Workplace information sharing: a generational approach

Introduction. Managing information sharing in organizations requires an understanding of information behaviour at several levels. The aim of this short paper is to add the generational approach to the understanding of workplace information sharing. Method. A survey was conducted in a multinational organization (n=237) to explore different factors affecting workplace information sharing and learning. Analysis. An ANOVA F test was carried out to analyse possible generational differences in workplace information sharing activities and attitudes. Results. The findings show that generational factors are not a straightforward predictor of differences in information sharing practices in the workplace. Some differences were found concerning information consciousness and information sending activities. Conclusion. The preliminary results indicate some generational differences in information sharing practices and attitudes. Further studies need to be done using a mixed-methods approach to get a more nuanced picture of interand intragenerational differences.