Since for many companies, seniority is less important for leadership today, and talent development starts early, younger line managers bring a new challenge. A recent study (Kunze & Menges, 2016) published by the Journal of Organizational Psychology indicates that having a younger boss can negatively influence performance.
The study surveyed about 8,000 employees at 61 different companies. The results show that workers at companies with more younger managers of older employees reported 12% more negative emotions on the job. In these companies, organizational performance was also lower.
The study suggests that the negative impacts are avoided most successful when the young line manager creates a professional distance with older employees, set clear goals and allows autonomy. A reminder on how important leadership training is.
