key: cord-0064519-otzkthnt authors: Singh, Surabhi; Thomas, Nobin; Numbudiri, Ranjeet title: Knowledge sharing in times of a pandemic: An intergenerational learning approach date: 2021-05-05 journal: nan DOI: 10.1002/kpm.1669 sha: ee2ff5aeccfd239e5facd08b32fc7bb5bcbe6604 doc_id: 64519 cord_uid: otzkthnt Knowledge sharing is a key challenge for modern organizations, especially in periods of uncertainty such as that of the current pandemic. This conceptual paper argues that intergenerational learning (IGL) is a useful intervention to address the challenge of knowledge sharing in the New Ways of Working. We conducted an integrated literature review based on the PRISMA methodology. Our findings reveal the limited adoption of reverse mentoring in practice, indicating the need to have a more curated intervention to promote knowledge sharing in modern organizations. We advance the discourse about reverse mentoring with the aim of overcoming its challenges and presenting a self‐driven approach to sharing the tacit knowledge inherent in an organization. The study contributes by presenting a conceptual model of IGL that promotes knowledge sharing during the COVID‐19 pandemic through the leveraging of the multi‐generational workforce's diversity. Further, the study has implications for practice that can aid effective knowledge management in the current times. The concept of New Ways of Working (NWoW) has gained currency in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Broadly, it encompasses varied forms of alternative work arrangements, such as remote working, teleworking, and flexible-working that are enabled by new-age technology (Gerards, de Grip, & Weustink, 2020) . Such trends also existed prior to the pandemic, but the global lockdown has increasingly forced organizations to adopt and adapt to the NWoW. As an emergent trend, NWoW is increasingly attractive for the multigenerational workforce, which is a prominent trait of modern organizations. Prior research demonstrates that organizations value generational diversity because it increases team performance, but it also creates challenges for knowledge transfer (Becker, Richards, & Stollings, 2020) . Key reasons for this challenge are the younger workforce's high turnover rates and the increased outflow of the aging workforce (Peet, Walsh, Sober, & Rawak, 2010) . Moreover, engaging different generations meaningfully in a rapid, unpredictable, paradoxical, and tangled 1 environment problematize intergenerational work further (Suomäki, Kianto, & Vanhala, 2019) . At the same time, the current pandemic has posed several challenges for organizations, one of which is engaging and retaining a multi-generational workforce in a remote setup. Scholars have argued that age diversity can offer a significant competitive advantage to organizations (Richard & Miller, 2013) ; however, its link with knowledge management (KM) requires more inquiry. To solve the emerging challenges facing effective KM in the current crisis, organizations find creative ways to promote knowledge sharing among a multi-generational workforce. One such approach has been reverse mentoring, whereby a younger employee is assigned as a mentor to an older employee, usually to bridge the technology divide between the two generations and to develop future leaders (Marcinkus Murphy, 2012) . Reverse mentoring differs from the traditional forms of mentoring as it is a flipped arrangement of mentoring to facilitate the learning process and promote knowledge sharing. Despite increased scholarly attention to reverse mentoring over the past decade, our study indicates its limited adoption and inherent challenges. The scant scholarly discourse about reverse mentoring, which is limited in the literature to bridging the technical divide between various generations, has restricted its adoption in modern organizations. Hence, there is a need to expand this discourse, given the merits of reverse mentoring for promoting knowledge transfer and presenting a scalable and sustainable method of managing and sharing knowledge during a crisis. This study identifies the need to develop a conceptual model that promotes knowledge transfer in an age-diversified workforce and overcomes reverse mentoring's challenges, especially during the current pandemic. We posit that in NWoW, the mentor-mentee relationship is not driven by age and seniority but by the individuals' knowledge and expertise. We pursue two research objectives: first, we synthesize the literature on reverse mentoring and explore why its adoption as a practice is still embryonic; and second, we present intergenerational learning (IGL) as an effective knowledge-sharing intervention in the uncertain times of the current pandemic. With these objectives, we build an argument favoring IGL as a more sustainable knowledge sharing model than reverse mentoring. We postulate that the roles of a mentor and protégé would be reversed during the relationship and make it a more bilateral and continuous learning process. We also develop a triadic model that includes a manager's evolving role to anchor an IGL program. This paper contributes to the growing field of KM, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it informs future research through its conceptual framework for IGL. The study expands the existing literature on mentoring and brings a new perspective on KM, which is an evident need in the current period of uncertainty and crisis. By presenting a triadic framework of knowledge sharing, we propose a sustainable way to promote the transfer of knowledge among various generational cohorts