“…Researchers who use alternative age constructs could contribute a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between age and knowledge transfer, and help to disentangle age effects from effects of related, but distinct, constructs (e.g., experience). In addition, knowledge transfer is influenced by a variety of other predictors, including individual, relational, contextual, and knowledge characteristics (Szulanski, ), which still have to be examined in the context of knowledge transfer among employees from different age groups (Burmeister & Deller, ). Some of these factors might be particularly relevant.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These differential perceptions of the abilities and motivation of older vs. younger workers can also be substantiated by research on mean‐level changes in individual characteristics over the work lifespan, which show increases in job knowledge and generativity motives in older workers (Kanfer & Ackerman, ; Kanfer, Beier, & Ackerman, ). Second, research has identified ability and motivation as the most proximal antecedents of knowledge transfer (Reinholt et al ., ; Siemsen, Roth, & Balasubramanian, ; Wilkesmann et al ., ), which should also be relevant in the context of age‐diverse co‐worker dyads (Burmeister & Deller, ). Thus, we hypothesize: Hypothesis 3 : The negative effect of the age of one's colleague on one's knowledge sharing is partially mediated by one's perception of (a) the ability to receive and (b) the motivation to receive knowledge of one's colleague. Hypothesis 4 : The positive effect of the age of one's colleague on one's knowledge receiving is partially mediated by one's perception of (a) the ability to share and (b) the motivation to share knowledge of one's colleague.…”
Section: Hypotheses Development: Studymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Workforces in industrialized economies are becoming ever more age diverse due to demographic changes (Rudolph & Zacher, ). Age diversity can be useful for organizations when employees of different ages make their diverse and valuable knowledge available to others within the organization (Burmeister & Deller, ). In particular, older and younger employees can benefit from each other's knowledge (i.e., enriched information recorded in an individual's memory; Bender & Fish, ) because they often have distinct and non‐redundant experiences.…”
As a result of demographic changes, workforces are becoming older and more age diverse. While interactions between workers from different age groups can provide opportunities for mutual learning through bidirectional knowledge transfer, research has yet to investigate how age influences knowledge transfer between age‐diverse colleagues. Building on the organizational theory of age effects, we conducted two studies to examine how age influenced the roles assigned to individuals in knowledge transfer processes, that is, whether they were perceived as knowledge senders or knowledge recipients. In Study 1, we used an experimental vignette design with 450 employees to assess how age affected perceived ability and motivation to share and receive knowledge. Further, we tested the extent to which trustworthiness moderated these relationships. In Study 2, we extended these findings using a dyadic research design with data from 53 age‐diverse knowledge transfer dyads. We examined through which mechanisms the age of one's colleague affected one's knowledge transfer behaviour. We found that the age of one's colleague had a positive effect on one's knowledge receiving behaviour and a negative effect on one's knowledge sharing behaviour. Further, perceived ability to receive knowledge and perceived motivation to share knowledge mediated these effects.
“…Researchers who use alternative age constructs could contribute a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between age and knowledge transfer, and help to disentangle age effects from effects of related, but distinct, constructs (e.g., experience). In addition, knowledge transfer is influenced by a variety of other predictors, including individual, relational, contextual, and knowledge characteristics (Szulanski, ), which still have to be examined in the context of knowledge transfer among employees from different age groups (Burmeister & Deller, ). Some of these factors might be particularly relevant.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…These differential perceptions of the abilities and motivation of older vs. younger workers can also be substantiated by research on mean‐level changes in individual characteristics over the work lifespan, which show increases in job knowledge and generativity motives in older workers (Kanfer & Ackerman, ; Kanfer, Beier, & Ackerman, ). Second, research has identified ability and motivation as the most proximal antecedents of knowledge transfer (Reinholt et al ., ; Siemsen, Roth, & Balasubramanian, ; Wilkesmann et al ., ), which should also be relevant in the context of age‐diverse co‐worker dyads (Burmeister & Deller, ). Thus, we hypothesize: Hypothesis 3 : The negative effect of the age of one's colleague on one's knowledge sharing is partially mediated by one's perception of (a) the ability to receive and (b) the motivation to receive knowledge of one's colleague. Hypothesis 4 : The positive effect of the age of one's colleague on one's knowledge receiving is partially mediated by one's perception of (a) the ability to share and (b) the motivation to share knowledge of one's colleague.…”
Section: Hypotheses Development: Studymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Workforces in industrialized economies are becoming ever more age diverse due to demographic changes (Rudolph & Zacher, ). Age diversity can be useful for organizations when employees of different ages make their diverse and valuable knowledge available to others within the organization (Burmeister & Deller, ). In particular, older and younger employees can benefit from each other's knowledge (i.e., enriched information recorded in an individual's memory; Bender & Fish, ) because they often have distinct and non‐redundant experiences.…”
As a result of demographic changes, workforces are becoming older and more age diverse. While interactions between workers from different age groups can provide opportunities for mutual learning through bidirectional knowledge transfer, research has yet to investigate how age influences knowledge transfer between age‐diverse colleagues. Building on the organizational theory of age effects, we conducted two studies to examine how age influenced the roles assigned to individuals in knowledge transfer processes, that is, whether they were perceived as knowledge senders or knowledge recipients. In Study 1, we used an experimental vignette design with 450 employees to assess how age affected perceived ability and motivation to share and receive knowledge. Further, we tested the extent to which trustworthiness moderated these relationships. In Study 2, we extended these findings using a dyadic research design with data from 53 age‐diverse knowledge transfer dyads. We examined through which mechanisms the age of one's colleague affected one's knowledge transfer behaviour. We found that the age of one's colleague had a positive effect on one's knowledge receiving behaviour and a negative effect on one's knowledge sharing behaviour. Further, perceived ability to receive knowledge and perceived motivation to share knowledge mediated these effects.
