Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T07:32:31.215Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Keeping Up! Older Workers’ Adaptation in the Workplace after Age 55*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2013

Eddy S. W. Ng  and
Alan Law
Eddy S. W. Ng*
Affiliation:
Rowe School of Business, Dalhousie University
Alan Law
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, Trent University
*
†Correspondence and requests for reprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Eddy S. W. Ng, Ph.D. Dalhousie University Rowe School of Business 6100 University Ave. Halifax (NS) B3K 4R2 (edng@dal.ca)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

How do older workers keep up and adapt to a changing workplace after age 55? In exploring that question, this study specifically examined how age-related changes affect workers, how older workers deal with a loss of resources, how they engage in life management, and why some are more successful than others. An in-depth analysis was undertaken using 32 semi-structured interviews conducted with workers aged 55 to 64. Findings revealed that older workers use various strategies to adapt to a change in resources, and that these strategies help them cope and maintain their functioning in the workplace. Because older workers require different types of employer support, this study offers an understanding of how employers can provide that support to encourage older workers to remain in the workforce longer. Several avenues for future research are suggested, including an exploration of the role played by internal sources of support.

Résumé

Comment les travailleurs âgés, après l’âge de 55 ans, peuvent-ils se maintenir et s’adapter à un milieu de travail en évolution? En explorant cette question, cette étude a examiné précisément comment les changements liés à l’âge touchent aux travailleurs, comment les travailleurs âgés font face à une perte de ressources, comment ils s’engagent dans la gestion de leur vie, et pourquoi certains parmi eux réussissent plus que d’autres. Une analyse profondie a été réalisée en utilisant 32 entretiens semi-directifs menés avec les travailleurs âgés de 55 a 64 ans. Une analyse profondie a été réalisée en utilisant 32 entretiens semi-directifs menés avec les travailleurs âgés de 55 a 64 ans. Nos conclusions suggèrent que les travailleurs les plus vieux utilisent diverses stratégies pour s’adapter à un changement de ressources, et que ces stratégies les aident à se débrouiller et maintenir leur fonctionnement dans leur milieu de travail. Comme les plus vieux travailleurs exigent des types différents de soutien d’employeur, notre étude fournit une compréhension de comment les employeurs peuvent fournir ce soutien pour encourager de plus vieux travailleurs pour rester dans la main-d’oeuvre plus longue. Nous suggérons aussi plusieurs avenues pour la recherche future, y compris explorer le rôle de sources internes de soutien.

Keywords

aging workersqualitative researchselectionoptimizationand compensation strategyles travailleurs vieillissantsla sélectionl’optimisationet la stratégie de compensationla recherche qualitative
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 33 , Issue 1 , March 2014 , pp. 1 - 14
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

We thank the following for their support and funding of the project: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, New Horizons for seniors program, Peterborough’s Workforce Development Board, The Trent Centre for Community Based Education and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Acknowledgement is also extended to James Struthers, Suzanne Bailey, Gary Reker, and Rory Coughlan for their work in interview question design, interviewing, and preliminary analytical comments.

