Knowledge sharing between different generations of employees: an example from Slovenia

Knowledge is increasingly being recognised as a valuable asset within organisations since it is an important building block of their competitive advantage. However, unless knowledge is shared among employees, organisations may fail to make the most of their intellectual capital. Of particular interest is the sharing of knowledge between employees belonging to different generational cohorts, since each of them possesses unique competencies. The study investigates how selected individual factors (i.e. willingness, motivation, communication, collaboration) impact upon the sharing of own knowledge with co-workers. In addition, it analyses the perceptions of the amount of knowledge shared through cross-generational mentoring relationships. A web-based survey was used to obtain the data from 268 employees. Findings indicate that while motivation and willingness significantly influence knowledge sharing, communication and collaboration exhibit insignificant relationships. Furthermore, respondents, both younger and older, report that the amount of knowledge received in mentoring processes is less than what is desired.