IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/conmgt/v31y2013i9p991-1004.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The influence of generation on knowledge sharing connections and methods in construction and engineering organizations headquartered in the US

Author

Listed:
  • Maryam Sanaei
  • Amy Nicole Javernick-Will
  • Paul Chinowsky

Abstract

Four generations of employees: Traditionalists, Baby boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, are now working together in organizations. This demographic diversity can provide benefits for construction and engineering organizations, but it can also hinder knowledge sharing across organizations. Because well-distributed knowledge sharing connections (KSCs) increase knowledge sharing across the entire organization, thereby enhancing performance, managers are focusing on how to facilitate these connections. With four generations working together within organizations, managers need to ascertain how to span generational boundaries to increase organizational knowledge sharing and to (1) determine whether generational attributes of employees impact on knowledge sharing patterns; and (2) identify the most frequent knowledge sharing (KS) methods that each generation uses to share knowledge within communities of practice (CoPs) in construction and engineering companies. To address this, data were obtained from 734 employees within three CoPs in two construction and engineering organizations headquartered in the United States. Using a unit of analysis of KSCs, the generational attributes of CoP members were mapped to their existing KSCs, along with their preferences for methods to share knowledge, to analyse the influence of generation on these connections. Findings show that even though survey respondents rated generational attributes as not important for maintaining KSCs, the generational attributes of employees influenced the existence of KSCs. Moreover, results indicate that there was no difference between generations in using the most popular KS methods of personal discussion and e-mail, while significant differences were observed in the use of instant messaging and meetings for different generations.

Suggested Citation

  • Maryam Sanaei & Amy Nicole Javernick-Will & Paul Chinowsky, 2013. "The influence of generation on knowledge sharing connections and methods in construction and engineering organizations headquartered in the US," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(9), pages 991-1004, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:conmgt:v:31:y:2013:i:9:p:991-1004
    DOI: 10.1080/01446193.2013.835490
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/01446193.2013.835490
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/01446193.2013.835490?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Anil K. Gupta & Vijay Govindarajan, 2000. "Knowledge flows within multinational corporations," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 473-496, April.
    2. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rita Yi Man Li & Beiqi Tang & Kwong Wing Chau, 2019. "Sustainable Construction Safety Knowledge Sharing: A Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modeling and A Feedforward Neural Network Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-18, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chien-Hsing Wu & Shu-Chen Kao, 2016. "Appraisal of Knowledge Object Use via a Three-Phase Flow Profile," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(02), pages 1-22, June.
    2. Klaus E. Meyer & Chengguang Li & Andreas P. J. Schotter, 0. "Managing the MNE subsidiary: Advancing a multi-level and dynamic research agenda," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 0, pages 1-39.
    3. Fortwengel, Johann & Gutierrez Huerter O, Gabriela & Kostova, Tatiana, 2023. "Three decades of research on practice transfer in multinational firms: Past contributions and future opportunities," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(3).
    4. Burmeister, Anne & Lazarova, Mila B. & Deller, Jürgen, 2018. "Repatriate knowledge transfer: Antecedents and boundary conditions of a dyadic process," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(6), pages 806-816.
    5. Tippmann, Esther & Sharkey Scott, Pamela & Mangematin, Vincent, 2014. "Subsidiary managers’ knowledge mobilizations: Unpacking emergent knowledge flows," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 431-443.
    6. Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, Pia & Nätti, Satu, 2012. "Network orchestration for knowledge mobility: The case of an international innovation community," jbm - Journal of Business Market Management, Free University Berlin, Marketing Department, vol. 5(4), pages 244-264.
    7. Casillas, José C. & Moreno, Ana M. & Acedo, Francisco J. & Gallego, María A. & Ramos, Encarnación, 2009. "An integrative model of the role of knowledge in the internationalization process," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 311-322, July.
    8. Maria Adenfelt & Katarina Lagerström, 2008. "The development and sharing of knowledge by Centres of Excellence and transnational teams: A conceptual framework," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 319-338, May.
    9. Adenfelt, Maria & Lagerström, Katarina, 2006. "Knowledge development and sharing in multinational corporations: The case of a centre of excellence and a transnational team," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(4), pages 381-400, August.
    10. W. Sofka, 2008. "Globalizing Domestic Absorptive Capacities," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(6), pages 769-792, December.
    11. Qi Ai & Hui Tan, 2018. "The intra-firm knowledge transfer in the outward M&A of EMNCs: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 399-425, June.
    12. Stewart Johnston & Angela Paladino, 2007. "Knowledge management and involvement in innovations in MNC subsidiaries," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 281-302, March.
    13. Li Chen & Shaoming Zou & Hui Xu & Yiwen Chen, 2020. "Entrepreneurial Orientation in Multinational Corporations: Antecedents and Effects," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(1), pages 123-148, February.
    14. Lívia Lopes Barakat & Torben Pedersen & Marcio Amaral-Baptista & Sherban Leornardo Cretoiu & Paulo Bento, 2022. "Too Much of Two Good Things: Explicating the Limited Complementarity Between Drivers of MNC Headquarters’ Absorptive Capacity," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 393-426, June.
    15. Supriya Kumar Ghatak & Biswajit Mahanty, 2021. "Evaluating intra-project knowledge growth and its effect on co-located software team output," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 55(5), pages 1727-1750, October.
    16. Thomas Hutzschenreuter & Ingo Kleindienst & Christina Guenther & Martin Hammes, 2016. "Speed of Internationalization of New Business Units: The Impact of Direct and Indirect Learning," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(6), pages 849-878, December.
    17. Williams, Christopher, 2009. "Subsidiary-level determinants of global initiatives in multinational corporations," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 92-104, March.
    18. Esther Tippmann & Pamela Sharkey Scott & Vincent Mangematin, 2014. "Subsidiary managers’ knowledge mobilizations: Unpacking emergent knowledge flows," Post-Print hal-00864324, HAL.
    19. Zeng, Rong & Grøgaard, Birgitte & Steel, Piers, 2018. "Complements or substitutes? A meta-analysis of the role of integration mechanisms for knowledge transfer in the MNE network," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 415-432.
    20. repec:thr:techub:10032:y:2022:i:1:p:13-26 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Roopesh Kevin Sungkur & Mohammad Issack Santally, 2019. "Knowledge Sharing for Capacity Building in Open and Distance Learning (ODL): Reflections from the African Experience," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 10(1), pages 380-396, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:conmgt:v:31:y:2013:i:9:p:991-1004. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/RCME20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.