scholarly journals Organizational Practices for the Aging Workforce: Development and Validation of the Later Life Workplace Index

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max R Wilckens ◽  
Anne M Wöhrmann ◽  
Jürgen Deller ◽  
Mo Wang
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Organizational Practices ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
Expert Interview ◽  
Development And Validation

Abstract The present three studies focused on the development and validation of a multifaceted measure of organizational practices for the aging workforce, the Later Life Workplace Index (LLWI). The first study developed a comprehensive item pool based on expert interview evidence from Germany and the United States. Two further studies among workers across industries in Germany (N = 609, N = 349) provided psychometric evidence. The LLWI comprises nine distinct domains of organizational practices for the aging workforce, namely an age-friendly organizational climate and leadership style, certain work design characteristics, health management, individual development opportunities, knowledge management, the design of the retirement transition, continued employment opportunities, and health and retirement coverage. The final LLWI consists of 80 items in total. In addition, the studies demonstrated that the LLWI measures correlated with older workers’ work outcomes such as stress level, workability, person-organization fit, and post-retirement work intentions in meaningful ways. Applications for the LLWI in research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Organizational Practices for the Aging Workforce: Validation of an English Version of the Later Life Workplace Index

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 832-833
Author(s):  
Julia Finsel ◽  
Anne Wöhrmann ◽  
Mo Wang ◽  
Max Wilckens ◽  
Jürgen Deller
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Specific Area ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Partial Metric ◽  
Organizational Practices ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
English Version ◽  
Older Employees

Abstract Due to aging workforces, research on organizational practices for older employees becomes more important for individuals and organizations. However, existing measures for such organizational practices tend to capture the construct with unidimensional scales, use single-item operationalizations, or focus on a specific area. Hence, Wöhrmann, Deller, and Pundt (2018) developed the Later Life Workplace Index (LLWI) to provide a multidimensional framework to measure organizational practices for older employees on nine dimensions, namely organizational climate, leadership, work design, health management, individual development, knowledge management, transition to retirement, continued employment after retirement, and health and retirement coverage. The LLWI has recently been operationalized and validated in Germany (Wilckens, Wöhrmann, Deller, & Wang, 2020). However, to utilize the index beyond German-speaking countries, a validated English version is required. Thus, we aimed to validate an English version of the LLWI using a sample of older U.S. employees (N = 279). Results support the domain level factor structure of the LLWI but show some redundancy among the 80 items for the overall nine domain factor structure. A comparison between the U.S. sample and a German sample (N = 349) confirmed configural and (partial) metric measurement invariance of the English version. Results further supported convergent, discriminant, criterion, as well as incremental validity. Researchers can utilize the new measure to gain a deeper understanding of organizational practices relevant for older employees, while practitioners are able to assess their organizational readiness for an aging workforce. We envision further translation and validation in other languages and cultural contexts.

scholarly journals ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES FOR THE AGING WORKFORCE: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE LATER-LIFE WORK INDEX

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S763-S764
Author(s):  
Max R Wilckens ◽  
Anne M Wöhrmann ◽  
Jürgen Deller ◽  
Mo Wang
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Organizational Practices ◽  
Work Index ◽  
Life Work

Abstract Most developed countries face an ageing workforce. Extended working lives require organizations to employ older individuals successfully. It is, however, widely untapped, which organizational practices drive successful employment of an older and age-diverse workforce, because adequate measure are missing. We hence develop the Later Life Work Index (LLWI) as a multi-faceted measure for researchers and practitioners, combining the detailed level of assessment relevant in practice with thorough conceptual coverage. We build on an empirically derived taxonomy of organizational practices developed by Wöhrmann et al. (2018). Proposed taxonomy is based on qualitative expert interviews and consists of nine dimensions covering age-inclusive organizational climate and leadership, as well as practices regarding work design, health management, individual development, knowledge management, transition to retirement, continued employment options, and health and retirement coverage. Within a first study, we developed an inventory to operationalize the intentionally broad LLWI construct. Items were iteratively developed and pretested with 30-42 German human resource managers. The final inventory consists of 100 Likert scaled, sufficiently reliable items. Within a second study among 600 managers and older workers in Germany, we confirmed the factor structure proposed by the LLWI, and ensured construct validity regarding similar scales (convergent validity) and individual level health and motivation outcomes (criterion validity). Discriminant validity is shown among the index dimensions, and regarding positive and negative affect. This paper enhances the understanding and quantitative assessment of organizational practices for later life work. We further plan to reduce the number of items to increase practicability of the measure.

scholarly journals INTEREST GROUP SESSION—AGING WORKFORCE: WORK AND PRODUCTIVE AGING: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S374-S374
Author(s):  
Jim Emerman ◽  
Cal J Halvorsen ◽  
Jim Emerman
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Productive Aging ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
Social Purpose ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Older Volunteers ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Abstract With much of the world experiencing population aging and a strong need—and desire—among many approaching later life to work longer than past norms, individuals and institutions are experimenting with new ways of working. Yet given the complexities of navigating the work environment in later life, including aspects of cumulative (dis)advantage that help or hinder one’s work prospects, the pull to socially impactful work in the nonprofit sector, and the day-to-day experience of such work in later life, outcomes from this work can vary. Consequently, this symposium will focus on the challenges and opportunities of working longer and their relevance to a productive aging model. The first paper will provide a framework for engaging in the conversation on productive engagement in later life. It will give particular consideration to older workers with lower levels of socioeconomic status in OECD countries. The second paper will discuss results from more than 1,400 surveys of fellows and organizational hosts that have participated in the Encore Fellowships Network, which matches mid- and late-career workers (typically corporate retirees) to non-profit organizations seeking their skills and experience. The third and final paper will reveal findings from an experience sampling methods study of two groups of older adults over the age of 60: founders or leaders of social purpose organizations, and older volunteers. We will conclude by facilitating a discussion on ideas for future scholarship on longer working lives, with particular emphasis on individuals with less advantage as well as those pursuing social purpose work.

