Xerox Case Study
8.1 Using communities of practice (COP) is likely to bridge gaps between generations in an organization. Studies have shown that workers spend a third of their time looking for information and are five times more likely to turn to a co-worker rather than an explicit source of information like books, manuals, or databases (Davenport & Prusak, 2000). Time is saved by conferring with members of a COP. Members of the community have tacit knowledge, which can be difficult to store and retrieve outside. For example, one person can share the best way to handle a situation based on his experiences, which may enable the other person to avoid mistakes and shorten the learning curve. In a COP, members can openly discuss and brainstorm about a project, which can lead to new capabilities. Employees from different generations can learn from older co-workers experiences. Making the baby boomers programmed decision makers. They will have an automated response to decisions that need to be made because of knowledge and experience that can be shared through COP. The disadvantage of having COP is the setup process. The planning process of starting one usually takes over a three-month timeframe (Colquitt, 2011). Some organizations might not have time to wait on the system. But taking the time to establish a COP in the workplace is worth it as the vice president of Xerox states “The communities of practice also provide a clear roadway to career growth by mapping out expectations” (Colquitt, 2011).
8.2 Behavior modeling training (BMT) could encourage knowledge sharing within the organization. BMT ensures that employees have the ability to observe and learn from those in the company with significant amounts of tactic knowledge (Colquitt, 2011). Employees are encouraged to act and respond as their specified role models do in similar situations. Your mentor should be a keen and successful worker who will pass on the best skills. This type of mentor does not possess the qualities of a bad attitude or sloppy work. This one-on-one arrangement (which research shows as the most effective form of training) pays dividends for both parties (Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 2011). It enhances trust with the mentors because you’ve given responsibility to them, and it improves team building among trainees who work closely with a mentor.
Another option would be out-of-house training, by sending employees to one-day seminars, college courses or workshops. This maybe costly, but these training opportunities can be seen as an employee perk, something to reward or inspire superb workers. This kind of training provides new skills, stimulates creative ideas and instills employee commitment, which is brought back to the workplace. Your staff members will more likely show initiative, and be motivated (Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 2011).
8.3 Xerox could participate in “getting to know you” meetings. These meeting consist of employees (new and old) introducing themselves and giving some of their background to other staff members. Employees give a quick introduction for themselves, their interests, and their career objectives. The aim of this exercise is to remove the stereotype and replace it with a person.
Xerox should also look into paring co-workers up to complete several tasks together. Maybe 2 or 3 tasks to give them time to get to know one another. Paring a new employee with an older employee could stop stereotyping between the generations. Getting rid of stereotypical images is an essential part of creating effective workplace. Stereotypes can be real obstacles to any sort of workplace dynamic. References
Canadian Federation of Independent Business. (2011). For employers: Training and Development. Retrieved May 22, 2011, from Go2HR: http://www.go2hr.ca/ForbrEmployers/TrainingDevelopment/tabid/84/Default.aspx
Colquitt, J. A. (2011). Organizational Behavior: Improving Performance And Commitment In The Workplace (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Davenport, T. H., & Prusak, L. (2000). Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.