presented to: by: date: federal aviation administration intergenerational knowledge transfer a case...

Presented to:

By:

Date:

Federal AviationAdministration

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


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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.


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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 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.


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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 Questions

1. 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 Questions

3. 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 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 and e-mail. Millennials prefer mobile, texting, social

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


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Hypothesis 2

Older air traffic controllers search longer for and share less information than do younger controllers.

Findings The hypothesis was rejected.


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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.


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Hypothesis 4

Older 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 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.


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Hypothesis 6

Older air traffic controllers catalog and store information about tasks more than do younger controllers.


rejected.


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Hypothesis 7

Older traffic controllers disseminate information about tasks less readily than do younger controllers.


rejected.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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.


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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 Information

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

mailto:[email protected]

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



presented to: by: date: federal aviation administration intergenerational knowledge transfer a case...

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