Perceived HRM practices, organizational commitment, and voluntary early retirement among late-career managers

Integrative literature review on employee turnover antecedents across different generations: commonalities and uniqueness

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to synthesize the current turnover literature that has investigated the nonfinancial antecedents of turnover intention across generations. This paper provides an integrative and analytical review of prior empirical studies with two research questions: What nonfinancial factors influencing employee turnover have been empirically identified across different generations? and What generational commonalities and uniqueness exist among the turnover antecedents?

Design/methodology/approach

To identify nonfinancial antecedents of employee turnover, an integrative literature review that allows a systematic process of searching and selecting literature was conducted. While synthesizing the antecedents identified in the articles, the authors were able to categorize them at three different levels: individual, group and organizational

Findings

The authors discuss each antecedent according to three categories: individual, group and organizational levels. Based on the findings from the first research question, the authors further explore the commonalities and uniqueness among three generations (i.e. Millennials, Generation X and older workers).

Originality/value

This study found both generational commonalities and uniqueness in terms of turnover intention antecedents. Based on the findings of the study, the authors discuss how to facilitate these common factors across all generations as well as considering the factors unique to each generation. Differentiation within organizations regarding retention strategies should yield positive results for both employees and organizations.

Work centrality and recovery experiences in dual-earner couples: Test of an actor-partner interdependence model

Work centrality refers to individual beliefs regarding the degree of importance that work plays in their lives. To date, very little is known about the relationship between employees' work centrality and their work recovery. According to the resource allocation theory and spillover-crossover model, we aim to investigate the effects of work centrality on recovery experiences and explore the mediating role of spousal recovery support. Data from 177 matched dual-earner couples (N = 354) in China were analysed using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM). Results showed that working couples who reported higher work centrality experienced lower levels of psychological detachment and relaxation. The wives' work centrality showed a direct and negative influence on the husbands' relaxation; however, no direct partner effects were found for husbands. Moreover, the wives' work centrality was related to the husbands' relaxation, mastery, and control experience through the husbands' perceived recovery support. Our results also suggested that the wives' perceived recovery support mediated the effects of the husbands' work centrality on the wives' psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control experience when they had two children. Based on these findings, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Performance Effects of High Performance Work Systems on Committed, Long-Term Employees: A Multilevel Study

Even though effects of High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) on employee performance have been widely investigated, there is no consensus on how this link is achieved. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET), this paper attempts to shed more light in this relationship by investigating the mediating role of affective, normative, and continuance commitment in the relationship between HPWS and employee performance. Moreover, the potential moderating role of employee tenure on the HPWS-organizational commitment link is examined. Using data from 342 subordinates and 115 supervisors from 111 service organizations in Greece, our multilevel analysis shows that affective commitment fully mediates the relationship between HPWS and employee performance. In addition, employee tenure positively moderates the relationships between HPWS and affective and normative commitment. The paper discusses theoretical implications and provides recommendations for practitioners.

Person-vocation and same organization bridge employment intention: Testing the mediating and moderating roles of person-organization fit

BACKGROUND: During the last decades, much research has been accomplished on the antecedents of bridge employment. Nevertheless, there is limited investigation into the influence of person-environment fit levels on retirement intentions. OBJECTIVE: This study’s purpose was to examine the interactive effect of person-environment fit levels on the intention to pursue bridge employment. More specifically, the authors investigated the mediator and moderator roles of person-organization fit on the relationship between person-vocation fit and the intention to pursue bridge employment within the same organization. METHODS: Data from 246 older executives working in the French banking sector were used to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: The results indicated the existence of a positive and significant relationship between person-vocation fit and the intention to pursue bridge employment within the same organization. Further, the findings confirmed the mediating and moderating roles of person-organization fit on this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study have theoretically and empirically extended person-environment fit theory, continuity, and role theories to shed light on the underlying mechanisms through which person-vocation fit impact bridge employment intention. The findings of this study can be used by career counsellors and managers to design more effective actions to retain older workers.

Won't you stay just a little bit longer? A discrete choice experiment of UK doctors' preferences for delaying retirement

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Health systems around the world face difficulties retaining their workforce, which is exacerbated by the early retirement of experienced clinicians. This study aims to determine how to incentivise doctors to delay their retirement.

METHODS

We used a discrete choice experiment to estimate the relative importance of job characteristics in doctors' willingness to delay retirement, and the number of extra years they were willing to delay retirement when job characteristics improved. 2885 British Medical Association members aged between 50 and 70 years, registered with the General Medical Council, practising in Scotland (in December 2019), and who had not started to draw a pension were invited. We compared the preferences of hospital doctors (HDs) and general practitioners (GPs).

