Age-Diverse Mentorship Models and the Preservation of Legacy Operational Knowledge in Telecommunications Firms

Marcus O. Brennan

Age-Diverse Mentorship Models and the Preservation of Legacy Operational Knowledge in Telecommunications Firms

Author(s): Marcus O. Brennan

Affiliation: School of Engineering Management and Business, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland

Page No: 51-59

Volume issue & Publishing Year: Volume 3, Issue 7, 2026/07/07

Journal: International Journal of Modern Engineering and Management | IJMEM

ISSN NO: 3048-8230

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Abstract:

The telecommunications sector faces an acute knowledge continuity crisis as retiring cohorts of senior engineers carry irreplaceable expertise in analogue switching architectures, legacy PSTN infrastructure, and first-generation network topologies that digital-native recruits have never encountered in formal technical education. Simultaneously, senior engineers struggle to adopt cloud-native operations, AI-driven network management platforms, and DevOps workflows that define the contemporary operational environment. This study evaluates the Age-Diverse Mutual Mentorship (ADMM) model — a structured bidirectional programme pairing senior engineers (aged 50+, median tenure 22 years) with digital-native recruits (aged 22–29, median tenure 1.4 years) in three European telecommunications operators — as a mechanism for simultaneous legacy knowledge transfer and accelerated digital upskilling. Using a longitudinal quasi-experimental design across 264 matched mentorship dyads over 24 months, the study documents legacy knowledge retention rates among new hires, measures the speed of digital tools adoption among senior engineers, and tests the moderating role of mentorship relationship quality and generational learning climate on both outcome trajectories. ADMM participants demonstrate a legacy Knowledge Retention Score of 84.1% at 24 months, compared to 58.6% in traditional one-directional mentorship programmes and 34.2% in control groups receiving no structured mentorship. Senior engineers in ADMM dyads achieve digital tools proficiency in 11.3 weeks on average, compared to 19.7 weeks in traditional mentorship and 26.4 weeks in the control condition. Mentorship relationship quality moderates both outcomes, with high-quality relationships amplifying legacy retention by an additional 12.4 percentage points. The ADMM framework is offered as a theoretically grounded, operationally practical model for telecommunications HR leaders managing the dual challenge of knowledge preservation and digital transformation

Keywords:

age-diverse mentorship, legacy knowledge preservation, reverse mentorship, bidirectional mentorship, digital upskilling, telecommunications, knowledge transfer, generational learning, tacit knowledge, workforce continuity

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