AbstractsEngineering

De jongste generatie verkeersleiders kan tijdens haar opleiding voordeel hebben van haar ervaring met nieuwe technologieën en het spelen van elektronische videogames. Dat concludeert promovendus Giora Hadar. Hij onderzocht de rol van technologie bij kennisoverdracht tussen verkeersleiders uit verschillende generaties. Hadar adviseert de Amerikaanse Luchtvaart Autoriteit (FAA) om de traditionele training van nieuwe luchtverkeersleiders te verbeteren door gebruik te maken van sociale media en mobiele apparaten. In de praktijk van de luchtverkeersleiding zijn kennis en ervaring cruciale aspecten bij de uitvoering van het werk. Dat heeft te maken met de complexe technische - en veiligheidsaspecten, en de noodzaak om snelle beslissingen onder extreme werkdruk te nemen. Hadar onderzocht welke voorkeuren verschillende generaties verkeersleiders hebben om stilzwijgende kennis vast te leggen en over te dragen. Hij stelt vast dat leden van de jongere generaties een voorkeur hebben om moderne technologieën te gebruiken en dat hun organisaties kunnen profiteren van de integratie van verschillende vormen van kennisoverdracht.; With populations aging in developed countries, organizations face a loss of intellectual capital as younger employees replace large numbers of retiring older workers. Effective knowledge transfer can help organizations mitigate disruptions caused by this transition. Intergenerational knowledge transfer is challenging, however, because each generation has unique attitudes and preferences towards training, work, and life. To explore those issues, this research assessed technology preferences and possibilities and the role of intergenerational communications in training air traffic controllers in the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a multigenerational, knowledge-intensive environment. The research postulated that considering intergenerational differences and preferences could improve the efficacy of intergenerational knowledge transfer. It assessed preferences for capturing and transferring knowledge, including the tacit knowledge needed for improvising in new situations. In air traffic control, knowledge and experience are integral to job performance due to safety issues, the highly technical nature of the work, and the need for rapid decision-making under exacting conditions. Thus, this research explored the value of enhancing technology use to address younger workers’ preferences for working with their customary technologies and their facile adaptation of new technologies. The research builds on KM theory and practices, adding the dimension of intergenerational knowledge transfer in operational and training environments. To generate the data, air traffic controllers, trainees, and students completed a questionnaire on current FAA learning modes and the possibility of augmenting training with social technologies and mobile smart devices. The overall research question was: how do age differences influence technology and collaboration preferences for capturing and transferring knowledge?