Researchers and experts often examine different generations in the workplace, looking for clues to improve management effectiveness. Recent studies suggest that employers should think twice before making stereotypical assumptions about individual employees based on age.

SHRM researchers measured the gap between the importance of each aspect of job satisfaction and respondents’ satisfaction levels with them. 

The gap was largest for compensation/pay, at 38 percentage points, followed by communication between employees and senior management, at 35 percentage points. The importance/satisfaction gap for job security was 31 percentage points.

U.S. employers often treat “the holiday season” as the period from November to January each year, says Mark Fowler of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding, and design policies to fit U.S. norms. But these practices can exclude those with other religious beliefs.

When asked to rate their manager on a list of specific behaviors, most employees agreed their boss is open to suggestions, acts in an ethical manner and listens to employees’ concerns. However, 41% disagreed when asked if their boss handles workplace conflict effectively.

In June 2012, Healthy Companies International, a management consulting firm, surveyed 2,700 employees from its in-house database of senior managers, HR executives and C-suite leaders to examine employee perceptions of 20 specific manager behaviors.