Knowledge Management and Collaboration: Generation X vs. Generation Y

Most managers seem to believe that younger generations will be more responsive to new technologies, yet evidence to support this view is mainly anecdotal. This paper uses survey data to examine attitudes about knowledge management (KM) and collaboration. While generational cohorts do account for some differences, this study finds that well-documented inhibitors, such as lack of management support, play a more significant role in the firm’s success to date in implementing KM. Relying on the intrinsic affinity for technology of GenX and GenY may prove to be a short-sighted strategy, especially in the face of impending retirements. One of the routinely made assumptions about adoption of social networking and knowledge management technologies is that the younger generations have some kind of inherent affinity for them. Generation X members “grew up with rapidly changing technology.Most are skilled at understanding and using technologies, adapt quickly to new platforms, and are practiced at learning through technological media” [16, p. 21].Generation Y members “grew up on the Internet and instant messaging”; 75% multitask while watching TV[11].With such an affinity, we might expect that the implementation of knowledge management in our corporations should be easier and more natural as the older generations retire. IT executives wonder how they can provide the necessary 21 century infrastructures for these so-called “digital natives.” But once they take jobs in firms, are they really that different? Some studies have challenged assumptions about these generational differences. One survey found greater company loyalty and less propensity to “jump ship” among Generation X members than expected [14]. Another (using only IT professionals) found that “generational differences in work values may be more of a myth than a‘generation divide’” [9, p. 43].Wide-ranging research spanning basic psychological traits, work attitudes and values, understanding of career success, and issues of retention found fewer differences than might be expected [17]. However, Busch, Venkitachalam, and Richards noted that “it has been argued by many KM practitioners and academics that organizations operate at their peril if they do not recognize generational preferences in the workplace” [6, p. 47].Demographics has proven to be a strong predictor of behavior [12]. And there is no lack of popular press reports that highlight differences in the generations (e.g. [2, 11]), even noting, for example, that they sit differently [4]. Despite the urgency of understanding these differences, few studies have been done that have examined how generational differences may influence knowledge management outcomes [6].We face huge demographic shifts with the impending retirement of the Baby Boomers. This makes it imperative to understand how assumptions about the readiness and willingness of Generation X and Generation Y associates to participate in KM initiatives may influence our ability to mitigate the effects of these retirements. What role do quality of life concerns, diminished loyalty, and transitory career paths play? One specific organization, which we will call Manucoin this paper, was concerned about many of the same issues that keeps other senior leadership awake at night. Specifically, how it would cope with the changing demographics of its workforce. As much as 35% of Manuco’sNorth American workforce and 25% of its European workforce wasto become eligible for retirement within the next five years. Associates with 30, 35, and even 40 years of service were not uncommon, and a significant portion of the corporate memory was thought to reside with them. At the same time the organization had to assimilate several acquisitions, and had expanded significantly in China and other foreign locations. A relatively large portion of the younger workforce was located abroad and did not speak English well; fifty percent of the Asian workforce had been with the company for less than five years. The reported propensity of younger generation members to change jobs frequently [5], raised questions within the management ranks of how to capture their knowledge if they were to leave the firm. 1 A previous version of this paper was presented at 43rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. The Special Issue on Social Science Research www.ijbssnet.com © Center for Promoting Ideas, USA