Organisational learning structures favour knowledge transfer in succession planning

Purpose The purpose of this research is to identify how an organisational learning structure can contribute to tacit knowledge transfer between those leaving an organisation and those staying. There is widespread concern about how, in light of mass retirements of the baby boomer generation, to guarantee effective knowledge transfer to safeguard institutional history, optimise operational efficiency and organisational climate (Fossatti and Mozzato, 2022). Design/methodology/approach Participatory action research (Kemmis and McTaggart, 2000) for organisational development (Lewin, 1946; Shani and Coghlan, 2019) methodology was used, with a qualitative research approach. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews and direct observation accompanied by the researcher’s notes. The results were analysed through explanation building. Findings The results indicate that the new organisational learning structures have been effectively co-designed for successful succession management. Although the intervention was only partially successful, due to challenges faced while implementing the new structure, the results could be useful for future organisational succession planning. Research limitations/implications The company that participated benefitted from the empirical findings. Furthermore, it could be a starting point for other public or private organisations. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on succession planning and the elements of an organisational learning structure that should be present for successful knowledge transfer. This study has addressed the importance of an agile development and high-performance ecosystem’s four building blocks as critical elements that significantly enhance the creation of effective knowledge sharing environments in generational transition contexts.