Organizational Lineage: An Old and New Direction for the Study of Generations

Research on generations has become increasingly influential in leadership studies and organizational practice, yet it remains conceptually and methodologically problematic. This chapter critiques the use of generational cohort analysis, arguing that it oversimplifies complex social processes, reinforces stereotypes, and produces unreliable findings. It proposes an alternative framework of organizational lineage, which conceptualizes generations as shared identities within an organization’s evolving history rather than as fixed cohorts. This approach emphasizes generational transitions triggered by organizational or societal events, such as leadership succession, mergers, or technological change. It examines how social norms, values, and assumptions are transmitted, contested, and transformed over time. This chapter closes by highlighting the potential of organizational lineage to contribute more accurate, illustrative, and inclusive findings to the study of generations.