ABSTRACT
Knowledge is a key asset in today’s economy. Accordingly, there is, a growing interest of researchers and practitioners in knowledge exchange and retention. Against the backdrop of workforce aging and increasing age diversity, we deem it timely and worthwhile to synthesize research investigating how to effectively preserve knowledge in organizations. This chapter thus addresses the topic of age and knowledge exchange by adopting the ability-motivation-opportunity framework to provide a summary of how, why, and when employees across the lifespan engage in knowledge exchange. First, we clarify key concepts relevant to age and knowledge exchange. Second, we examine the ability to exchange knowledge through the lens of age-related changes in cognitive abilities and expertise. Third, we break down the motivation to exchange knowledge against the background of age-related motives and goals. Fourth, we analyze the opportunity to exchange knowledge against the background of age norms and their impact on HR practices and organizational culture. In summary, we find arguments suggesting that younger employees are more able and motivated to receive knowledge, while older employees are more able and motivated to share knowledge. Organizations can promote knowledge exchange processes beyond individuals’ lifespan-related tendencies by supporting younger employees in sharing and older employees in receiving knowledge. Finally, we point out directions for future research (e.g., introducing an age-based perspective to explore knowledge hiding) and provide practical implications based on the current state of research (e.g., raise awareness of potential obstacles and implement practices to foster age-diverse knowledge exchange).
