Exploresearch (ISSN: 3048-815X) ( Vol. 03 | No. 2 | April - June, 2026 )

Reverse Mentoring for Cross-Generational Knowledge Transfer

Author: Dr. Vibha Batra

The concept of reverse mentoring wherein a senior executive is mentored by a digitally fluent junior colleague creates an inversion in the direction of organisational knowledge flow and has become a strategy to deal with the increasing generational gap seen within the contemporary workforce [1,4]. As Gen Z begins to occupy an increasingly significant share of the global and Indian workforce, Indian organisations face a unique problem - senior management needs to be adaptable to new technologies, changing work culture, and inclusive practices without destabilising the power dynamics on which the Indian corporate governance system operates [13,14]. In this paper, I would like to explore the concept of reverse mentoring and its importance from a literature review perspective within the context of psychological safety framework essential for candour within the hierarchy and propose a cyclical HR framework involving six stages: pairing, psychological safety contracting, session scheduling, feedback from both sides, organisational embedding, and periodic evaluation of the reverse mentoring program. As a conceptual paper, the present literature review is solely based on industry reports, examples and published literature. Reverse mentoring is an inexpensive and effective tool to keep the executives of Indian organizations strategically up-to-date if this practice is carefully designed to bridge age-based cultural hurdles, such as high power distance and losing face.

Batra, V. (2026). Reverse Mentoring for Cross-Generational Knowledge Transfer. Exploresearch, 03(02), 207–214. https://doi.org/10.62823/exre/2026/03/02.240

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DOI:

Article DOI: 10.62823/exre/2026/03/02.240

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.62823/exre/2026/03/02.240

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