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Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer

Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer. A case study about the three age groups of air traffic controllers in the FAA. KM@KSU. Giora Hadar. May 9, 2013. Disclaimer. The views expressed are my own and not those of the U.S. federal government.

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Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer

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  1. Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer A case study about the three age groups of air traffic controllers in the FAA KM@KSU Giora Hadar May 9, 2013

  2. Disclaimer • The views expressed are my own and not those of the U.S. federal government. • Links or discussions of specific products do not constitute endorsement.

  3. Problem Statement • Most controllers have to retire by age 56. • Post Strike controllers ― those hired in the aftermath of the 1981 strike ― will leave the agency by 2014. • The agency is expected to hire 11,500 by 2020 to replace retiring controllers.

  4. Problem Statement • The retirement of the senior controllers may create a knowledge gap. • There may not be enough certified controllers to train the entry-level controllers through the use of OJT. • The new controllers will be the Millennials, who are heavy users of social media.

  5. Starting Point • FAA management asked me to conduct a research study on the three generations of controllers in the agency • Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). • Gen Xers (born between 1965 and 1980). • Millennials (born between 1981 and 1999). • The study was limited to controllers in Terminal Services. • It is co-sponsored by the University of Groningen, the Netherlands • Professor René Jorna • Professor LuchienKarsten

  6. The Research Study • Examine how entry-level controllers and senior, more experienced controllers differ in their approach to: • Work • Life • Training • Identify methods to accelerate learning of new hires ― possibly through the use of mobile smart devices.

  7. What Is Knowledge Sharing? • Provide mission-critical knowledge to the right people at the right time. • Collaborate and communicate through social media.

  8. Breaking Barriers Source:

  9. Tap Into Agency People Source:

  10. Why Is Sharing Knowledge Important? • Capture, codify, and transfer mission-critical knowledge to new hires. • Preserve institutional knowledge. • Accelerate onboarding of new hires.

  11. Knowledge Questions • Whose knowledge do you use in your work? • Who uses your knowledge in their work? • What type of knowledge do you use in your work?

  12. The Survey • The survey was approved by agency management and the two relevant unions. • Paper exercise at the FAA Academy and three aeronautical schools. • Online application in terminal facilities. • Participation was strictly voluntary.

  13. Survey Participants • Three aeronautical colleges or universities • Students • Faculty • FAA Academy • Students • Instructors • Controllers at FAA headquarters and 192 terminal facilities around the U.S. • Controllers • Frontline supervisors • Staff specialists • Managers

  14. Survey Sections • Communications section • Identifies similarities and differences among age groups in how they communicate with each other and use social media tools. • Task section • Determines how different age groups approach a planning assignment.

  15. Survey Sections • Training section • Shows what controllers think about their classroom and facility-based training. • Demographics section • Collects anonymous, personal information about respondents regarding their age, gender, length of service, and level of education.

  16. Survey Goals • 250 participants from the academic environment. • 300 controllers from the operational environment. • Participants from each of the three age groups.

  17. Survey Limitations • Survey was developed for this research study and validated internally by subject matter experts. • Retirement deadline is unique to the FAA and not applicable elsewhere. • Survey results may not be applicable to other populations.

  18. Challenges • Gen Xers ― and even more so the Millennials ― grew up using mobile smart devices and expect them in the workplace. • How can the agency respond to the different needs and expectations of the new hires?

  19. Research Questions In general, what are the differences in the way the three age groups communicate in the workplace? What is being transferred from senior, certified controllers to new, younger controllers? What are the differences between the current cadre of controllers (Gen Xers) and the new hires (Millennials) in their use of mobile smart devices for work and in their private lives?

  20. Research Questions What are the implications for the FAA in introducing mobile smart devices as part of ATC training? What are the advantages and disadvantages for the FAA to use KM to transfer mission-critical knowledge from the retiring senior controllers to the new hires?

  21. Actual Participants • 246 students, university faculty, and Academy instructors. • 208 controllers from operational facilities and FAA headquarters.

  22. Variables Independent Dependent Gaining knowledge • Age groups • Communications behavior within groups • Learning style

  23. Methodology • Seven hypotheses were developed. • Four relevant to this research and the FAA. • Three of interest to the FAA but tangential to this research.

  24. Hypothesis 1 • Older air traffic controllers prefer fewer modes of communications and use them less frequently than do younger controllers. • Findings • The hypothesis was confirmed. • Boomers prefer landline phones and e-mail. • Millennials prefer mobile, texting, social networks, and (surprise finding) face-to-face communications.

  25. Hypothesis 2 • Older air traffic controllers search longer for and share less information than do younger controllers. • Findings • The hypothesis was rejected.

  26. Hypothesis 3 • Older air traffic controllers find classroom instruction, instruction materials, and computer simulation less effective than do younger controllers. • Findings • This hypothesis was confirmed. • Millennials prefer (surprise finding) classroom lectures.

  27. Hypothesis 4 • Older air traffic controllers find laboratory simulation and online databases less effective than do younger controllers. • Findings • This hypothesis was confirmed.

  28. Hypothesis 5 • To transfer mission-critical knowledge in the FAA, older air traffic controllers use KM principles less than do younger controllers. • Findings • This hypothesis was neither confirmed nor rejected. • The data analysis shows no impact by the different age groups on this hypothesis.

  29. Hypothesis 6 • Older air traffic controllers catalog and store information about tasks more than do younger controllers. • Findings • This hypothesis was neither confirmed nor rejected.

  30. Hypothesis 7 • Older traffic controllers disseminate information about tasks less readily than do younger controllers. • Findings • This hypothesis was neither confirmed nor rejected.

  31. Conclusions • Millennials are more open to new technologies and embrace mobile smart devices as part of both life and work. • They also desire to work in teams and share their knowledge. • Gen Xers show some traits of both Boomers and Millennials.

  32. Conclusions • Boomers are the slowest to embrace technological changes. • Caveat: some individuals in each group do not fit this description. • Creating comprehensive knowledge bases will enable younger controllers to access mission-critical knowledge through the use of best practices and lessons learned. • There is a critical link between ATC training and KM.

  33. Recommendations • Create a COP for helping new hires adapt and learn quickly the needs of the workplace. • Capitalize on the lessons Millennials learned from playing video games. Exploit the unique aspects of serious games that enhance learning to enhance the training of new hires.

  34. Recommendations • Embrace social media in the workplace. • Implement Twitter-like environment to allow employees to follow each other to enable proliferation of knowledge sharing. • Establish formal mentoring to enhance leadership skills and give new hires face time with leaders.

  35. Recommendations • Embrace soft-skill mentoring to teach Millennials about the organizational culture. • Introduce cross-generational mentoring to expose the strengths of each generation. • Encourage reverse mentoring to allow Millennials to teach Boomers about their technological savvy.

  36. Proposed Follow-on Research • Investigate augmenting ATC training by delivering content through the use of serious games on mobile smart devices. • Identify the implications for future ATC training of the preference by Millennials who participated in this study for face-to-face communications and classroom lectures (as compare to the general population).

  37. Questions

  38. Contact Information Giora Hadar Knowledge Manager giora.hadar@faa.gov http://www.linkedin.com/in/giorahadar (202) 385-7609

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