RESULTS

The response rate was 27.4% (n = 788). The number of extra years expected to work was the most important job characteristic for both respondents, followed by work intensity for GPs, whereas working hours and on-call were more important for HDs. Personalised working conditions and pension taxation were the least important characteristics for both groups. Setting all characteristics to their BEST levels, GPs would be willing to delay retirement by 4 years and HDs by 7 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Characteristics related to the job rather than pension could have the greatest impact on delaying retirement among clinicians.

Impact of training perception on affective commitment and the mediating role of work engagement: Evidence from hospitality sector of Pakistan

BACKGROUND: Given the importance and issues about the hospitality industry, commitment has remained a significant concern for human resource managers and researchers. This paper aims to develop the insights by assessing perceptions of training and work engagement as predictors of commitment among hospitality employees in Pakistan. OBJECTIVE: Following social exchange theory, this study investigated the relationship between five training perceptions: perceived access to training (PAT), motivation to learn (MLT), perceived benefits (PBT), perceived supervisory support (PSST), and coworker support (PCST) and the affective commitment via work engagement. METHOD: Employing survey-based data, this study analyzed 239 responses from the front-line employees in Pakistan’s hospitality industry. RESULTS: Smart-PLS results reveal that only PAT and PCST significantly predicted affective commitment out of five training perceptions. Similarly, work engagement was found to mediate the relationship between training perception and affective commitment except for MLT. The study also found that work engagement had the most substantial mediating effect between PSST and affective commitment. CONCLUSION: Organizations invest a lot of money in training and developing their employees to derive desired organizational outcomes. Therefore, it is important to consider perceptions of training while designing and delivering training. For organizational commitment, it is important that employees feel motivated to contribute to the organization and reciprocate with engagement and commitment with the organization.

The Influence of Person–Job Fit, Work–Life Balance, and Work Conditions on Organizational Commitment: Investigating the Mediation of Job Satisfaction in the Private Sector of the Emerging Market

This study aims to provide critical managerial implications for human resource (HR) practitioners at private-sector organizations from an emerging economy perspective. The study helps to optimize organizational commitment in the assessment of work–life balance, person–job fit, work condition, and the mediation of job satisfaction. It also investigates the influence of certain demographic variables on organizational commitment. The population comprises employees working in private sector organizations across Pakistan. A total of 1100 survey questionnaires were sent to potential respondents; 843 responded, giving a response rate of 77%. SmartPLS 3 software and SPSS were used to perform structural equation modeling. The study revealed that work–life balance, person–job fit, and job satisfaction have a positive influence on organizational commitment. Job satisfaction intervenes complementarily with the relationship of work–life balance and person–job fit with organizational commitment, while full mediation of job satisfaction was found for work conditions. Age, female gender, experience with current employee, and total industry experience were positively related to organizational commitment. HR managers at private-sector organizations must strive to provide work–life balance, person–job fit, and better work conditions so that employees are optimally satisfied on the job and exercise strong affective organizational commitment.

How Social Media Use at Work Affects Improvement of Older People's Willingness to Delay Retirement During Transfer From Demographic Bonus to Health Bonus: Causal Relationship Empirical Study

Background

With the increased older population in China and the subsequent reduced labor force, the “demographic bonus” is disappearing. The Chinese government proposed a Healthy China strategy in 2017. The transfer of the demographic bonus to a “health bonus” extended the working life of people and reduced the negative impact of the population’s aging on the labor force structure.

Objective

This research focuses on the effect of older workers’ social media usage at work on their work ability (related to both physical and mental health) and thus their willingness to delay retirement.

Methods

The questionnaire respondents were older than 55 years, and they obtained the questionnaire from social media, from June to July 2018. A total of 1020 valid questionnaires were collected, and SmartPLS 3.28 (SmartPLS GmbH) was used to analyze the data. Effects were analyzed using 2-tailed t tests.

Results

(1) Use of social media at work can improve information support (t₁₄=13.318, P<.001), emotional support (t₁₄=13.184, P<.001), and self-efficacy (t₁₄=6.364, P<.001) for older people; (2) information support is the main factor affecting the self-efficacy of older workers (t₁₄=23.304, P<.001), as compared with emotional support (t₁₄=1.799, P=0.07); (3) the impacts of emotional support on work ability (t₁₄=8.876, P<.001) and work stress (t₁₄=9.545, P<.001) are generally higher than those of information support (t₁₄=4.394, P<.001; t₁₄=5.002, P<.001); (4) self-efficacy has an impact on work ability (t₁₄=5.658, P<.001) and work stress (t₁₄=4.717, P<.001); and (5) the impacts of work ability (t₁₄=8.586, P<.001) and work stress (t₁₄=8.579, P<.001) on retirement willingness are greater than those of emotional support (t₁₄=2.112, P=.04) and information support (t₁₄=4.314, P<.001).

Conclusions

Our study confirms that the use of social media at work has a positive impact on older workers. Based on the findings, we have put forward proposals to extend people’s working lives and help governments implement health bonus policies. In the future, we will compare the different values of willingness to delay retirement among older people in different occupations and different cultures.

