Enhancing aging workers’ productivity through knowledge sharing: A conceptual paper

Abstract

The aging workforce is becoming increasingly prominent in labour‑intensive industries such as construction, where the retirement of experienced workers poses a significant risk of tacit knowledge loss. As older employees possess deep experiential and intuitive knowledge essential for productivity, safety, and operational continuity, ineffective knowledge transfer can lead to reduced organizational performance. This conceptual paper examines the behavioural determinants of knowledge‑sharing practices among aging construction workers through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). By synthesizing existing literature on knowledge sharing, aging workers, and TPB, the paper identifies how attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control shape workers’ intentions to share knowledge. A TPB‑driven conceptual framework is proposed, positioning knowledge sharing as a key predictor of aging workers’ productivity. The model offers theoretical insights into the psychological and social mechanisms influencing intergenerational knowledge transfer and highlights organizational strategies needed to foster effective knowledge‑sharing environments. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of aging workforce dynamics and provides a foundation for future empirical research aimed at enhancing productivity through structured knowledge‑management practices.