that co-exist in workplace characterized by the emergent NWoW. The rest of this paper is structured as follows. First, we present a retrospective view on KM, after which we conduct a systematic review of literature on reverse mentoring using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) methodology (Moher, Liberati, Tetzlaff, & Altman, 2009) . We then build an argument supporting IGL and propose a conceptual framework that can promote knowledge sharing in times of uncertainty. Next, we discuss the merits of the proposed model to promote knowledge sharing in a multi-generational workforce, especially during the current pandemic. We finish by discussing the limitations of this research and by presenting future research directions. In line with recent research, we refrain from using generational labels (such as Baby Boomers, Gen-Y, Gen Z) that tend to be stereotypes; instead, we use the terms younger and older employees when discussing different age cohorts (Cox, Young, Guardia, & Bohmann, 2018) . As a prologue to this study, this section presents various perspectives on KM. This retrospective and high-level view of the extant literature on KM and mentoring is imperative to our study as it acts as a bridge to explore new ways of knowledge sharing in the present crisis. The concept of KM can be viewed from many perspectives, such as learning and unlearning, counter-knowledge, IGL, and reverse mentoring. While all of these are different methods to steer an organization's KM efforts, every organization adopts and executes a curated KM process to promote knowledge transfer within the system. The focus of this paper is reverse mentoring and broadening its scope to an IGL approach. We select these as the foci of our study as we argue that a sustainable and self-driven knowledge transfer method is required in times of crisis and uncertainty. Scholars have presented the concept of "stocks" that reside in individuals and "flows" that exist at a dyadic level of learning. Hence, the need for feedback and a feed-forward mechanism is imperative to a knowledge-sharing and mentoring intervention. However, our literature review reveals that reverse mentoring interventions have lacked these two critical mechanisms, limiting the scope for a KM perspective. Indeed, the acquisition of new learning (feed-forward) and use of past learning (feedback) create a healthy tension that is crucial for ensuring that learning happens across levels and continuously. Further, the empirical work of Bontis, Crossan, and Hulland (2002) found a positive relationship between the stocks of learning (across various levels) and business performance. They built on Crossan, Lane, and White's (1999) seminal 4I framework, according to which organizational learning is a dynamic process at the macro, meso, and micro levels, and consists of four steps: intuiting, interpreting, integrating, and institutionalization. The 4I framework has attracted increasing attention in the literature, and in the current study, which presents knowledge sharing at the individual and dyadic levels, this model is instrumental. The SECI model (Nonaka, 1994) of socialization, externalization, combination, and internalization explains the two forms of knowledge (tacit and explicit) and the knowledge transfer process. Further, Andreeva and Ikhilchik (2011) proposed empirically testing operationalization of the SECI model across various cultures. This is a vital aspect to be considered because KM interventions vary from one culture to another. Gerpott, Lehmann-Willenbrock, and Voelpel (2017) presented a phased model of IGL comprising three stages: familiarization, assimilation, and detachment. This model is an improvisation on Tuckman's (1965) seminal model of group development consisting of the four sequential stages of forming, storming, norming, and performing. Recently, Bratianu and Bejinaru (2019) conceived knowledge as a field comprising three distinct forms: rational (explicit and objective), emotional (subjective), and spiritual (values and beliefs). These three forms can be transformed into another form, leading to iterative and interactive knowledge forms that promote learning and unlearning processes. Their thermodynamics model proposes an energy metaphor that positions knowledge as a field, which manifests in various transformational forms and leads to knowledge transformation. Building on this model, we argue that generational differences will create both opportunities for and challenges to knowledge sharing. The emerging workforce consisting of the younger generation differs from the older workforce in its work values (Twenge, Campbell, Hoffman, & Lance, 2010) . Hence, this friction will create barriers as well as gateways for IGL. Counter-knowledge, which is another critical theme in the KM literature, refers to certain misconceptions (rumors, gossip, and grapevines) that are created and circulated within an organization. When individuals create inaccurate interpretations of facts and events, counterknowledge results. However, scholars have claimed that such misconceptions and disinformation leading to counter-knowledge are not always uncalled for, as often it is the grapevine that promotes knowledge sharing in an organization (Baumeister, Zhang, & Vohs, 2004; Martelo-Landroguez, Cegarra Navarro, & Cepeda-Carri on, 2019). Research has shown that unlearning can help overcome the downside To summarize, it is vital to consider multiple dimensions when exploring KM's existing models and developing a new framework that promotes knowledge sharing in times of uncertainty. The existing KM