The workforce in the EU is ageing, and this requires investment in older workers so that the organisations in which they work remain competitive and viable. One such investment takes the form of organising and facilitating intergenerational learning: learning between and among generations that can lead to lifelong learning, innovation and organisational development. However, successfully implementing intergenerational learning is complex and depends on various factors at different levels within the organisation. This multidisciplinary literature review encompasses work from the fields of cognitive psychology, occupational health, educational science, human resource development and organisational science and results in a framework that organisations can use to understand how they can create the conditions needed to ensure that the potential of their ageing workforce is tapped effectively and efficiently. Although not a comprehensive review, this chapter serves as a basis for further empirical research and gives practitioners an insight into solving a growing problem.
DOCUMENT
This paper lays the groundwork for a research program on the topic of how intergenerational learning can contribute to the effectiveness of organizations by capitalizing on the capacities of the ageing worker. According to innumerable studies published by policy research centers in the EU and other developed countries, the pool of available workers is diminishing at an alarming rate due to retirement and an ageing population (Bartels, 2010; Commision, 2009; Stam, 2009). Although there is quite some work on the problem of an ageing population, reports in scientific journals and practitioner, or grey, literature fail to present much empirical work on the specific topic of how organizations can capitalize on the knowledge and innovative capacities of an older worker (INNO-Grips, 2008). Mostly one finds reports and studies that further define the problem and speculate about future consequences. This latter aspect is especially evident in the grey literature.
DOCUMENT
This literature review explores ways older workers might continue to make waves and impact their work organization. The topic of the paper is grounded in the problem of an ageing organizational population looming in the near future. The work presented here is a start to helping management in knowledge-intensive organizations to understand how to effectively utilize the capacities of older knowledge workers by stimulating intergenerational learning as a means to retain critical organizational knowledge, encourage innovation and promote organizational learning through knowledge building. First, the concept of intergenerational learning is developed followed by a discussion of the organizational factors important for it to take place. The last section presents ideas on how to design and implement intergenerational learning as an organizational development program.
MULTIFILE
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of intergenerational learning as a way for organizations to deal with an ageing worker population in a positive and constructive way. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a thematic synthesis of qualitative literature and considers all types of sources including quantitative scientific reports, reports on case studies, practitioner reports, social program evaluations and White Papers. Findings – The paper points out that intergenerational learning is an effective way to organize learning at the workplace as it appeals to older worker motivations and learning styles, benefiting both worker and organization. Research limitations/implications – The paper leads to several testable hypotheses concerning intergenerational learning. There also needs to be more work on how cognitive differences might affect interactive processes in intergenerational learning groups. Practical implications – This paper can give managers ideas on organizing intergenerational learning as a strategy for dealing with an ageing worker population. Originality/value – This paper opens up new possibilities for both researchers and practitioners of workplace learning by using age and other concepts of diversity as a building block for organizing learning environments.
DOCUMENT
Intergenerational learning (IGL) has been identified as a viable way to help organizations deal with the problems an ageing worker population brings with it. Information and communications technology (ICT) in its many forms can be utilized to support IGL. This paper investigates the requirements for a game that would help raise stakeholder awareness for IGL, and allow individuals to practice skills related to it. By interviewing members of the European Union (EU)-funded SILVER-project we aim to find out suitable contexts, interventions and mechanisms that allow us to design such a game. Based on the interviews we found out that the game should be easily contextualized so that it works in—or is easily adapted to—different countries and cultures. For example sports or nature could be such contexts. As for mechanisms and interventions we found out that there are many possibilities. We conclude that such a logical combination of mechanisms and interventions that support the selected context must be chosen.
LINK
The purpose of this paper is to lay the groundwork for a large-scale prescriptive research project on organizing intergenerational communities of practice as a way to help organizations deal with some of the problems an ageing worker population brings with it. After a definition of the problem, a review of four seminal works on communities of practice was done to see if organizing intergenerational communities of practice might in fact be a viable solution to the problems of an ageing organizational population. Results are encouraging and lead to the conclusion that management might start to consider organizing these communities as a way to shed new light on older workers.
MULTIFILE
Dit EU gesubsidieerd onderzoek was een 2 jaar EU-breed initiatief en resulteerde in een reeks instrumenten om organisaties te helpen met het organiseren van leren tussen generaties. In een vergrijzende maatschappij is het belangrijk dat organisaties de capaciteiten van oudere medewerkers beter benutten, in plaats van hun uit de organisatie zo snel mogelijk zien te krijgen. Het organiseren van leren tussen de generaties is een manier om dit probleem van onderbenutting en anderen te helpen. Voordelen van het gebruik van intergeneratie-leren zijn: het vermijden van kennisverlies en vaardigheden, het verbeteren van mobiliteit door oudere medewerkers, het vergroten van competenties van oudere en jongere medewerkers en het stimuleren van duurzame innovatie
DOCUMENT
Presentation given at CEDEFOP, Thessaloniki, Greece. October, 2014
DOCUMENT
Aging diversity in organizations creates potential challenges, particularly for knowledge management, skills update and skills obsolescence. Intergenerational learning (IGL) involves knowledge building, innovation and knowledge transfer between generations within an organization (Ropes 2011). Serious games refer to the use of computer games in raising awareness about educational topics, acquiring new knowledge and skills by enabling learners to engage and participate in situations that would otherwise be impossible to experience (Corti 2006). Although learning with the use of serious games is similar to traditional learning in several cognitive respects, there are noted differences in the learning style and structure of learning using serious games. The success of learning using serious games lies in the actual involvement of a participant playing the game, which in turn, creates increased cognitive links with real-life situations allowing the individual to make relevant associations, to use mnemonic strategies with the facilitation of multi-dimensional educational aids (e.g., visual, auditory). Some of the beneficial aspects of learning with the use of serious games include the elevation of several cognitive skills, which are directly or indirectly implicated in the learning process. Among them are attention and visuo-spatial abilities, memory and motor skills. However, several barriers have been noted that fall into two general categories: a) health issues (e.g., cognitive strain, headaches) and b) psychological issues (e.g., social isolation, emotional disturbances). Since the training conditions are learner-centered and highly determined by the individual, there is increased need for evaluating the learning outcomes using specific success indicators. Examples of games that are designed to facilitate IGL are scarce, while there are no examples of IGL games in most EU countries. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the current literature of theories on learning through serious games in adults and the elderly with reference to the cognitive mechanisms implicated, benefits and barriers in learning using new technologies in different generations. Secondly, this paper reviews the existence of serious games designed to facilitate IGL in Europe, as well as the characteristics of serious games in raising awareness that could be used to facilitate IGL. In doing so, specific focus is placed on the development of success indicators that determine the effectiveness of serious games on raising awareness on IGL.
LINK
With the average age of the working population increasing, Europeans now have to work longer. How can these extended careers become more successful and satisfying? And how can lifelong guidance and counselling specifically support older workers?
DOCUMENT
