers are increasing finding themselves having to team up with millenials in performing managerial functions. Consequently, it has become necessary for human resource professionals, stakeholders and owners of organizations to understand the managerial behaviours of generation X and millennial managers in an effort of having the unique management talent that is capable of improving organization performance and competitiveness. This study used naturalistic observations to analyze the managerial behaviours of generation X and millennial managers. The study found that generation X managers tend to be technically oriented and have strong adherence to strict performance standards while the millenials are relationship oriented in their task performance. The millennial manager in this study was found to be exhibit significant confident bahaviours, engage in notable team tasks and to be highly linked in social networks and engage in significant socially oriented behaviours as facilitated by social media technologies as well as other recent technological developments. This study recommends that organizations should develop a hybrid management matrix that is based on the effective exploitation of both generation X management behaviours and millennial managerial behaviours.