Linking adult learning to knowledge management in a multigenerational workforce

Abstract

The last years have born witness to immense shifts in the workplace environment; the way people work, their work expectations and work engagement have been modified by both internal and external factors. Distant or hybrid work is no longer a novelty. With increasing remote work becoming a norm, the need for knowledge management (KM) is more evident than ever before. In an era of digitalisation, information technology, social networking and artificial intelligence (AI) software, where the active workforce and knowledge capital of an organization is comprised by four different generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z) the organizational memory and intellectual capacity have to be readdressed. Sustaining a long-term, competitive advantage entails, after all, knowledge management efficacy. How KM processes (knowledge creation, sharing/transfer, acquisition, storage/retrieval and application) are administered and organised is important. For the above reasons, the aim of this paper is to rejuvenate the concept of KM by integrating adult learning theories in the organizational learning culture, and addressing the four different age cohorts of employees.  Collection of information and assessment of strategies, tactics and practices is conducted via a systematic review of the literature. The main contribution of this paper involves the way in which adult learning principles can smooth transitions, enrich skills and capabilities, and encourage the development of a collaborative multigenerational knowledge pool that can facilitate overall management. Furthermore, practical and theoretical implications are discussed, limitations are communicated, and opportunities are located that can further enhance knowledge management in the future.