Workplace Communication and Conflict: Digital Communication and Generation Z in the Workplace
Abstract
Digital communication has seen an astounding rise in recent years, finding its way into every part of life and seeing more integration every day, especially for younger generations who have been and are growing up with digital communication at their fingertips. The easy access and amount of digital communication present has lessened face-to-face communication among Generation Z, and this has altered the way that interpersonal conflicts can be handled involving Generation Z employees as they join the workforce. Generation Z’s proclivity for digital communication, as well as their unwillingness to conform to expectations in many ways, has resulted in a lack of understanding of verbal and non-verbal cues, less patience, less willingness to listen to others, less willingness to relate to others, heightened sensitivity, and more anxiety towards face-to-face situations, all of which are problems when it comes to interpersonal communication and conflict resolution in the workplace. Managers and Human Resources professionals find themselves with a responsibility to facilitate conflict resolution and avoid conflict as much as possible, now from the perspective of a digital communication workplace with Generation Z’s digital communication developments in mind.
Year Manuscript Completed
Spring 2025
Senior Project Advisor
Dr. Scott Douglas
Degree Awarded
Bachelor of Integrated Studies Degree
Field of Study
Communications
Document Type
Thesis
Recommended Citation
Baker, Anna K., "Workplace Communication and Conflict: Digital Communication and Generation Z in the Workplace" (2025). Integrated Studies. 635.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/bis437/635