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their view of the family and the world. It seems to have sent out a negative message to X’ers about their value and worth.
Many young believe that their economic prospects are gloomy. They believe that they will not do as well financially as their parents or their grandparents. They know that the average income for young people, even with two or three college degrees, has declined significantly over the past generations. Many feel that their chances of finding the job and salary they want are bleak.
Couple with the high divorce rate with the fact that many were latchkey children and you get a generation who may have had more time alone than any in history. They are also the first to spend considerable time in day care. At home, they were weaned on TV, high tech, video games, and computers. They became independent at a young age. Many had to grow up fast, taking on family responsibilities or part-time jobs to help out. All this has helped them become very freedom-minded, individualistic,and self-absorbed.
Many resent the fact that their parents were not home to spend more time with them. An often heard sentiment is that things will be different when they raise their own families. The loyalty and commitment to the workplace that previous generations had is gone. Generation X’ers watched their grandparents slave away only to receive a gold watch and pension upon retirement. Thirty or more years of loyalty sometimes ended with a security guard helping them to clean out their desks and escorting them out the door. Their parents’ dedication to the company has been repaid with downsizing and layoffs.
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Young people feel there is no such thing as job security. They feel they don’t want to wait around and pay their dues when there is no long-term commitment from the top. They can’t believe that their boomer bosses spend 60 or more hours a week at a job that they constantly complain about. They strongly believe there is life after work.
Generation X’ers take longer to make job choices. They look upon a job as temporary instead of as a career, partly because they want to keep their options open. They are always looking to jump ship when they can upgrade their situation. They will often leave a job at the hint of a better position.
This generation seems to do things at a much later age than their parents. They graduate from college later, stay at home longer, and marry much later. Many who leave home come back again, sometimes more than once. This is due in part to the high cost of living and the fact that many have piled up huge studentloan debts. In contrast with the baby boomers, who couldn’t wait to leave home, Generation X’ers save their money so they can live better when they do leave. It may be that some just want to delay the time when they are on their own, because they spent so much time alone as children.
Many of X’ers’ parents were busy in the morning getting ready for work and too tired to have any quality time with their children at night. X’er classrooms were often overcrowded. It was hard for the X’ers to get noticed, so as adults they have a need to be noticed. Often, they seek that attention in the workplace.
Whether from watching TV or from being spoiled by their guilt-ridden, seldom-home
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parents or grandparents, X’ers have come to expect a whole lot for nothing. They have a strong propensity for instant gratification, wanting it all and wanting it fast. Their favorite TV programs are soap operas. They would like their world to be filled with the same good-looking people, dressed in the latest fashions, with lots of money and prestige, and without having to work too hard.
It is not uncommon for X’ers to get out of high school and expect to be paid well despite minimal skills. Many disdain low-wage “McJobs” at fast-food chains. Young college graduates look to start at high paying positions with power and perks. They have little patience for working their way up.
Yet, the X’ers feel that making money is not as important as experiencing life. To be a workaholic is to have no life. Consequently, a paradox exists between how they view life and what they think they need from it. Future Trends
The first boomers are only 10 or 12 years away from retiring – and finally out of the way of the next generation. The X’ers will begin to take over in politics, arts and culture, education, media, and business. This should lead to a time of better problem solving and quicker solutions, as they hate political maneuvering and want to get to solutions in a fast, no-nonsense way.
X’ers don’t like the fact that their parents spent so many hours working. They promise to do better with their children, being more accessible and providing a more stable home life.
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Since many of them will marry later when they are more mature, the divorce rate will finally begin to dip.
When X’ers control the organizations of tomorrow, they will create a shorter workweek, so people will have more time to spend with their families and leisure activities. Productivity won’t suffer, as technology will enable people to be more productive. In addition, the X’ers’ disdain for office politics and desire to solve problems faster will improve productivity. If organizations do not manage their human resources better, X’ers will leave to find or create a more humane workplace.
Many Generation X’ers have a freedom-minded and individualistic nature. They like to be left alone to solve problems. They are a perfect group to become consultants, as already evidenced by so many venturing out on their own.
Organizations will come to rely on the X’ers’ entrepreneurial spirit to foster innovation. They will create systems that will allow “intrapreneurs” to create and run small businesses within a business. The organization’s financial support will allow young people to research and create new products at unparalleled rates. Outside entrepreneurs of this generation will team up with these “intrapreneurs” to create joint ventures.
Generation X’ers have started to use their technology skills to create virtual businesses, and they will be the driving force behind this marketplace in the future. They have been quick to take advantage of the lower overhead and quick start-ups that the Internet provides. Being able to reach millions of people with new ideas and products instantly attracts this
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Generation X has evolved in dramatically different ways than previous generations. What motivated past generations is far different from what motivates this new breed. But the changes will be for the better in many ways. Kids may not be what they used to be, but if we listen, there is a lot we can learn from them. The future will be a better place if we do. Unit 4 Success
A young man of humble origins came to New York from the Midwest to seek his fortune. He dreamed, in the American way, of becoming a millionaire. He tired his luck on Wall Street. He was diligent and shrewd and, when he had to, devious. He put together the National Worldwide Universal deal and he did some things with an electronics acquisition that wouldn’t bear explaining. He succeeded even beyond his dream: he made twelve million dollars.
At first the young man assumed that everything was working out splendidly. “Isn’t is grand?” he said to his wife, once it was apparent that he had made twelve million dollars.
“No, it isn’t,” his wife said. “You’re a nobody.”
“But that’s impossible,” the young man said. “I’m rich person. We live in an era that celebrates rich people. Rich people are shown in the newspapers in the company of movie
研究生英语多维教学教程探索课本教学材料原文及课后题(11课)