models need to be revisited because workplace dynamics have changed substantially due to the unprecedented challenges created by the current pandemic. Malhotra (2005) suggested relating and integrating KM into enterprise business processes to ensure strategic agility and adaptability, which could be categorically linked to the KM challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. With a large section of the active workforce working in remote setups, there are limited knowledge-sharing possibilities by way of traditional forms of mentoring and KM. Hence, developing a sustainable and scalable model that promotes knowledge sharing is a pressing need. To that end, we focus on reverse mentoring as it is often considered a new approach to managing generational diversity and promoting knowledge sharing. In order to develop a framework of knowledge sharing suitable for the current situation caused by the pandemic, we first delve deeper into the existing literature on reverse mentoring and conduct a PRISMA-based literature review. These are elaborated in the next section. We conducted an integrated literature review on reverse mentoring by adopting the PRISMA methodology (Moher et al., 2009 ). This section elaborates on the PRISMA methodology's four protocols, which we adopted for the current study. Figure 1 presents the PRISMA flowchart. We searched ProQuest, JSTOR, and EBSCO's comprehensive repository for relevant peer-reviewed papers published from 2009 to 2020. As reverse mentoring is a recent trend, we selected this period (a little over a decade) as the appropriate window for our literature review. Among the research keywords were "reverse mentoring," "intergenerational mentoring," "reciprocal mentoring," and other related terms. We also used inclusive and exclusive criteria, advanced search options, and a ref- At the screening stage, we estimated that there were over 4,000 relevant articles. We then rejected duplicate articles from the larger dataset and shortlisted articles based on a review of the abstracts and titles. Articles where the title and abstract were not aligned to the current study's research objectives were excluded at this stage. In the third stage, we studied the full-text articles to assess their eligibility for inclusion in the current study. We noted that while reverse mentoring appeared as a keyword in some abstracts, the full-text article had only limited coverage of the phenomenon. Hence, such studies did not pass the threshold for inclusion in this literature review. Finally, we included 23 articles that matched our research scope and then consolidated our literature review, as shown in Table 1. The table outlines the contributing authors, type of study, a brief overview, and the key findings of each study. We have also included conceptual papers because we believe that theory building is an essential aspect of an emerging research area. Reverse mentoring being an upcoming trend in the industry is captured in various conceptual as well as empirical papers. This section presents a synthesized summary of the integrated review of literature on reverse mentoring (also see Table 1 ). In line with Marcinkus Murphy (2012) Chen (2013) argued that reverse mentoring facilitates a more professional learning experience than traditional methods. Building on these findings, Chen (2014) proposed that reverse mentoring is an innovative approach to developing future leaders from the younger workforce. Through their empirical study, Sharma and Nagi (2018) analyzed reverse mentoring's practical implications in an Indian context. They also elaborated on the success factors required in various demographic and cultural contexts. Further, Chen (2016) explained the concept of reverse mentoring through the popular ARCS (attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction) model of learning motivation (Keller, 1983) and emphasized on the role of training. While the origins of reverse mentoring lie in its emergence as a practical approach to bridging the technological gap between generations, some studies have also explored its adoption in the fields of education, language skills, economic theories, and health sciences (Clarke et al., 2019) . As highlighted in prior studies, the issues with reverse mentoring indicate the power imbalance that emerges in such a mentoring relationship. Scholars have challenged the foundation of the construct of reverse mentoring, arguing that a younger mentor will lack the required confidence and experience, especially in fields such as health sciences and education (Clarke et al., 2019) . This may lead to barriers in effective knowledge sharing between the mentor and the mentee. Further, overlapping and blurred boundaries lead to ambiguity in the mentoring dyad and act as a roadblock in the free flow of knowledge within a system. The findings reveal that higher engagement, enhanced IT skills, increased job satisfaction, and breaking of age barriers were among T A B L E 1 Summary of integrated literature review Raza and Onyesoh (2020) Qualitative Adopts RM program with DE&I angle and paired a senior white leader (who acted as mentee) with two junior black and minority ethnic (BME) staff (who acted as mentors) who met six times over a period of 6 months Findings revealed several positive outcomes of RM at different levels (individual, departmental, organizational, and symbolic); such as usage of gender inclusive language, meeting targeted staffing for BME positive outcomes of this reverse mentoring program at different operation levels (individual, departmental, organizational, and