References

Abraham, J. D., & Hansson, R. O. (1995). Successful aging at work: An applied study of selection, optimization, and selection through impression management. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 50(2), 94–103.Google Scholar
Armstrong-Stassen, M., & Schlosser, F. (2011). Perceived organizational membership and the retention of older workers. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(2), 319–344.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baldwin, B. (2009). Research study on the Canadian retirement income system. Prepared for the Government of Ontario. Retrieved 3 March 2013 from http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/consultations/pension/dec09report.pdf.Google Scholar
Baltes, B. B., & Heydens-Gahir, H. A. (2003). Reduction of work-family conflict through the use of selection, optimization, and compensation behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(6), 1005–1018.Google Scholar
Baltes, B. B., & Dickson, M. W. (2001). Using life-span models in industrial-organizational psychology: The theory of selective optimization with compensation. Applied Developmental Science, 5(1), 51–62.Google Scholar
Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. M. (1990). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In Baltes, P. B. & Baltes, M. M. (Eds.), Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences (pp. 1–34). New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berger, E. D. (2009). Managing age discrimination: An examination of the techniques used when seeking employment. The Gerontologist, 49(3), 317–332.Google Scholar
Brooke, L. (2003). Human resource costs and benefits of maintaining a mature-age workforce. International Journal of Manpower, 24(3), 260–283.Google Scholar
Brooke, L., & Taylor, P. (2005). Older workers and employment: Managing age relations. Aging & Society, 25(3), 415–429.Google Scholar
Burke, R. J., & Ng, E. (2006). The changing nature of work and organizations: Implications for human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 16(2), 86–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burnett-Wolle, S., & Godbey, G. (2007). Refining research on older adults’ leisure: Implications of selection, optimization, and compensation and socioemotional selectivity theories. Journal of Leisure Research, 39(3), 498–513.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carrière, Y., & Galarneau, D. (2011). Delayed retirement: A new trend? Perspectives on income and labour, Statistics Canada. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2011004/article/11578-eng.pdf.Google Scholar
Carrière, Y., & Galarneau, D. (2012). How many years to retirement? Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-006-x/2012001/article/11750-eng.pdf.Google Scholar
Chappell, N. L., & Funk, L. M. (2011). Social support, caregiving, and aging. Canadian Journal on Aging, 30(3), 355–370.Google Scholar
Charness, N. (2008). Aging and human performance. Human Factors, 50(3), 548–555.Google Scholar
Charness, N. (2009). Skill acquisition in older adults: Psychological mechanisms. In Czaja, S. J. & Sharit, J. (Eds.), Aging and work: Issues and implications in a changing landscape (pp. 232–258). Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Charness, N., Czaja, S. J., & Sharit, J. (2007). Age and technology for work. In Schulz, K. S. & Adams, G. A. (Eds.), Aging and work in the 21st century (pp. 225–249). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Clarke, L. H., & Korotchenko, A. (2011). Aging and the body: A review. Canadian Journal on Aging, 30(3), 495–510.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cleveland, J. N., Shore, L. M., & Murphy, K. R. (1997). Person- and context-oriented perceptual age measures: Additional evidence of distinctiveness and usefulness. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 18(3), 239–251.Google Scholar
Conference Board of Canada. (2008). Harnessing the power: Recruiting, engaging, and retaining mature workers. Ottawa, ON: Author.Google Scholar
Conference Board of Canada. (2011). Recession hit expected to keep boomers working. Retrieved 3 March 2013 from http://www.conferenceboard.ca/economics/hot_eco_topics/default/11-02-25/recession_hit_expected_to_keep_boomers_working.aspx.Google Scholar
Courchene, T. J., & Meredith, T. (2012). The budget and the provinces: Toward a national blueprint. Policy Options, 33(5), 23–27.Google Scholar
Freund, A. M. (2006). Age-differential motivational consequences of optimization versus compensation focus in younger and older adults. Psychology and Aging, 21(2), 240–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freund, A. M. (2008). Successful aging as management of resources: The role of selection, optimization, and compensation. Research in Human Development, 5(2), 94–106.Google Scholar
Freund, A. M., & Baltes, P. B. (1998). Selection, optimization, and compensation as strategies of life management: Correlations with subjective indicators of successful aging. Psychology and Aging, 13(4), 531–543.Google Scholar
Freund, A. M., & Baltes, P. B. (2002a). Life-management strategies of selection, optimization, and compensation: Measurement by self-report and construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(4), 642–662.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freund, A. M., & Baltes, P. B. (2002b). The adaptiveness of selection, optimization, and compensation as strategies of life management: Evidence from a preference study on proverbs. The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 57(5), P426–P434.Google Scholar
Freund, A. M., & Riediger, M. (2001). What I have and what I do: The role of resource loss and gain throughout life. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 50(3), 370–380.Google Scholar
Glasser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago, IL: Adeline.Google Scholar
