GLOBE - Growth.Leadership.Organisation.Business.Education 31 4
NATURE OF THE STUDY
This study was conducted to explore the lived experiences of the leaders and managers of IS organizations as they strive to maintain operational continuity after Baby Boomer worker retirement (Mathiyazhagan, 2016). A qualitative approach was used to conduct this study with a population of 20 leaders and managers in IS organizations who have experienced knowledge loss due to the retirement of Baby Boomers. The study was structured as a phenomenological research design to reveal an understanding of the lived experiences of organizational managers and leaders. Individual interviews were conducted at the preferred settings of the participants using a face-to-face approach or via Skype video call. The data captured through interviews were analyzed, and several themes and sub-themes were created.
STUDY FINDINGS
The key themes that emerged from the study illustrated three significant factors as they relate to operational continuity:
The theme of Camaraderie encompasses emotional connection between employees, business partners, vendors, and service providers. The theme of Delivery Practices establishes a new way of working to deliver IS solutions better, faster, and more efficiently. The theme of Work Processes encompasses workplace navigation, lifecycle activities, and mentoring guidance as sub-themes for achieving organizational agility. These themes relate to a comprehensive understanding of the impact of knowledge loss and how it affects an operational continuity in the IS organizations.
IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The study results strongly suggest that managers and leaders need to build Camaraderie and be prepared to re-engage with their business partners and rebuild the relationships with their teams. If teams fail to maintain relationships among their members, there is a potential loss of relationships that they must recreate with the team members to maintain cohesiveness,