'Should I stay or should I go now?': A qualitative study of why UK doctors retire

OBJECTIVES

Health care delivery and education face critical potential shortages in the foreseeable future in terms of retaining doctors nearing the time of retirement - doctors who have experience-based knowledge to pass onto the next generation. Retirement decisions are driven by a combination of macro-related, job and individual factors. This is a constantly shifting space; findings from earlier studies do not always help us understand the retirement decisions of contemporary cohorts of doctors. To address these issues, and identify new knowledge to inform approaches to retaining expertise, we aimed to identify and explore what may keep an older doctor in the workforce ('stay') factors and ('go') factors that might prompt retirement.

METHODS

We invited doctors aged 50 years or over from diverse areas of Scotland to participate in qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Initial analysis of interview transcripts was inductive. The embeddedness theory of Mitchell et al encompassing the dimensions of 'link,' 'fit' and 'sacrifice,' was used for subsequent theory-driven analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 40 respondents participated. In terms of 'link,' retiring could feel like a loss when work links were positive, whereas the opposite was true when relationships were poor, or peers were retiring. Considering 'fit,' intrinsic job satisfaction was high but respondents had less confidence in their own abilities as they grew older. However, the data foregrounded the inverse of the notion of Mitchell et al's 'sacrifice'; for UK doctors, staying in work can involve sacrifice because of tax penalties, work intensity and arduous demands.

CONCLUSIONS

Retirement stay and go factors seem enmeshed in the cultural, social and economic structures of health care organisations and countries. Systems-level interventions that address ultimate causes, such as sufficient staffing, supportive systems, non-punitive taxation regimes and good working conditions are likely to be most effective in encouraging doctors to continue to contribute their knowledge and skills to the benefit of patients and learners.

From plans to action? Retirement thoughts, intentions and actual retirement: an eight-year follow-up in Finland

This study applies Feldman and Beehr's three-step model to examine retirement as a decision-making process leading from retirement thoughts to retirement plans and from retirement plans to actual retirement. The results show that retirement thoughts have a clear independent effect on retirement plans as measured by intended retirement age. Furthermore, retirement plans have an isolated effect on retirement patterns. Intended retirement age is the strongest predictor of actual retirement age. Retirement intentions can be thought to represent the effect of unobservable characteristics on retirement, such as preference and motivation. Retirement plans materialise with quite high accuracy. Several key factors are associated with intended and actual retirement age in a similar manner. Unemployment and higher income are connected with earlier planned and actual retirement. Health has a pronounced effect: better health is conducive to later retirement while weaker health (sickness absences) is conducive to earlier retirement. This applies both to retirement intentions and actual retirement and to the difference between the two. The most important way for organisations to extend working lives is to look after the health of older employees. Giving older workers an increased sense of control and lowering job demands helps to prevent premature retirement. Supporting older workers’ continued employment is significant for the retention of older workers, while layoffs targeting older workers shorten working lives.

Age-Diversity Practices and Retirement Preferences Among Older Workers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Work Engagement and Work Ability

To meet the demographic changes, organizations are challenged to develop practices that retain older workers and encourage them to postpone retirement. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of human resources (HR) practices in retirement preferences of older workers. Drawing on theories on lifespan development and social exchange, we suggest that organizations can facilitate longer working lives by implementing bundles of HR practices that are sensitive to age-related changes in workers' skills, preferences, and goals - i.e., age-diversity practices. We posit that age-diversity practices are positively related to work engagement that, in turn, relates to the preference for retiring later. We further suggest that work ability moderates the relationship between age-diversity practices and work engagement. Finally, we propose a moderated mediation model in which the mediated relationship is moderated by work ability. A sample of 232 older Portuguese workers completed a questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings show that work engagement completely mediates the relationship between age-diversity practices and the preference for early or late retirement. Moreover, this mediating relationship is more important for those workers who experience low work ability. Results further demonstrate that the effect of age-diversity practices on the preference for retiring later via work engagement is stronger for lower levels of work ability. This study highlights the organizational role in promoting longer and healthier working lives through the implementation of age-supportive HR practices.

Investigating the links between resilience, perceived HRM practices, and retirement intentions

Purpose

Human resource management (HRM) scholars’ interest in older employees’ resilience has only recently started to emerge. Little is known about how resilience and perceived HRM are linked to different retirement intentions. Drawing on the conservation of resources and social exchange theories, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the links between perceived HRM practices, resilience and retirement intentions. Additionally, the paper examines the possible mediating role of resilience in the relationship between perceived HRM practices and retirement intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

In 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted among older (50+) nursing professionals working in a Finnish university hospital. Statistical methods, including mean comparisons and linear and logistic regression analyses, were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results indicated that resilience partly mediated the relationship between perceived HRM practices and early retirement intentions, and fully mediated the association between perceived HRM practices and intentions to continue working after retirement age.

