Knowledge transfer after retirement: the role of corporate alumni networks

Abstract

Purpose

The paper argues that organizations can use corporate alumni networks to capture and transfer the knowledge of baby boomers after the latter retire.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces the concept of corporate alumni network and explains how this tool can facilitate post‐retirement knowledge transfer.

Findings

Corporate alumni networks enable organizations to recover the know‐how and know‐who of their retired employees in two ways. On the one hand, they help employees to preserve their personal relations with retired baby boomers. As a result, employees can rely on their retired colleagues for information and referrals in the same way that they do with other members of their informal networks. On the other hand, corporate alumni networks allow organizations to create a portfolio of working retirees who can be called up when necessary.

Originality/value

Although most organizations are aware of the need to preserve the in‐depth knowledge of soon‐to‐retire baby boomers, they focus mostly on pre‐retirement knowledge transfer activities. The paper expands the horizon by discussing a post‐retirement strategy.

Citation

Koc‐Menard, S. (2009), "Knowledge transfer after retirement: the role of corporate alumni networks", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 9-11. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777280910933720