“…The topic has recently gained importance because demographic changes have altered the age composition of workforces (Shultz & Adams, 2007): First, age diversity is increasing, which means that, in some companies, members of up to four different generations are working side-by-side, thus providing numerous opportunities for interactions between age-diverse coworkers (King & Bryant, 2017;De Meulenaere, Boone, & Buyl, 2016). Second, the number of older workers is increasing, requiring organisations to find ways to retain the valuable knowledge of older workers before they enter retirement (Burmeister & Deller, 2016).…”
Knowledge transfer between age‐diverse employees is gaining importance because of demographic change. We took a relational perspective to examine the indirect effect of human resource practices on knowledge transfer through age‐diversity climate in age‐diverse coworker dyads and contextualised our model by testing country difference and dyadic age difference as moderators. We used data from 159 age‐diverse coworker dyads from China and Germany to test our hypotheses. We found that perceived age‐inclusive human resource practices were positively associated with knowledge sharing and receiving through age‐diversity climate. However, we did not find support for our hypothesis that these indirect effects differed when comparing China and Germany as examples of collectivist and individualist countries. Furthermore, we did not identify the proposed moderating effects of dyadic age difference as the indirect effects of age‐inclusive human resource practices were not significantly different for age‐diverse coworker dyads in which dyadic age difference was high (vs. low).
“…Það er því brýn þörf á að flytja þekkingu milli kynslóða í orkugeiranum. Nokkrar erlendar rannsóknir fundust á þessu sviði en flest bendir til að fleiri slíkar rannsóknir skorti (Burmeister, 2016;Harvey, 2012;Hu, 2009;Levy, 2011;McNichols, 2010;Pollack, 2012;Weiss, 2016).…”
ÁgripMarkmið greinarinnar er að kynna rannsókn á því hvernig íslensk orkufyrirtaeki standa að yfirfaerslu þekkingar eldri starfsmanna til þeirra yngri áður en þeir fyrrnefndu haetta störfum. Efnið hefur lítið verið rannsakað hér á landi og er rannsókninni aetlað að baeta við fraeðilega umfjöllun á sviðinu, auka vitund fyrirtaekja um mikilvaegi yfirfaerslu þekkingar og til að stjórnendur geti nýtt niðurstöðurnar í starfi sínu. Rannsóknin byggðist á hálfstöðluðum viðtölum við 18 verk-og taeknifraeðinga og stjórnendur. Helstu niðurstöður eru að íslensk orkufyrirtaeki hafa ekki mótað markvissa stefnu um yfirfaerslu og varðveislu þekkingar, þó svo að sum þeirra hafi hafið undirbúning hennar. Viðmaelendur voru sammála um að besta aðferðin við yfirfaerslu þekkingar vaeri að eldri og yngri starfsemenn ynnu saman að verkefnum. Forsenda þess að þar takist vel til er vilji einstaklinga til að miðla, traust og gott samband á milli eldri og yngri starfsmanns og nálaegð hvors við annan. Einnig þurfa stjórnendur að hvetja til miðlunar þekkingar. Helstu hindranirnar við miðlun þekkingar voru tímaskortur, verkefnaálag og skortur á markvissu verklagi. Ekki var mikill munur á viðhorfi eldra og yngra starfsfólks til þeirra þátta sem snúa að yfirfaerslu þekkingar.
AbstractThe aim of the article is to present an investigation into how Icelandic energy companies bring about the transfer of knowledge from older employees to young recruits before the former retire from work. The subject has not been studied in Iceland so the aim of this research is to improve the academic discussion on the matter, increase the companies' awareness of the importance of knowledge transfer and for managers to be able to use the findings to work more effective on the issue. The research is based on semi-structured interviews with 18 engineers, technical specialists and members of managerial staff. The main conclusions are that Icelandic energy companies have not formulated a targeted strategy on the transfer and preservation of knowledge, although some of them have launched preparations in this regard. The respondents agreed that the best method of knowledge transfer comprises cooperative projects involving both younger and older workers. A prerequisite for success here is the willingness of individuals to mediate knowledge, trust between participants and a positive contact and connection between older and younger workers involved in close cooperation. Managers must also actively encourage the mediation of knowledge. The main barriers to the mediation of knowledge were lack of time, workload and inadequate work planning. There
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