Originality/value

This study produces new knowledge regarding the links between resilience, perceived High involvement work practices and retirement intentions.

The Relationship of Workplace Flexibility to Employee Engagement among Information Technology Employees in India

Historically, organizations have been provisioning flexible work arrangement (FWA) options in the workplace to help employees achieve a balance between work obligations and private obligations. We explore the utilization of FWA offerings in the Indian information technology (IT) industry and its relation to employee engagement (EE). Employees working in IT organizations in Bengaluru, India, were approached and data were obtained from 504 participants. The study found that availability of FWA options coincided with their utilization. Disconcertingly, only 7 per cent of the employees were “highly engaged”, 51 per cent were neither engaged nor disengaged and 41 per cent of the employees were disengaged with their current organization. FWAs were positively related to EE. We find congruence that FWA options lead to better EE warranting further exploration that can guide FWA policies.

The relationship between workplace psychosocial environment and retirement intentions and actual retirement: a systematic review

Psychosocial work characteristics are potential determinants of retirement intentions and actual retirement. A systematic review was conducted of the influence of psychosocial work characteristics on retirement intentions and actual retirement among the general population. This did not include people who were known to be ill or receiving disability pension. Relevant papers were identified by a search of PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases to December 2016. We included longitudinal and cross-sectional papers that assessed psychosocial work characteristics in relation to retirement intentions or actual retirement. Papers were filtered by title and abstract before data extraction was performed on full texts using a predetermined extraction sheet. Forty-six papers contained relevant evidence. High job satisfaction and high job control were associated with later retirement intentions and actual retirement. No consistent evidence was found for an association of job demands with retirement intentions or actual retirement. We conclude that to extend working lives policies should increase the job control available to older employees.

Early Retirement: A Meta-Analysis of Its Antecedent and Subsequent Correlates

Early or voluntary retirement (ER) can be defined as the full exit from an organizational job or career path of long duration, decided by individuals of a certain age at the mid or late career before mandatory retirement age, with the aim of reducing their attachment to work and closing a process of gradual psychological disengagement from working life. Given the swinging movements that characterize employment policies, the potential effects of ER-both for individuals and society-are still controversial. This meta-analysis examined the relationships between ER and its antecedent and subsequent correlates. Our review of the literature was generated with 151 empirical studies, containing a total number of 706,937 participants, with a wide range of sample sizes (from N = 27 to N = 127,384 participants) and 380 independent effect sizes (ESs), which included 171 independent samples. A negligible ES value for antecedent correlates of early retirement (family pull, job stress, job satisfaction, and income) was obtained (which ranged from r = -0.13 to 0.19), while a fair ES was obtained for workplace timing for retirement, organizational pressures, financial security, and poor physical and mental health, (ranging from r = 0.28 to 0.25). Regarding ER subsequent correlates, poor ESs were obtained, ranging from r = 0.08 to 0.18 for the relationships with subsequent correlates, and fair ESs only for social engagement (r = -0.25). Examination of the potential moderator variables has been conducted. Only a reduced percentage of variability of primary studies has been explained by moderators. Although potential moderator factors were examined, there are several unknown or not measurable factors which contribute to ER and about which there are very little data available. The discussion is aimed to offer theoretical and empirical implications suggestion in order to improve employee's well-being.

Buffers or Boosters? The Role of HRM Practices in Older Workers' Experience of Stereotype Threat

Building on the social identity approach and the HRM literature, this two-wave cross-sectional study examined the effects of negative age-based metastereotypes on the age-based stereotype threat experience of older workers and on organizational disidentification. The moderator role of HRM practices in the relationship between negative age-based metastereotypes and age-based stereotype threat was also investigated. Older workers survey results (n = 469) from 14 manufacturing companies indicated that negative age-based metastereotypes correlate positively with stereotype threat. Moderation results showed that age-awareness HRM practices (training for older workers) reinforced age-based stereotype threat, whereas general HRM practices (recognition and respect) impaired it. The article suggests that the combination of age-based metastereotypes with a stereotype threat framework contributes to further understand older workers' beliefs and attitudes. It also indicates that to be effective, HRM practices should emphasize positive social identities older workers share with their colleagues, rather than giving older workers special treatment that may, after all, reinforce stigmatization.

Causal modelling of HR flexibility and firm performance in Indian IT industries

Purpose

This paper aims to measure the human resource (HR) flexibility and firm performances confirmatory model and to map the causal relation structures in the HR flexibility and firm performance dimensions using the DEMATEL method.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from leading national and multinational information technology (IT) firms operating in the southern part of India. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to measure the confirmatory model, and the DEMATEL method was used to map the causal relation among the dimensions of HR flexibility and firm performance.

Findings

HR flexibility could exist across IT firms. Organisations are required to anticipate and respond promptly to changing conditions in such a way that both technical and stakeholders’ complexity are effectively managed.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted at leading national and multinational IT firms operating in the southern part of India.

