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Tacit Contributions and Roles of Senior Researchers: Experiences of a Multinational Company. ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/admsci12040192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the concerns of innovation-dependent organisations is that the gradual increase in the average age of their employees might affect their creativity and innovation rates, leading to losses in competitiveness. The purpose of this paper was to deepen the identification and understanding of the contributions done by senior researchers within a private organisation. This study was based on field qualitative research on a multinational company. Interviews were performed were senior researchers and the transcripts were analysed with a qualitative data analysis (QDA) software to organise, analyse and find insights in unstructured or qualitative data. Analysis was performed using axial coding, which relates data together to reveal codes and categories from participants’ voices within the collected data. The points of view of senior researchers were explicitly sought and the findings indicated that these veteran professionals can be more valuable for their contributions as experienced workers than for their scientific productivity at the individual level, without disregarding it. Senior researchers have acquired tacit skills linked to their experience, such as a holistic view of the issues and efficient work methodologies. Therefore, they develop formal or informal roles over time related to advice and knowledge transfer. Consequently, it was found that their tacit contributions and roles increase the intellectual capital of the organisation. This paper helps in understanding the contributions made by senior researchers within a private organisation. No other reviews have sought to obtain such information on this specific sector.
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Rudolph CW, Zacher H. How, Why, and When is the Average Age of Employees Related to Climate for Innovation? The Role of Age Diversity, Focus on Opportunities, and Work Engagement. GROUP & ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/10596011221078666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Folk wisdom suggests that “you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.” Accordingly, as the average age of the workforce increases, there is a potential concern based on negative stereotypes that organizations will become less innovative. Drawing from lifespan development theories and theorizing on innovation, we explore this concern by testing, at the organization level of analysis, whether the average age of employees is indirectly related to climate for innovation through employees’ aggregate focus on opportunities (i.e., a negative indirect effect) and work engagement (i.e., a positive indirect effect). Moreover, we proposed that organizational age diversity is a protective resource that moderates these relationships, such that they are weaker in organizations with high as compared to low age diversity. Organization-level data were collected from teaching and non-teaching staff in n = 133 schools across two time points separated by 4 years (Time 1 n = 3712 respondents; Time 2 n = 5183 respondents). Results suggest that the average age of employees within schools was negatively related to employees’ aggregate focus on opportunities which, in turn, positively predicted climate for innovation above and beyond the positive effect of work engagement. Moreover, the negative indirect effect of average age on climate for innovation through aggregate focus on opportunities was weaker for organizations with high age diversity. Overall, these findings contribute to a better understanding of relationships between age and age-related characteristics and climate for innovation at the organization level, and challenge common misunderstandings regarding the role of age in the workplace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cort W. Rudolph
- Department of Psychology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Hannes Zacher
- Wilhelm Wundt Institute of Psychology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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Triana MDC, Gu P, Chapa O, Richard O, Colella A. Sixty years of discrimination and diversity research in human resource management: A review with suggestions for future research directions. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/hrm.22052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María del Carmen Triana
- Owen Graduate School of Management, Organization Studies Area Vanderbilt University Nashville Tennessee USA
| | - Pamela Gu
- Department of Management and Human Resources University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Olga Chapa
- School of Business University of Houston‐Victoria Victoria Texas USA
| | - Orlando Richard
- Isenberg School of Management University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Massachusetts USA
| | - Adrienne Colella
- A.B. Freeman School of Business Tulane University New Orleans Louisiana USA
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Lin YH, Chen YC. Developing exploitative and exploratory capabilities through capitalising on alliance orientation. TECHNOLOGY ANALYSIS & STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/09537325.2019.1685086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Hui Lin
- Department of International Business, College of Management, Ming Chuan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Chun Chen
- Department of International Business Administration, College of Business, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan
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An innovative work behaviour-enhancing employability model moderated by age. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2018. [DOI: 10.1108/ejtd-10-2016-0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to empirically validate an innovative work behaviour-enhancing model of employability in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to examine possible moderating effects of age.
Design/methodology/approach
Data have been collected from 487 pairs of employees and their immediate supervisors who worked in 151 SMEs. Structural equation modelling (SEM) has been used to investigate the predictive validity of employability on innovative work behaviour using a multi-source approach. The moderating effect of employee age on the relationship between, on the one hand, self-ratings and supervisor ratings of employability, and, on the other hand, innovative work behaviour has been tested using multi-group SEM.
Findings
Results suggest that self-rated employability correlates positively with supervisor-rated innovative work behaviour, and that supervisor-rated employability correlates positively with self-rated innovative work behaviour. Age appeared to have a weak influence on the relationship between employability and innovative work behaviour; more specifically, in case of a higher age, the relationship was stronger.
Research limitations/implications
The cross-sectional design is a limitation of this study. Another limitation relates to the generalizability of the study findings outside the context in which the research has been undertaken. The relational meaning of employee age might be different in other cultures.
Practical implications
Supervisors appear to play an essential role in providing an age-friendly working life for employees. Moreover, as SMEs often do not employ professionals to manage human resources, supervisors themselves have to carry the responsibility to encourage aging employees to develop themselves the enhancing innovative work behaviour.
Originality/value
This study is the first to investigate the predictive validity of employability on innovative work behaviour and the effects of age on this relationship.
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