(April 13, 2012)

Graduating senior presents generational research

SHREVEPORT, LA — Senior Caitlin Neese, Psychology major, presented "What's the Matter with Kids These Days? Examining Generational Differences in Workplaces" at the Southwestern Social Science Association conference taking place in San Diego, CA, April 4-7. The paper was a result of a summer research project and a fall independent study with Dr. Kelly Weeks, Associate Professor of Business.

"It was awesome to know that all of our hard work paid off, and that the presentation was a clear reflection of that hard work in concrete form," said Neese. "I have really learned many valuable lessons about professionalism from interviewing important businessmen and women in their offices."

Neese along with the support of Dr. Weeks studied the differences between generations on a variety of issues, from ability to multi-task to views on gender differences at work. They did extensive interviews with five members of each generation alive today (Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millenials). The results were coded and analyzed to identify trends within generations for characterizing themselves and their perceptions of the other generations.

"Dr. Weeks has really been the best supporter throughout our research, and she was a great cheerleader for me," said Neese.

Neese will present her research once again at the 21st annual Centenary Student Research Forum, which is set for April 19-20.

The next step in her research will be to develop an empirical survey to distribute to a wide range of employees to determine statistical evidence for the differences proposed in her findings.

The Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA) is the umbrella organization for seven academic and professional affiliate associations. SSSA seeks to promote, cultivate, and correlate the various areas of the social sciences and their applications through presentations and meetings.