Practical implications

HR flexibility allows employees with a wide variety of work styles and lifestyles to be successful contributors, to advance and to lead in the parent firm. It brings out diversity and individuality, shared responsibility, wholeness, etc., among the employees. It applies to work schedules and career paths across the organisation. IT firms are advised to adopt an external focus, an organic and employee-oriented approach and long-term orientation.

Originality/value

Confirming the measurement model and mapping the causal relationship among the dimensions of HR flexibility and firm performance would be the novel contributions to the research in the areas of HR flexibility and firm performance with regard to IT firms. This paper contributes to the literature by theoretically and empirically investigating such relationships, thereby addressing the research gaps reviewed from literature.

Human resource management practices and organizational commitment: research methods, issues and future directions (2001-2016)

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline the various research methods adopted by researchers in studies that have investigated the relationship between human resource management (HRM) practices and organizational commitment (OC).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted a comprehensive review that covers empirical research on HRM-OC relationship, which was published between 2001 and 2016 in international peer-reviewed journals. A total of 63 empirical studies were included in this review. Authors adopted content analysis to synthesize the findings on the adopted research methods.

Findings

This review clearly indicates the excessive reliance of researchers on specific research methods (i.e. surveys, individual-level analysis, and cross-sectional design). However, there is a steady increase in empirical studies that have adopted mixed-method, multi-actor, and multi-level research designs.

Originality/value

This review has attempted to explore advanced research methods that may offer assistance to overcome methodological limitations of the current HRM-OC literature.

Job Crafting: Older Workers' Mechanism for Maintaining Person-Job Fit

Aging at work is a dynamic process. As individuals age, their motives, abilities and values change as suggested by life-span development theories (Lang and Carstensen, 2002; Kanfer and Ackerman, 2004). Their growth and extrinsic motives weaken while intrinsic motives increase (Kooij et al., 2011), which may result in workers investing their resources in different areas accordingly. However, there is significant individual variability in aging trajectories (Hedge et al., 2006). In addition, the changing nature of work, the evolving job demands, as well as the available opportunities at work may no longer be suitable for older workers, increasing the likelihood of person-job misfit. The potential misfit may, in turn, impact how older workers perceive themselves on the job, which leads to conflicting work identities. With the traditional job redesign approach being a top-down process, it is often difficult for organizations to take individual needs and skills into consideration and tailor jobs for every employee (Berg et al., 2010). Therefore, job crafting, being an individualized process initiated by employees themselves, can be a particularly valuable mechanism for older workers to realign and enhance their demands-abilities and needs-supplies fit. Through job crafting, employees can exert personal agency and make changes to the task, social and cognitive aspects of their jobs with the goal of improving their work experience (Wrzesniewski and Dutton, 2001). Building on the Life Span Theory of Control (Heckhausen and Schulz, 1995), we posit that job crafting, particularly cognitive crafting, will be of increasing value as employees age. Through reframing how they think of their job and choosing to emphasize job features that are personally meaningful, older workers can optimize their resources to proactively redesign their jobs and maintain congruent, positive work identities.

Finding Meaning in the Struggle of Work

Abstract. It is suggested that work importance research has suffered from construct proliferation, and that the literature would benefit from returning to Dubin’s (1956) original notion of work importance as a general construct – representing the degree to which work plays a central role in one’s life space. Measures of three work importance constructs (i.e., work involvement, job involvement, work ethic endorsement) were administered to (n = 758) working adults from the USA to examine dimensionality using bifactor analysis. Results showed the bifactor model fit the data better than a one-factor or three-factor model. The bifactor model suggests that both general and domain-specific factors appear to exist, but that the general work importance factor predicts most work outcomes to a substantial degree.

Impact of Development and Accommodation Practices on Older Workers' Job Characteristics, Prolonged Fatigue, Work Engagement, and Retirement Intentions Over Time

OBJECTIVE

The impact of development and accommodation practices on older workers' retirement intentions was investigated in this prospective study, together with potential pathways and the role of career stage.

METHODS

A subsample of full-time, older workers (n = 678) from the Maastricht Cohort Study was followed-up for 2 years. Regression analysis was conducted for three age groups.

RESULTS

Development practices related positively with later retirement intentions in workers aged 55 to 59 years. The accommodation practice of demotion related negatively with later retirement intentions in worker aged at least 60 years. Decision latitude and work engagement were found to link development and accommodation practices with later retirement intentions in particular in workers aged 55 to 59 years.

CONCLUSIONS

It was indicated in this prospective study that development and accommodation practices may be useful for prolonging working careers.

The effects of old-age stereotypes on organizational productivity (part three)

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine common stereotypes regarding old-age workers and the effect of these stereotypes on organizational productivity, as well as to suggest practical solutions for accommodating old-age workers and increasing productivity in all employees.