Guest, G., Bruce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82.Google Scholar
Hassell, B. L., & Perrewe, P. L. (1995). An examination of beliefs about older workers: Do stereotypes still exist? Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16(5), 457–468.Google Scholar
Heckhausen, J., Wrosch, C., & Schulz, R. (2010 ). A motivational theory of life-span development. Psychological Review, 117(1), 32–60.Google Scholar
Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524.Google Scholar
Hobfoll, S. E. (2002). Social and psychological resources and adaptation. Review of General Psychology, 6(4), 307–324.Google Scholar
Jopp, D., & Smith, J. (2006). Resources and life-management strategies as determinants of successful aging: On the protective effect of selection, optimization, and compensation. Psychology and Aging, 21(2), 253–265.Google Scholar
Kanfer, R., & Ackerman, P. L. (2004). Aging, adult development, and work motivation. Academy of Management Review, 29(3), 440–458.Google Scholar
Kooij, D., de Lange, A., Jansen, P., & Dikkers, J. (2008). Older workers’ motivation to continue to work: Five meanings of age. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(4), 364–394.Google Scholar
MacDonald, B. J., Moore, K. D., Chen, H., & Brown, R. L. (2011). The Canadian National Retirement Risk Index: Employing statistics Canada’s LifePaths to measure the financial security of future Canadian seniors. Canadian Public Policy, 37(Suppl), S73–S94.Google Scholar
Martin-Matthews, A. (2011). Ten years of the CIHR Institute of Aging: Building on strengths, addressing gaps, shaping the future. Canadian Journal on Aging, 30(2), 285–290.Google Scholar
Maurer, T. J., Barbeite, F. G., Weiss, E. M., & Lippstreu, M. (2008). New measures of stereotypical beliefs about older workers’ ability and desire for development. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(4), 395–418.Google Scholar
McDonald, L., & Donahue, P. (2011). Retirement lost? Canadian Journal on Aging, 30(3), 401–422.Google Scholar
McKelvey, J. B. (2009). Globalization and ageing workers: Constructing a global life course. The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 29(1/2), 49–59.Google Scholar
Nakai, Y., Chang, B., Snell, A., & Fluckinger, C. (2011). Profiles of mature job seekers: Connecting needs and desires to work characteristics. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(2), 155–172.Google Scholar
Peeters, M. C. W., & van Emmerik, H. (2008). An introduction to the work and well-being of older workers. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23(4), 353–363.Google Scholar
Posthuma, R. A., & Campion, M. A. (2009). Age stereotypes in the workplace. Common stereotypes, moderators, and future research directions. Journal of Management, 35(1), 158–188.Google Scholar
Riediger, M., & Ebner, N. C. (2007). A broader perspective on three lifespan theories: Comment on Boerner and Jopp. Human Development, 50(4), 196–200.Google Scholar
Rozario, P. A., Kidahashi, M., & DeRienzis, D. R. (2011). Selection, optimization, and compensation: Strategies to maintain, maximize, and generate resources in later life in the face of chronic illnesses. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 54(2), 224–239.Google Scholar
Sands, G. (2010). Prosperity and the new economy in Canada’s major city regions. GeoJournal, 75(6), 539–552.Google Scholar
Shacklock, K., Brunetto, Y., & Nelson, S. (2009). The different variables that affect older males’ and females’ intentions to continue working. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 47(1), 79–101.Google Scholar
Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Goldberg, C. B. (2003). Work attitudes and decisions as a function of manager age and employee age. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(3), 529–537.Google Scholar
Stamov-Rosharpnagel, C., & Hertel, G. (2010). Older workers’ motivation: Against the myth of general decline. Management Decision, 48(6), 894–906.Google Scholar
Statistics Canada. (2011). Projected trends to 2031 for the Canadian labour force. Retrieved 6 December 2011 from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/110817/dq110817b-eng.htm.Google Scholar
Sweet, S. (2007). The older worker, job insecurity, and the new economy. Generations, 31(1), 45–49.Google Scholar
Uppal, S. (2010). Labour market activity among seniors. Perspectives on Labour and Income, 22(3), 15–27.Google Scholar
Wang, M., Henkens, K., & van Solinge, H. (2011). Retirement adjustment: A review of theoretical and empirical advancements. American Psychologist, 66(3), 204–213.Google Scholar
Yeatts, D. E., Folts, E. W., & Knapp, J. (2000). Older workers’ adaptation to a changing workplace: Issues for the 21st century. Educational Gerontology, 26(6), 565–582.Google Scholar
Yeung, D. Y., & Fung, H. H. (2009). Aging and work: How do SOC strategies contribute to job performance across adulthood? Psychology and Aging, 24(4), 927–940.Google Scholar
Young, L. M., Baltes, B. B., & Pratt, A. K. (2007). Using selection, optimization, and compensation to reduce job/family stressors: Effective when it matters. Journal of Business and Psychology, 21(4), 511–539.Google Scholar
Zacher, H., & Frese, M. (2009). Remaining time and opportunities at work: Relationships between age, work characteristics, and occupational future time perspective. Psychology and Aging, 24(2), 487–493.Google Scholar
Zacher, H., & Frese, M. (2011). Maintaining a focus on opportunities at work: The interplay between age, job complexity, and the use of selection, optimization, and compensation strategies. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 32(2), 291–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zikic, J., & Richardson, J. (2007). Unlocking the careers of business professionals following job loss: Sensemaking and career exploration of older workers. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 24(1), 58–73.Google Scholar