Improving knowledge transfer processes to address skills and knowledge gaps between senior and junior staff in engineering projects

Abstract

Skills and knowledge gaps between senior and junior staff is prevalent in engineering projects. This study aimed to identify the factors that affect knowledge transfer and methods to retain transferred knowledge between senior and junior staff in the South African engineering environment. Although several studies have examined the factors that influence knowledge transfer, very few have studied the factors affecting knowledge transfer between senior and junior staff in engineering projects. This study found that knowledge transfer is not made a priority in projects, and that there is a lack of knowledge transfer platforms and structures in projects. Incentivising knowledge transfer by making it a work outcome would improve knowledge transfer in projects.

Kennis- en vaardigingsgapings kom al hoe meer voor tussen senior and junior personeel wat op ingenieursprojekte werk. Hierdie studie het ten doel om die faktore wat die kennisoordrag tussen senior en junior personeel in die Suid-Afrikaanse ingenieurs omgewing belemmer, asook die metodes wat dit kan behou, te bepaal. Heelwat navorsing is reeds gedoen op die faktore wat kennisoordrag in die algemeen beïnvloed, maar min van hierdie studies spreek die faktore aan wat vir die kennis oordrag tussen senior en junior personeel in ingenieursprojekte geld. Hierdie studie het bevind dat kennisoordrag nie as 'n prioriteit binne ingenieursprojekte beskou word nie en dat daar 'n tekort aan kennisoordragstrukture en -platforms binne projekte bestaan. Verder is bevind dat die kennisoordrag binne projekte verbeter kan word indien dit aangespoor kan word deur dit deel te maak van die prestasie uitkomste van projekte en individue.