Design/methodology/approach

– This three part paper will present a thorough review of relevant literature (1991-2014, with the exception of two studies from 1976) that were conducted on the topics of old-age stereotyping, the effect of old-age stereotyping on organizational productivity, and methods for adequately motivating and managing old-age workers. Studies concerning psychology theories are also examined in order to provide a framework for practical solutions, as well as demographic statistics on population age and employment trends.

Findings

– This paper identifies a number of old-age stereotypes that have decreased organizational productivity in empirical studies, including reluctance to change, decreased learning ability, intelligence and memory, poor health and accidents, higher organizational costs, decreased motivation, and low innovation and productivity. Findings also suggest that old-age workers can positively affect productivity, and that low productivity is often a result of stereotyping.

Research limitations/implications

– The prevalence of old-age stereotyping and its impact on organizational productivity may differ by culture, industry, type of employment, education level, and other factors, and thus further research may be necessary. The literature reviewed may not adequately represent worldwide organizational trends, as the literature is largely comprised of studies performed in North America and Europe.

Practical implications

– Solutions based on these findings are taken directly from the literature or derived from literature on psychology theories, which include self-determination theory, socio-emotional selectivity theory, and selective optimization and compensation theory. The practical solutions proposed address work environment, motivation, rewards, flexibility, and the loss and gain of resources in old-age workers.

Social implications

– The proportion of old-age workers is increasing and it is therefore necessary to determine ways to adequately integrate old-age workers in the workforce. Furthermore, this can raise productivity in all employees.

Originality/value

– This paper demonstrates that old-age stereotyping is both prevalent and detrimental within an organizational context. These findings and solutions can potentially be used by organizations in order to increase individual and overall productivity.

Job Lock, Work, and Psychological Well-being in the United States

The purpose of the present study was to examine job lock in relation to well-being among workers in the U.S. Job lock refers to a circumstance in which a worker would like to retire or stop working altogether, but perceives that they cannot due to needing the income, and/or health insurance. Prior to examining job lock as a potential predictor of life satisfaction we first investigated the construct validity of job lock. Results from a sample of N=308 workers obtained via MTurk indicated that job lock due to financial need was more strongly associated with continuance and affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction compared to health insurance job lock. Job lock due to health insurance needs was related to a dimension of career entrenchment. We then tested hypotheses regarding the relation between job lock at T1 and life satisfaction at T2, two years later. Specifically, we hypothesized that perceptions of job lock would be negatively related to life satisfaction. Using two independent samples from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we found that both types of job lock were highly prevalent among workers age 62-65. Job lock due to money was significantly associated with lower life satisfaction 2 years later. The findings for job lock due to health insurance were mixed across the two samples. This study was an important first step toward examining the relation between job lock, an economic concept, in relation to workers' job attitudes and well-being.

The effects of old-age stereotypes on organizational productivity (part two)

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine common stereotypes regarding old-age workers and the effect of these stereotypes on organizational productivity, as well as to suggest practical solutions for accommodating old-age workers and increasing productivity in all employees.

Design/methodology/approach

– This three part paper will present a thorough review of relevant literature (1991-2014, with the exception of two studies from 1976) that were conducted on the topics of old-age stereotyping, the effect of old-age stereotyping on organizational productivity, and methods for adequately motivating and managing old-age workers. Studies concerning psychology theories are also examined in order to provide a framework for practical solutions, as well as demographic statistics on population age and employment trends.

Findings

– This paper identifies a number of old-age stereotypes that have decreased organizational productivity in empirical studies, including reluctance to change, decreased learning ability, intelligence and memory, poor health and accidents, higher organizational costs, decreased motivation, and low innovation and productivity. Findings also suggest that old-age workers can positively affect productivity, and that low productivity is often a result of stereotyping.

Research limitations/implications

– The prevalence of old-age stereotyping and its impact on organizational productivity may differ by culture, industry, type of employment, education level, and other factors, and thus further research may be necessary. The literature reviewed may not adequately represent worldwide organizational trends, as the literature is largely comprised of studies performed in North America and Europe.

Practical implications

– Solutions based on these findings are taken directly from the literature or derived from literature on psychology theories, which include self-determination theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, and selective optimization and compensation theory. The practical solutions proposed address work environment, motivation, rewards, flexibility, and the loss and gain of resources in old-age workers.

Social implications

– The proportion of old-age workers is increasing and it is therefore necessary to determine ways to adequately integrate old-age workers in the workforce. Furthermore, this can raise productivity in all employees.

Originality/value

– This paper demonstrates that old-age stereotyping is both prevalent and detrimental within an organizational context. These findings and solutions can potentially be used by organizations in order to increase individual and overall productivity.

The effects of old-age stereotypes on organizational productivity (part one)

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine common stereotypes regarding old-age workers and the effect of these stereotypes on organizational productivity, as well as to suggest practical solutions for accommodating old-age workers and increasing productivity in all employees.

