Translating Organisational Realities into the Lecture Theatre: The Power of Junior-Senior Knowledge Sharing

Abstract

The systematic transfer of expertise from senior to junior professionals is a critical challenge for organizations facing demographic shifts and rapid technological change. Organisations rely on universities to foster a mindset in future professionals that empowers them to both absorb and perpetuate this transfer. This paper explores how findings from 36 semi-structured interviews with different organisational perspectives resonated with the students from Bachelor and Master programmes. The research team combines industry knowledge and experience with award winning academic research experience. The difficulty of creating trust between colleagues – especially between older and younger ones – is a topic of growing interest in an aging continent and developed world. Solutions are proposed. Bettina Falckenthal (former CEO and PhD candidate at the University of Aveiro – Doctorate in Business and Innovation (DBI) program) has delivered a series of lectures to youths on senior-to-junior knowledge sharing in organizations. This we have seen has sparked a new thinking process and approach to future work by young scholars. The importance of human capital could not be more important, including and especially in the age of AI. How not to lose out on important knowledge when seniors retire? How to best capitalize on juniors in the enterprise - and to motivate them to succeed quickly and knowledgeably – in collaboration with senior experts, perhaps nearing retirement? These issues have been discussed on a par with the importance of tacit knowledge in organizational settings. How important is trust in this type of collaboration? Serious games, a concept that appeals to generations with a digital upbringing, as well as Senior-Junior tandems (JuSeTs), linked to which we are in the process of generating intellectual property, are central to the debate. A literature review has already been performed, and artificial intelligence (AI) discussed in conjunction with the need to share – does AI promote or inhibit trust and knowledge-sharing community building? The students in attendance have stated how interesting the lectures on the topic have been and wish to learn more. Our in-depth research results are to be shared with them as we see motivation as being highly impactful on the success of both seniors and juniors in the workplace. Should older people be discarded or treasured? Given the growing shortage of human capital, expertise and tacit knowledge in an aging Europe, the topic could not be more crucial to the competitiveness of organizations in an increasingly complex and uncertain world.