Intergenerational relationships in teaching work: a qualitative study with four generations in postgraduate studies in Administration

Abstract

The generational span has expanded over the past century, leading to workforce composition changes across various professional contexts. These environments face now the strategic challenge of fostering intergenerational coexistence. This research aimed to understand perceptions of intergenerational work relationships within the professional careers of faculty members in postgraduate Administration programs, through qualitative interviews with eight researcher-educators from four distinct generations (Baby Boomer, X, Y, and Z), employed in three postgraduate Administration programs. Their career trajectories were contextualized to provide a basis for the analysis of emerging themes. The findings among senior faculty members indicated: (i) perception of coexistence among generations; (ii) perception concerning the new generations; (iii) perception of the challenges faced by generations; and (iv) perception of differing interpretations among generations. Among junior faculty members, the following perceptions were identified: (i) perception of coexistence among generations; (ii) perception concerning the roles of Generations Y and Z; and (iii) perception of generational divergence. It can be concluded that, although generations converge regarding positive intergenerational coexistence, three findings point to an interesting research path: a) the impacts of the decreasing age of doctoral completion on the entry of new professors into postgraduate programs; b) the self-imposed symbolic hierarchy among young professors who have become colleagues of their former professors; c) the mindset mismatch within senior professors regarding self-promotion and the hypervisibility of digital social networks as means of academic recognition.