Design/methodology/approach

– This three part paper will present a thorough review of relevant literature (1991-2014, with the exception of two studies from 1976) that were conducted on the topics of old-age stereotyping, the effect of old-age stereotyping on organizational productivity, and methods for adequately motivating and managing old-age workers. Studies concerning psychology theories are also examined in order to provide a framework for practical solutions, as well as demographic statistics on population age and employment trends.

Findings

– This paper identifies a number of old-age stereotypes that have decreased organizational productivity in empirical studies, including reluctance to change, decreased learning ability, intelligence and memory, poor health and accidents, higher organizational costs, decreased motivation, and low innovation and productivity. Findings also suggest that old-age workers can positively affect productivity, and that low productivity is often a result of stereotyping.

Research limitations/implications

– The prevalence of old-age stereotyping and its impact on organizational productivity may differ by culture, industry, type of employment, education level, and other factors, and thus further research may be necessary. The literature reviewed may not adequately represent worldwide organizational trends, as the literature is largely comprised of studies performed in North America and Europe.

Practical implications

– Solutions based on these findings are taken directly from the literature or derived from literature on psychology theories, which include self-determination theory, socio-emotional selectivity theory, and selective optimization and compensation theory. The practical solutions proposed address work environment, motivation, rewards, flexibility, and the loss and gain of resources in old-age workers.

Social implications

– The proportion of old-age workers is increasing and it is therefore necessary to determine ways to adequately integrate old-age workers in the workforce. Furthermore, this can raise productivity in all employees.

Originality/value

– This paper demonstrates that old-age stereotyping is both prevalent and detrimental within an organizational context. These findings and solutions can potentially be used by organizations in order to increase individual and overall productivity.

The influence of chronic health problems and work-related factors on loss of paid employment among older workers

BACKGROUND

With an ageing society and increasing retirement ages, it is important to understand how employability can be promoted in older workers with health problems. The current study aimed to determine whether (1) different chronic health problems predict transitions from paid employment to disability benefits, unemployment and early retirement, and (2) how work-related factors modify these associations.

METHODS

Self-report questionnaire data was used from the Dutch longitudinal Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation with 3 years of follow-up (2010-2013), among employees aged 45-64 years (N=8149). The influence of baseline chronic health problems and work-related factors on transitions from paid employment to disability benefits, unemployment and early retirement during follow-up was estimated in a competing risks proportional hazards model. Relative excess risk of transitions due to the interaction between chronic health problems and work-related factors was assessed.

RESULTS

Severe headache, diabetes mellitus and musculoskeletal, respiratory, digestive and psychological health problems predicted an increased risk of disability benefits (HR range 1.78-2.79). Circulatory (HR=1.35) and psychological health problems (HR=2.58) predicted unemployment, and musculoskeletal (HR=1.23) and psychological health problems (HR=1.57) predicted early retirement. Work-related factors did not modify the influence of health problems on unemployment or early retirement. Psychosocial work-related factors, especially autonomy, modified the influence of health problems on disability benefits. Specifically, among workers with health problems, higher autonomy, higher support and lower psychological job demands reduced the risk of disability benefits by 82%, 49%, and 11%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

All health problems affected disability benefits to a similar extent, but psychological health problems especially predicted unemployment and early retirement. For older workers with health problems, promoting an optimal work environment has the potential to contribute to sustainable employment.

Work-related factors as predictors in the retirement decision-making process of older workers in the Netherlands

This article examines work-related factors and their impact on the retirement decision-making process. We particularly focus on organisational human resources policies and normative climate regarding retirement. Organisations create opportunities and conditions for career extension via their personnel instruments. The normative climate may encourage or discourage retirement. We use a ten-year follow-up study among 1,458 older employees in the Netherlands aged 50–59 at baseline. Results reveal that older workers are sensitive to social approval earned from their co-workers and supervisor. A social climate that supports working up to higher ages is an important requisite for reducing the attractiveness of the early retirement option. Retirement intentions, formed in the years prior to retirement, are shaped by workplace norms and supervisors' attitudes. Results indicate that in order to delay retirement, policy initiatives cannot be reduced to altering financial restrictions surrounding retirement but need to address the forces at the organisational level that channel workers out of employment.

'All those things together made me retire': qualitative study on early retirement among Dutch employees

BACKGROUND

Due to the aging of the population and subsequent higher pressure on public finances, there is a need for employees in many European countries to extend their working lives. One way in which this can be achieved is by employees refraining from retiring early. Factors predicting early retirement have been identified in quantitative research, but little is known on why and how these factors influence early retirement. The present qualitative study investigated which non-health related factors influence early retirement, and why and how these factors influence early retirement.

METHODS

A qualitative study among 30 Dutch employees (60-64 years) who retired early, i.e. before the age of 65, was performed by means of face-to-face interviews. Participants were selected from the cohort Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM).