symbolic), such as gender-inclusive language usage and meeting staffing targets for BME employees. The literature review findings reveal that reverse mentoring has yet to receive the required traction in practice, which is unsurprising given the limited number of empirical studies and smaller sample sizes (Chen, 2016) . Further, the limited literature on reverse mentoring is coupled with issues of research quality (Sulopuisto, 2020) . We argue that limiting discourse about reverse mentoring primarily to the digital learning framework precludes many other areas of research, like NWoW, work-life balance, workplace diversity, and inclusion. In the next section, we discuss the scant adoption of reverse mentoring in practice and argue that reverse mentoring should be broadened to promote knowledge sharing in NWoW. Research on reverse mentoring has also faced criticism. Baily (2009) posited that reverse mentoring is not a widespread phenomenon and that the focus has primarily been on the transfer of technical competencies. We posit that reverse mentoring may face challenges from rapidly emerging online training platforms, which enable self-learning as an effective way to cope with technology shifts. Cultural contexts might also impact reverse mentoring's adoption, as the elements of power-distance and collectivism significantly impact the mentoring relationship (Ramaswami & Dreher, 2010) . Hall (1989) categorized cultures into high context (HC) and low context (LC), based on differences in communication style and culture, such as differences between collectivist and individualist cultures (Hofstede, 2011) . In an HC culture, knowledge is usually not explicitly written or spoken; hence, communication is rather indirect and ambiguous. In addition, HC culture is usually stable, cohesive, and not prone to frequent changes (Nishimura, Nevgi, & Tella, 2008) . This may lead to knowledge transfer challenges, so a reverse mentoring intervention in an HC culture may not yield great success. For instance, reverse mentoring's key premise is a role reversal, which contradicts the general ideology of placing an older employee in a perceived superior position in certain hierarchical cultures. We believe that such an arrangement may not be accepted or widely adopted HC cultures where knowledge is situational, in contrast to LC cultures where knowledge is transferable. Reverse mentoring inverts the widely popular dyadic mentoring relationship, and it contradicts the more widely accepted norm of having an older mentor and a younger protégé (Chaudhuri, 2019) . In an LC culture, language is explicit, and communication is linear and direct (Nishimura et al., 2008) . In addition, an LC culture tends to be individualist rather than collectivist, implying that individuals have primacy over group needs. This indicates that a reverse mentoring initiative, when applied in an HC culture, may be less successful than if it is applied in an LC culture. Further, inhibitions to accept a younger mentor seem to emerge from the general perception about the younger generation, which is often stereotyped as casual, focused, frivolous, lazy, and spoiled (Breck et al., 2018) . However, contrary views posit that the younger generation is perfectionist, less selfish, oriented toward social and community issues, and has a high desire to learn and grow in the workplace (Arnett, 2013) . Another limitation of a reverse mentoring intervention is that it is often conceptualized as a short-lived process that concludes with the transmission of specific knowledge from a younger mentor to an older protégé. In contrast, knowledge sharing is a continuously evolving and enduring process. Prior research has demonstrated that reciprocal knowledge sharing results in successful employee performance (Aryee, Walumbwa, Seidu & Otaye, 2016) . Scholars have recommended expanding the scope of reverse mentoring (Mullen & Noe, 1999) given its benefits to knowledge sharing. Such shared experiences impact on the behavior and expectations of individuals in the workplace. Although IGL is a common phenomenon in practice, research on it has only recently gained impetus (Ropes, 2013; Tempest, 2003) . Traditionally, IGL was considered more unidirectional, according to which people with higher knowledge shared their knowledge with those with less experience or knowledge (J. F. Harvey, 2012) . Another factor that has encouraged research on IGL is the management of tacit knowledge, which is difficult to imitate and translate through the usual training methods. As Wagner and Sternberg (1985) showed, tacit knowledge is an aspect of practically intelligent behavior acquired through experience and is unrelated to general cognitive ability. The earlier manifestations of IGL regarding tacit knowledge involved the older workforce sharing their practical knowledge with the younger generations (Zucchero, 2011) . Knowledge sharing in uncertain times becomes a key challenge for contemporary organizations because of the dynamic environment. It is also imperative to preserve the tacit knowledge residing in various generational cohorts in the organization and to encourage a bilateral learning process that cuts across generations. In addition, the changing demographics of the workforce are an ongoing stress test of the KM capabilities of organizations. Through an IGL program, different generations can share their tacit knowledge and build peer relationships, which is likely to provide organizations with competitive advantages (Calo, 2008) . Prior research has established that peer relationships play a more instrumental role in career