Case – Xerox
Issue: Four generation which currently appears in U.S. workforce, interact very little.

Question 1
Communities of practice, which tend to be technology-based can bridge the generation gap and allow knowledge sharing between the generations of employees at Xerox. This gap can be filled by thinking about why people learn and allow knowledge sharing? Does learning happen to improve job performance only or organizational commitment?
Another problem that Xerox employees need to work on to bridge this gap and allow knowledge sharing is to think about faulty perceptions. Because faulty perceptions increase the gap between generations therefore it does not allow knowledge sharing.
Other than faulty perceptions, decision making problems include limited information, stereotypes, faulty attributions and escalation of commitment. A few examples of communities of practice that can be used to bridge the generation gap is to use:
• Online programs
• Knowledge sharing workshops
• Setting up meetings once or twice a month between generations of employees at Xerox so they can interact even after they move on to a different project.
The most important way to bridge the generation gap and allow knowledge sharing is to create something called “Transfer of training”. (Coloquitt, Lepine & Wesson, 2009, p. 281). “Transfer of training occurs when the knowledge, skills, and behaviors used on the job are maintained by the learner once training ends and generalized to the workplace once learner returns to the job” (Coloquitt, Lepine & Wesson, 2009, p. 281). “Transfer of training” can be used to create a climate for transfer. Transfer of training along with other programs would be the best to create a climate for transfer while bridging the generation gap and allowing knowledge sharing between generations of employees at Xerox. The reason is because “Xerox workers live in a strongly project-based environment in which they interact and have relationship with coworkers for short period of time and then must move on to the next project” (Coloquitt, Lepine & Wesson, 2009.
The four generation bring drastically different influences and expectations to work, understanding the areas of common ground is what will allow employers to develop high performance workplace strategies. The answer is not a custom work place for each group, but an integrated system of environment, tool and policies that bring out the best in every generation.
Generational issues are not the only issue of significance in the work life, but they are significant.
Leading generational experts Clair, Ron Zemke and Bob Filiczak defined the four modern US generations in their well know book “Generations At Work’
They note that