Abstract
Extensive literature suggested that four generations are fully entrenched in the workplace and the community, and recreation and leisure organizations are no exception. Members of each generation possess inherent characteristics and traits that create workplace preferences for communication and use of technology. The study of communication theories provided the theoretical framework for which to study generational communication within leisure organizations. Research suggested that generational differences in communication and technology preferences indeed exist and there will always be differences in interpersonal communication based on these generational preferences. The purpose of this research study was to examine the communication styles and use of technology of each of the four 20th century generations. Open-ended questions were administered to focus groups to gather qualitative data. The study was restricted to one urban recreation department in a mid-sized city in the Western United States. Based on analysis of the data, one theme emerged to capture how study respondents communicate and use technology across generations: people adapt and accommodate in order to successfully communicate with one another. Adaptation refers to the ways in which respondents adjusted what they communicated and how they communicated with colleagues of various rank. Accommodation refers to the ways in which they combined conventional forms of communication, e.g., written memos or telephone calls with newer technologies and their messaging applications, e.g., e-mail and phone texts. This research study revealed that in the agency studied, leisure service employees across the four generations adapted their communication styles to accommodate the technology preferences of their colleagues. In addition, this study confirmed that there is a generational filter through which all communication flows and the results of this research study that may help the leisure practitioner navigate through generational differences and preferences, and can help predict the communication behavior of each staff member regardless of their generation. As workplaces shift and the four generations work together longer, it will be more important than ever before for leisure organization workers to adapt to and accommodate the communication styles and technology preferences of each generation.