RESULTS

For most employees, a combination of factors played a role in the transition from work to early retirement, and the specific factors involved differed between individuals. Participants reported various factors that pushed towards early retirement ('push factors'), including organizational changes at work, conflicts at work, high work pressure, high physical job demands, and insufficient use of their skills and knowledge by others in the organization. Employees who reported such push factors towards early retirement often felt unable to find another job. Factors attracting towards early retirement ('pull factors') included the wish to do other things outside of work, enjoy life, have more flexibility, spend more time with a spouse or grandchildren, and care for others. In addition, the financial opportunity to retire early played an important role. Factors influenced early retirement via changes in the motivation, ability and opportunity to continue working or retire early.

CONCLUSION

To support the prolongation of working life, it seems important to improve the fit between the physical and psychosocial job characteristics on the one hand, and the abilities and wishes of the employee on the other hand. Alongside improvements in the work environment that enable and motivate employees to prolong their careers, a continuous dialogue between the employer and employee on the (future) person-job fit and tailored interventions might be helpful.

Pathways through which health influences early retirement: a qualitative study

Background

Due to the aeging of the population, there is a societal need for workers to prolong their working lives. In the Netherlands, many employees still leave the workforce before the official retirement age of 65. Previous quantitative research showed that poor self-perceived health is a risk factor of (non-disability) early retirement. However, little is known on how poor health may lead to early retirement, and why poor health leads to early retirement in some employees, but not in others. Therefore, the present qualitative study aims to identify in which ways health influences early retirement.

Methods

Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 employees (60–64 years) who retired before the official retirement age of 65. Participants were selected from the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, a summary was made including a timeline, and the interviews were open coded.

Results

In 15 of the 30 persons, health played a role in early retirement. Both poor and good health influenced early retirement. For poor health, four pathways were identified. First, employees felt unable to work at all due to health problems. Second, health problems resulted in a self-perceived (future) decline in the ability to work, and employees chose to retire early. Third, employees with health problems were afraid of a further decline in health, and chose to retire early. Fourth, employees with poor health retired early because they felt pushed out by their employer, although they themselves did not experience a reduced work ability. A good health influenced early retirement, since persons wanted to enjoy life while their health still allowed to do so. The financial opportunity to retire sometimes triggered the influence of poor health on early retirement, and often triggered the influence of good health. Employees and employers barely discussed opportunities to prolong working life.

Conclusions

Poor and good health influence early retirement via several different pathways. To prolong working life, a dialogue between employers and employees and tailored work-related interventions may be helpful.

Gender differences in how retirees perceive factors influencing unretirement

Returning to paid employment after retirement is occurring in many developed countries and can be expected to increase in the future. This study compared how women (n = 202) and men (n = 347) who had retired from a managerial or professional career occupation perceived factors associated with unretirement. Retired professional women perceived reasons to unretire, age-friendly human resource practices, and re-entry barriers to have greater influence on retirees' decision to unretire than retired managerial women and retired men. Both groups of retired women perceived training and development opportunities to have more influence than retired men. A major contribution of this study is the identification of pre-retirement career occupation as having an important effect on how female, but not male, retirees perceived the various factors. The findings suggest that researchers and employers need to consider the diversity that exists among retirees, not only gender differences but also differences among retired career women.

Employers’ views of learning and training for an ageing workforce

This article questions how employers view and evaluate the role of learning and training for older workers in light of the increasing number of older workers in the labour market. Learning and training opportunities could be utilised to respond to the ‘extending working lives’ agenda, but interviews with employers suggest that this is not being done. A small number of human resource professionals, managing directors and owners were interviewed to determine what learning opportunities were offered to their older workers and how these workers’ experience could be utilised better. Respondents implicitly accepted that there were few learning opportunities for older workers and suggested that they expected this group of workers to take on additional roles in making learning and experience available to younger colleagues. Dichotomies in employers’ views emerged in that they differentiated between groups of workers and their need for skills, experience and the ‘right’ attitudes.

Relationships of proactive behaviour with job-related affective well-being and anticipated retirement age: an exploration among older employees in Belgium

Developed countries throughout the world are challenged with the ageing of their labour force. In these societal contexts, low employment rates and early labour market exits of older employees are at stake, as well as arrangements for retirement, financial household considerations and mutual obligations between generations. Although proactive behaviour has been extensively studied, no research has addressed the proactive behaviour of older employees themselves when facing (re)hiring and retention versus early retirement. For the first time, this study tests the relationships of proactive behaviour with job-related affective well-being and anticipated retirement age in a sample of employees aged 50+ (N = 89) in Belgium. The findings are obtained by using a self-report questionnaire. Statistical analysis includes correlation and regression analysis. Major findings are that (i) proactive older employees feel energetic, enthusiastic, inspired, at ease, relaxed and satisfied; and (ii) later retirement is anticipated when experiencing positive affective well-being at study.