Intergenerational Teamwork from the Employees’ Perspective

Abstract

This interdisciplinary, exploratory study investigates age-diverse teams across different work contexts, examining how age heterogeneity is perceived and managed. While supervisors are more inclined to note age- and generation-specific behaviors, employees tend to pinpoint differences in work attitudes, professional experience, and openness to collaboration-factors deemed fundamental for successful teamwork. To capture these perspectives, we conducted 18 semi-structured interviews (six per organization) in three companies in Valais (tourism, a large-scale bakery with restaurant services, and a social-medical centre) and analyzed them using an object-oriented qualitative content analysis. The findings indicated that the form of collaboration (e.g., high interdependence vs. autonomy) and institutionally embedded exchange mechanisms are crucial to unleashing generative potential. Results indicated that informal hierarchies and shared values often outweigh the visible characteristic of age. An open culture of diversity, coupled with psychological safety, fosters knowledge and experience sharing and supports the development of transactive knowledge. This illustrates how organizational and context-specific factors shape intergenerational teamwork, revealing that age differences alone are merely one piece of the puzzle. Practical implications mainly concern establishing clear structures for learning and exchange, integrating experienced employees as mentors, and consciously fostering positive intergenerational relationships.