Abstract

The focus of this paper is to report on a study exploring the generational perspectives of working for a female boss. The likelihood of working for a female boss today is much greater because of woman’s increased labour force participation. Females enter and stay in the workplace for longer periods and there is now a significantly larger female middle management cohort. This paper is distinctive as it concentrates on the attitudes, experiences, and perspectives of Generation Y, Generation X, and Baby Boomers. The authors conducted twenty-one semi-structured interviews with men and women from the three generations. The results identified differences between the generations on a number of factors, particularly on how they describe their boss, their perceptions of working for a female, and on the best age to be a boss in their industry. The findings provided insight into the workplace through the generational lens and this report holds the potential for assisting employees and employers to better understand generational and gender issues in the workplace.