Internal and External Communication between Employees of Different Generations: Emerging Problems in Lithuanian, Latvian, and Swedish Tourism Organizations

Gita Šakytė-Statnickė; Laurencija Budrytė-Ausiejienė; Ineta Luka; Valerija Drozdova

doi:10.29036/jots.v14i26.427

Authors

Gita Šakytė-Statnickė Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences, Klaipeda, Lithuania https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5320-810X
Laurencija Budrytė-Ausiejienė Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences, Klaipeda, Lithuania https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5378-3019
Ineta Luka Turiba University, Riga, Latvia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4706-1663
Valerija Drozdova Turiba University, Riga, Latvia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1434-4141

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29036/jots.v14i26.427

Keywords:

Employees of Different Generations, Internal Communication, External Communication, Communication Problems

Abstract

The paper aims to analyze internal and external communication between employees of different generations and emerging problems in Lithuanian, Latvian, and Swedish tourism organizations. The secondary data has been obtained from scientific literature and the primary data from 12 semi-structured interviews conducted in tourism enterprises of the three countries. The survey sampling method used – criterion sampling. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, applying a conventional approach to content analysis using an inductive coding process. The results show both internal and external communication problems of different generations of employees in tourism organizations in Lithuania, Latvia, and Sweden. The qualitative research confirms the cognition in the scientific literature that communication problems are particularly evident between the younger (Generation Z and Generation Y) and older generations (Baby Boomer Generation and Generation X). Based on the study's results, employees of different generations can communicate more effectively in tourism organizations and other organizations with intergenerational employee diversity. The research's added value comprises the matrix of the most effectively applied communication channels and tools recommended for intergenerational employees in a tourism organization, which may be used to improve intergenerational communication.

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Author Biographies

Gita Šakytė-Statnickė, Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences, Klaipeda, Lithuania

Email: g.statnicke@kvk.lt

PhD in Management, Social Sciences, an Associate Professor, a member of EERA, RENNET, LiMA. Her research interests include human resource management issues, employees of different generations; work engagement; communication; marketing, and artificial intelligence. She has authored and co-authored over 20 scientific publications in national and international journals.
Laurencija Budrytė-Ausiejienė, Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences, Klaipeda, Lithuania

Email: l.ausiejiene@kvk.lt

Lecturer at Klaipėda State University of Applied Sciences, Head of the Tourism Business study programme. She lectures on Lithuanian tourism resources, heritage interpretation, tour operation and guiding. In addition, she is a professional tour guide, implements and manages various tourism-related projects, and is co-author of the Study guide on the Baltic–Nordic common identities and their cultural footprints.
Ineta Luka, Turiba University, Riga, Latvia

Email: ineta.luka@turiba.lv

Professor, Dr.paed., the head of the Language Department, the expert in social sciences of the Latvian Council of Science, the Link convenor of the European Education Research Association (EERA) Network 11 Educational Improvement and Quality Assurance, a member of ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning Research. Her research interests are developing language competence, employability skills, higher education quality, etc.
Valerija Drozdova, Turiba University, Riga, Latvia

Email: Valerija.Malavska@turiba.lv

PhD in Linguistics and Literature, an Assistant Professor. She teaches English for Special Purposes (ESP) and Intercultural Communication, and her research interests are in ESP, applied linguistics, discourse studies, genre studies, and intercultural communication studies.