Demographic changes – we live longer and better – and the tendency of state policies to delay the retirement age have increased the diversity of institutional settings and are forcing organizations to rethink their structure and dynamics to guarantee coexistence and the quality of intergenerational relationships, as well as the exchange of knowledge between young workers and those with greater experience and age.
In the specific context of Spanish universities, various generations of teaching staff currently coexist according to their chronological age, being able to identify the so-called baby boomers (born between 1948 and 1966), generation generation Y, also called millennials (born between 1983 and 1998), and generation Z (born after 1999). Intergenerational relationships and learning is a relevant topic in higher education institutions, where the social dynamics and institutional culture, the access system and the learning accumulated over the years by academics conditions access, socialization and generational change, as well as the possibilities of staff development. The loss of intellectual and social capital, caused by inadequate management of the people who make up and make up the organization, negatively impacts the performance of universities. Beyond this issue, the benefits provided by relationships and intergenerational learning are numerous and affect individuals (greater motivation and job satisfaction), groups (training and cohesion) and the organization (improved climate and relationships and , greater cohesion in culture).