intergenerational knowledge transfer

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Date:

Federal AviationAdministrationIntergenerational

Knowledge Transfer

A case study about the three age groups of air traffic controllers in the FAA

KM@KSUGiora Hadar

May 9, 2013

Federal AviationAdministration

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DisclaimerThe views expressed are my own and not

those of the U.S. federal government.Links or discussions of specific products do

not constitute endorsement.


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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.


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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.


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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 Luchien Karsten


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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.


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What Is Knowledge Sharing? Provide mission-critical knowledge to the

right people at the right time. Collaborate and communicate through

social media.


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Breaking Barriers


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Tap Into Agency People


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Why Is Sharing Knowledge Important? Capture, codify, and transfer mission-

critical knowledge to new hires. Preserve institutional knowledge. Accelerate onboarding of new hires.


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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?


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The SurveyThe 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.


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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


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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.


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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.


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Survey Goals 250 participants from the academic

environment. 300 controllers from the operational

environment. Participants from each of the three age

groups.


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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.


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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?


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Research Questions1. In general, what are the differences in the

way the three age groups communicate in the workplace?

2. What is being transferred from senior, certified controllers to new, younger controllers?

3. 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?


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Research Questions3. What are the implications for the FAA in

introducing mobile smart devices as part of ATC training?

4. 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?


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Actual Participants 246 students, university faculty, and

Academy instructors. 208 controllers from the operational

environment and FAA headquarters.


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Independent Age groups Communications

behavior within groups Learning style

Dependent Gaining knowledge

Variables


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Methodology Seven hypotheses were developed.

Four relevant to this research and the FAA. Three of interest to the FAA but tangential to

this research.


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Hypothesis 1Older 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 and e-mail. Millennials prefer mobile, texting, social

network, and (surprise finding) face-to-face.


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Hypothesis 2Older air traffic controllers search longer

for and share less information than do younger controllers.

Findings The hypothesis was rejected.


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Hypothesis 3Older air traffic controllers find classroom

instruction, instruction materials, and computer simulation less effective than do younger controllers.

Findings This hypothesis was confirmed.


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Hypothesis 4Older air traffic controllers find laboratory

simulation and online databases less effective than do younger controllers.

Findings This hypothesis was confirmed.


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Hypothesis 5To 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.


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Hypothesis 6Older air traffic controllers catalog and

store information about tasks more than do younger controllers.


rejected.


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Hypothesis 7Older traffic controllers disseminate

information about tasks less readily than do younger controllers.


rejected.


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ConclusionsMillennials 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.


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ConclusionsBoomers 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.


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RecommendationsCreate 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.


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RecommendationsEmbrace 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.


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RecommendationsEmbrace 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.


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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 (as compare to the general population).


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Questions


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Contact InformationGiora HadarKnowledge [email protected]://www.linkedin.com/in/giorahadar(202) 385-7609

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/giorahadar



intergenerational knowledge transfer

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