development than traditional mentoring relationships (Kram & Isabella, 1985) . Based on the literature review, we argue that an IGL program is a more appropriate and sustainable approach to achieving individual and organizational outcomes in the long term while nurturing a culture of knowledge sharing. Hence, we present three arguments why it is necessary to expand the phased model of Gerpott et al. (2017) . First, our synthesized literature review reveals that research and theory building in the field of IGL are sparse. Second, to broaden the scope of IGL programs, our conceptual model proposes two new stages of application and advancing to supplement the earlier model. Third, we posit that the model does not need to follow a sequential approach, and the detachment stage proposed by Gerpott et al. (2017) We propose a conceptual framework of IGL comprising four stages: association, acquisition, application, and advancing to promote knowledge sharing. These four stages augment the understanding of IGL in the context of the pandemic. While the earlier models conclude at a detachment stage in which the mentor and the protégé conclude their knowledge-sharing process, we posit that an IGL program may not necessarily have a formal closure. In this model, the participants' association progresses through various stages and enables knowledge sharing between different generations. This model's key feature is the evolving role of a manager across the four stages of the knowledge-sharing process, which distinguishes it from the earlier models of learning and reverse mentoring. The manager acts as a relational bridge between the two generations who come forward for an IGL program. Unlike earlier models, both the participants switch their roles across various stages, implying there is no designated "mentor" or "protégé" in the proposed model. Moreover, the proposed model is triadic rather than dyadic, given that a manager acts as a facilitator throughout the intervention. The following subsections explain the knowledge-sharing process as it evolves through the four stages of the proposed model. In the first stage of association, the manager acts as a broker and brings together the participants from different generations keen to participate in this triadic knowledge-sharing process. The manager and the two participants explore the possible training needs and areas of knowledge exchange, and they identify their learning goals. While no formal training-need analysis is done in this intervention, an open and insightful conversation between the participants promotes an understanding of individual-specific training requirements. The manager brings the participants together on a common platform and helps them to develop flexible and evolving learning plans that cater to their mutual learning needs. As the IGL intervention is bilateral and evolving, this framework also enables the flexibility to have multiple learning plans spaced out across time. Thus, knowledge sharing is likely to occur on an ongoing and evolving basis, which is especially important in the current uncertain times. The manager's role is crucial as he/she acts as an informal checkpoint to monitor the participants' compatibility in this intervention. In the acquisition stage, the knowledge-sharing process is initiated between the two participants. The manager's role now evolves to become that of a facilitator, and the participants adopt various methodologies for transferring knowledge, such as informal meetings, demo sessions, on-the-job training, and live sessions. These methodologies could be combined in various ways to suit the mutual learning goals. The roles of mentor and protégé are switched periodically at different stages of the learning process, and this is primarily driven by the role that a participant is playing based on the evolving knowledgesharing process. The participants absorb knowledge and acquire new learning as they proceed in the knowledge-sharing process. Tacit knowledge sharing also happens in this stage as participants do not rely on the existing content or formalized modules, instead leveraging their respective areas of expertise. We propose that two-way knowledge sharing takes place at this stage and that both participants in such a program gain from it. In the third stage, the participants adopt the learning and outcomes by specifically applying them in a professional or personal setting. The manager who now acts as a consultant, encourages and motivates the participants to apply their newly acquired knowledge across different work segments. Since IGL is predominantly a self-evolving process, it facilitates agile adaptation to the work environment's rapidly changing demands. Hence, its application does not become a forced choice but is more of a self-driven approach to sharing and using the tacit knowledge among the participants. This self-evolving intervention thus provides the right push to promote KM in times of a crisis like the current pandemic. This stage also enables identification of errors due to the mentee closely working with the mentor. We further contend that, given the generational differences between the participants, the application of acquired knowledge (both explicit and implicit) will be heavily driven by constant encouragement. In addition, since this model of IGL is unconstrained by the availability of time, it provides the space and flexibility to adapt and apply the acquired knowledge when the participants feel ready. We argue that such a self-driven approach will be beneficial in the rapid adoption of an IGL program. In the fourth