KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER IN MUNICIPAL UTILITY SYSTEMS: SHARE IT BEFORE IT WALKS OUT THE DOOR

摘要

Municipal water and wastewater utility systems are experiencing significant challenges related to the loss of operational knowledge as the current experienced workforce reaches the age of retirement. The future success of system operability depends upon a process that transfers the knowledge of the experienced employee into the organization before he or she retires. The objective of this investigation is to identify how operational knowledge is being transferred within municipal utility organizations. This investigation, which uses a qualitative research approach to evaluate knowledge transfer in six municipal utility organizations, uncovered several different methods being used to transfer operational knowledge. The investigation also identified barriers and enablers and potential improvements to achieve better knowledge transfer. These results can be used both to further study knowledge transfer in municipal utility organizations, as well as to provide a foundation for research and development in the area of knowledge transfer.