Challenges of Knowledge Sharing when Facing a Generation Shift. The case of Axalta

Abstract: Today firms’ competitive advantage is determined by how efficient they can share knowledge internally. The knowledge management is indeed a well-researched field, however not many studies has been conducted linked to a generation shift and the challenges that may arise due to this. The companies that are facing a generation shift risks losing many years of experience that has been build up within the individual and has led to industry expertise. Therefore, firms need to secure this knowledge by providing a good framework for the process of knowledge sharing, leading to the purpose of this study, which is to understand what challenges of knowledge sharing organizations might face internally when managing a generation shift. The analysis and findings are based upon a framework that takes into account the entire knowledge process from creation, storage, distribution and application, as well as factors influencing the process such as motivations, barriers and generation shift. It was discovered that the impact on an organization’s knowledge sharing when facing a generation shift is large for companies that have great generational differences. Firms face large challenges with securing knowledge sharing due to the time and cost that overlapping processes request. As the older generation does not use IT tools to the same extent as the younger there is a problem of transforming tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge electronically. In addition, there is a need for firms facing a generation shift to create a good organizational structure in order to improve the prerequisites to knowledge sharing. To fulfill the purpose and get insights from a real life case, Axalta Coatings System was chosen as a case company due to its generational differences and future challenges related to the generation shift.