and final stage, the learning relationship between the two participants progresses to an advanced level. The manager now plays the observer's role and keenly traces the two participants' knowledge-sharing journey. While the participants continue to share their tacit knowledge and skills regularly, they continue to seek newer skills. Hence, there is no formal closure in an IGL program, and it goes beyond the boundaries of a traditional mentoring intervention or even a reverse mentoring program. When participants bond at an informal and personal level, the association tends to be stronger and more useful as they tend to share experiences more freely and comfortably. The advancing stage also allows for more effective feedback mechanisms, which are operational in an informal mode. The proposed conceptual framework offers several advantages over reverse mentoring and the earlier models of IGL. Being free from generational biases, this model can be quickly adopted by practitioners across various contexts and can help manage the tacit knowledge that resides throughout the organization. The four stages of the proposed conceptual model, as depicted in Figure 2 , may not always be sequential, unlike in the earlier models. For instance, when the participants have prior familiarity with each other, the first stage of accommodation might be relatively shorter or even non-existent. In such a scenario, the knowledge-sharing process might commence from the acquisition stage. Further, the final stage of advancing can vary from one context to another, depending on whether the tacit knowledge has been appropriately transferred or needs to be transferred in due time. The proposed framework has several expected outcomes: meaningful engagement of an age-diversified workforce, enhanced motivation, increased productivity and efficiency, and promotion of a culture of knowledge sharing. Another essential distinction between this model and earlier models is the absence of a pre-set mentor and protégé, implying that such a program can be successfully adopted even in HC cultures where reverse mentoring could not be adopted. Given that it is free from designation biases, the framework's generalizability is higher than that of other models. In addition, an IGL can act as a constant source of motivation for various involved parties as it is an expansion of the reverse mentoring framework intended to offer varying degrees of motivation to the mentor and the mentee (Kaše et al., 2019) . The idea behind promoting knowledge sharing as a self-driven process could also be explained by way of a recent knowledge dynamics model presented by Bratianu and Bejinaru (2019) . Their study was the first to present knowledge as an energy metaphor, whereby they explained knowledge dynamics' transformational process as akin to thermodynamics. They argued that the SECI model, as a social phenomenon, is contextual and cannot promote knowledge transfer. Instead, the social spiral of knowledge creation (called Ba in Japanese) could be any space in which knowledge is created. This holds for the current scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to more virtual and geographically displaced teams. In such a situation, knowledge sharing faces challenges if based on the earlier models of KM. However, our proposed framework crosses a physical office's spatial boundaries and transcends spaces to promote a self-driven knowledge-sharing process. The transferability of knowledge is imperative for ensuring knowledge dynamics, and hence it becomes crucial to assess the current dynamics before adopting an IGL program. We also posit that an IGL will promote diversity within an organization because the different generations involved in such a program benefit from each other's perspectives on various emerging trends. For instance, Raza and Onyesoh (2020) studied several positive outcomes of a reverse mentoring program from a diversity perspective and indicated that a long association with increased frequency of connecting will lead to better results. We suggest that extending this to an IGL program would result in various generations coming together to promote knowledge sharing, and that the relationship between the generations would not be bound by time or space. Our framework also promotes counter-knowledge created during an IGL intervention through informal communication channels, which would lead to knowledge sharing. This aligns with prior studies, which have established that counter-knowledge is not always bad (Baumeister et al., 2004) . The triadic nature of the proposed F I G U R E 2 A conceptual framework for intergenerational learning and knowledge sharing framework means that counter-knowledge will be embedded within the framework, as the model is not a formal intervention. Hence, any side effects from counter-knowledge could be mitigated by way of unlearning, as suggested by prior studies (Cegarra-Navarro et al., 2012) . The conceptual framework offers the scope to improvise, as the nuances of generational differences vary among generational cohorts and evolve with time. Knowledge inherent in an organization provides a competitive advantage, and a practical KM process promotes learning. Knowledge sharing is a key premise for all forms of mentoring, be it traditional mentoring, reverse mentoring, or the proposed form of IGL. However, the efficacy of each of these interventions differs based on the context in which they are applied. In the current context of COVID-19, there is an apparent drift between various generational cohorts (Ayalon et al., 2020) . The proposed conceptual