This paper focuses on intergenerational learning in the workplace, specifically in the environment of a family business, which by nature of its operation, forming a specific environment where there is intense intergenerational learning in the workplace. While internationally, family businesses control nearly 80% of GDP created by business subjects, the corresponding share is less than 25% in the Czech Republic, due to the disruption in the private business tradition due to the former communist regime. The number of family businesses is nevertheless growing. Despite this, family businesses in the Czech Republic have not been paid enough attention in education and andragogy research. In agreement with Strážovská (2002), we regard as a family business a business whose owner regards it to be this, intends to pass it on to a close relative in the future, and – last but not least – the third requirement is that the business employs at least another one member of the family participating in its everyday management. Family business as a specific business management model has a number of advantages but some perils as well. It is based on a larger whole formed by the family members; informal relations play an important role. We can thus characterize it especially by person culture (Handy, 1990), where individuals make decisions in areas of their expertise and the overall atmosphere is one of trust and solidarity. What may be an advantage is the significant emphasis on quality with a view to maintaining a good reputation of the business (Lukeš and Nový, 2005). In addition, family businesses are usually being built to last for more than several generations (Koráb & Kalouda, 1998; Ward & Aronoff, 2000). The idea of shaping and passing on the business to the next generations is typical of family businesses more than any other type of businesses. It is one of the main goals and principles family businesses are based on, unlike other businesses where the typical dominant goal is profit formation. Research in the situation of family businesses in the Czech Republic confirms this, showing that two out of three family businesses intend to pass on the business tradition, which fact shapes career development of individual members of these families quite significantly (comp. Schein 2010; Koubek 2015). Career as an ongoing process of individual development through gradual acquisition of knowledge, experience and responsibility in specific areas seems to be shaped considerably by intergenerational learning in Czech family businesses. On the other hand, half of the businesses have not started to pass these on yet. It is also true that respondents from family businesses predicted the process to take relatively long. (Situace rodinných firem [How well off are family businesses]). This may be due to anticipation of differences in values, goals, expectations and working habits between younger and older staff (Ramsey, 2011). It is evident that family businesses present a specific environment, characterized by intensive informal and formal learning in the workplace but also for the workplace and through the workplace, as viewed from the perspective of workplace learning (Evans in Novotný, 2009). They are also characterized by the specific environment shaping career development of the generations involved in operation of the business. The presence of intergenerational learning is also evident, the latter being defined as “a process through which individuals of all ages acquire knowledge and skills as well as attitudes and values, through everyday experience, from all sources available and in all ways available to them in their own worlds they live” (Hatton Yeo, 2008, p. 3). In the qualitative research survey we performed we focused on the process of intergenerational learning in the specific family business environment.

• Aronoff, C. E. & Ward, J. L., (2000) Family Business Values: How to assure a Legacy of continuity and success. Georgia: Marietta. • Hatton-Yeo, (2008) A. The Eagle toolkit for intergenerational activities. Available at: http://www.eagle-project.eu/welcome-to-eagle/out-now-eagle-toolkitfor- intergenerational-activities • Handy, CH. (1999). Understanding organizations. London: Penguin Books. • Koráb, V. & Kalouda, F. (1998). Jak pracují malé rodinné firmy. [How family businesses work.] Brno: VUT Brno. • Koubek, J. (2015). Řízení lidských zdrojů: základy moderní personalistiky. [Family business management: fundamentals of modern personnel management.] Praha: Management Press. • Lukeš, M., Nový, I. & kol. (2005). Psychologie podnikání. Osobnost podnikatele a rozvoj podnikatelských dovedností. [Business psychology. Entrepreneur personality and business skills development.] Praha: Management Press. • Novotný, P. (ed). (2009). Pracoviště jako prostor k učení. [Workplace as a space for learning.] Brno: Masarykova Univerzita. • Ramsey, R. (2011). Supervising an intergenerational workforce. [online]. Supervision, 2011, Vol. 72, Issue 10, p. 16-18. [2012-09-01]. Available at: http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/results?sid=745bd69f-1e44-423c 818df68f6a579ea8%40sessionmgr12&vid=2&hid=4&bquery=%28RAMSEY%2c+AND+R.%3a+AND+Supervising+AND+"%3ban"%3b+AND+intergenerational+AND+workforce.%29&bdata=JnR5cGU9MCZzaXRlPWVkcy1saXZl • Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Schlimbach, T.: Intergenerational mentoring in Germany: older people support young people’s transitions from school to work. Working with older people, 2010, Vol. 14, Issue 4, p. 4-15. • Srovnání rodinných firem. [Comparison of family businesses] Available at: http://www.amsp.cz/uploads/Pruzkumy/Vysledky_26._pruzkumu_AMSP_CR.pdf • Strážovská, Ľ., & Strážovská, E. (2002). Rodinné podnikanie. [Family business.] Bratislava: Sprint vfra.