framework contributes by providing a practical knowledge-sharing approach between various generational cohorts in an organization. Moreover, such an intervention is likely to help preserve the traditional organizational values and culture by sharing them across generations. While the older generation can drive reinfusion of values and culture, the younger workforce can, in turn, equip the older cohort technically and help them to adapt to the NWoW. Hence, IGL promotes the co-creation of a supportive culture in times of uncertainty such as that of the current pandemic. Our model differs from the traditional dyadic models by presenting a triadic relationship more appropriate to the current times. Along with the two participants in an IGL program, the role of the manager also evolves. As explained in the model, the manager starts as a broker in the initial stage, moves on to become a facilitator, then a consultant, before, in the final stage, acting as an observer. Bratianu and Bolisani (2015, p. 170 ) stated that the "future is not a simple extrapolation of the present, but a thinking world where new knowledge should be created and processed to achieve some strategic business objectives." Research indicates that excessive formal training interventions may not be effective and successful in the current COVID-19 situation. Such programs usually cover a large audience and are facilitated by one or two trainers, whereas an IGL is a focused and bilateral relationship involving two employees and a manager. Further, engaging employees in a remote setup becomes essential and achievable through such an IGL intervention. Despite operating in a virtual work environment, when participants are brought together in an IGL program they are more likely to feel engaged, motivated, and committed to the cause of knowledge sharing. Given these benefits, we foresee that the proposed framework will have high receptivity during the COVID-19 uncertainties and offers a mechanism for knowledge sharing beyond the regular work boundaries. It provides a platform for the various generations to express themselves, share their tacit knowledge, and contribute to creating a learning organization. Our study has certain limitations, the most apparent being the absence of empirical evidence to validate the proposed conceptual model. We believe that the model needs to be stress-tested in an organizational setup where multiple generations co-exist and an IGL intervention is adopted to promote knowledge sharing. The impact of the model on knowledge sharing in a virtual workplace needs to be qualitatively assessed. Hence, we encourage future research to explore the IGL phenomenon and its adoption and impact in times of crisis and uncertainty. Further, Baily (2009) argued that an IGL program's success depends significantly on a culture of openness and trust. We posit that knowledge transfer varies between HC and LC cultures; hence, future studies could test this by comparing the two different contexts. From the perspective of feedback and feed-forward mechanisms involved in the iterative learning process (Cathcart, Greer, & Neale, 2014) , our framework has a limitation because the process culminates at the advancing stage. The unexpected errors encountered in the application stage, when the mentor may lack expertise, would require the intervention of the manager to find a possible resolution mechanism. This requires calibration in terms of a new dyad or some external intervention. We recognize that real-time feedback and feedforward processes occur across every stage and involve every generation. However, there are critical elements of the feedback process that could impact this model's operationalization. Another limitation concerns the distinct attributes of the individuals involved in an IGL intervention. A recent study by Gadomska-Lila (2020) pointed to the nuance of matching the generations in a reverse mentoring program and studied unique relations, such as a mentor being a younger woman. Hence, future research could focus on the element of gender in the learning and knowledge sharing process. Future studies could also explore how knowledge sharing in a period of uncertainty results in unlearning and IGL taking place over an unprecedentedly short time span. In this study, we have built an argument supporting IGL as a useful intervention to promote knowledge transfer in times of crisis. The merits of the proposed framework are that it meaningfully develops, engages, and retains the age-diversified workforce, and manages the tacit knowledge that resides in an organization. The synthesized literature review helped us identify the need for a framework for knowledge sharing appropriate to NWoW. We believe this is a crucial contribution of this study, especially at the present moment when a large segment of the active workforce is working remotely. The proposed framework for IGL would help restructure the existing KM interventions by providing an informal and self-driven approach. In the context of the current pandemic, the IGL framework is a fresh way of looking at the knowledge-sharing process and one that involves all parties, irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity, or position in an organization, contributing and gaining immensely. It also provides a scalable and sustainable mechanism to share tacit knowledge, which otherwise resides in various system pockets (Busch, Venkitachalam, & Richards, 2008) . This resonates with the ideology of NWoW, which promotes diversity and an inclusive culture. 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