scholarly journals Adult Learning and Employment Opportunities for Older Workers in Australia and the United States: Lessons for Adult Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 146-146
Author(s):  
Philip Taylor ◽  
Takashi Yamashita ◽  
Leah Janssen ◽  
Phyllis Cummins
Keyword(s):  
Community Colleges ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
National Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Projection Data ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
Employment Opportunities ◽  
Occupational And Physical Therapy ◽  
The U.S

Abstract This study examined the role community colleges (U.S.) and Technical and Further Education (TAFE; Australia) institutes play in providing educational opportunities to older workers in the U.S. and Australia. Employment for adults of all ages has been impacted by job automation in recent decades. We analyzed national level data to estimate the impacts of job automation by age group. In both the U.S. and Australia, about 65% of older workers in sales occupations are at risk for job loss due to automation. Additionally, we reviewed occupational projection data and employment opportunities for workers who may be displaced by automation. Needs for health care support occupations, such as nursing assistants and occupational and physical therapy assistants are expected to grow rapidly. We will provide several recommendations based on the integration of our findings related to education/training programs and the aging workforce in the context of community colleges and TAFEs.

scholarly journals FACTORS AFFECTING AGING WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT IN KHO WANG, YASOTHON PROVINCE, THAILAND

2019 ◽  
pp. 65-78
Author(s):  
Wijittra Srisorn ◽  
Sunthan Chayanon ◽  
Tikhamporn Punluekdej
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Style ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Structure Of Population ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Transformation Leadership ◽  
Severe Shortage

This research on the factors affecting management of the aging workforce in Kho Wang, Yasothon Province aims to: 1) study the factors affecting management of the aging workforce; and 2) provide guidelines on management of the aging workforce at Kho Wang District, Yasothon Province. This is a qualitative research in which data are derived from literature review in various forms such as text books, research papers, academic materials as well as specialized journals and magazines. Content analysis has been selected as a research methodology, and data presentation is descriptive in nature. The results show that transformation leadership style and management of diversity are important factors that provide positive effects on management of the aging workforce in Amphoe Kho Wang, Yasothon Province. The changing structure of population towards aging society produces a severe shortage at the labor market. As a result, there are less young people joining the workplace. Thus, every organization has to deal with the situation when it lacks employees. Therefore, appropriate management of elderly workforce becomes a challenging issue in HR management for the near future. Firms should be able to use the skills, knowledge, capacity, expertise as well as accumulated experience from the older workers in order to benefit their own organizations.

Work and the Family in Later Life: The Effects of Role Stressors, Role Enhancement, and Role Conflict on Self-Perceptions on Aging

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-151
Author(s):  
Emma D. Quach
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Primary Study ◽  
Family Roles ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
The Family ◽  
Family And Work ◽  
Work And Family Roles

The growing aging workforce comprises older workers with a concurrent family role. Guided by life span development and role theories, the primary study hypothesis was that rewards and stressors in the family and work domains would impact self-perceptions on aging because of the enhancement and conflict between these domains. The study sample consisted of workers older than 50 years with at least one of four family roles (spouse, parent of adult children, caregiver to an aging parent, and grandparent) from the 2010 and 2012 Health and Retirement Study ( N = 5,628). Results showed that self-perceptions on aging were impacted directly by family and work stressors and indirectly by these stressors through work-family enhancement and conflict . Work and family roles are thus crucial to the identity of adults in later life.

Post-Retirement Paid Work and Inequalities at Older Ages

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 416-416
Author(s):  
Benjamin Shaw ◽  
Kevin Cahill ◽  
Michael Giandrea
Keyword(s):  
Working Conditions ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Career Stage ◽  
Paid Work ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Employment Transitions ◽  
Before And After

Abstract Participation in paid work frequently extends beyond pensionable age, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development observing, in “Pensions at a Glance” (2017, pp. 126–7), that effective retirement ages in high-income countries exceed normal full-pension-eligibility ages by 10 months for men and two months for women. While working after pensionable age is becoming ever more common, not all workers on the cusp of retirement are able to continue in their current position or find a new job. Remarkably, little is known about the implications of unequal access to post-retirement work for social and income inequalities in later life, nor how job quality might change as people work into the years normally set aside for retirement. The four papers in this symposium address the following questions: 1) do bridge employment transitions exacerbate or mitigate income inequality later in life? 2) how does job quality (job satisfaction, physical and psychosocial working conditions) compare before and after pensionable age? 3) which processes lead to changes in working conditions in the late career? and 4) might empirical and theoretical gains be made by considering post-pensionable-age paid work as a specific career stage? The presenters use longitudinal data from the United States (the Health and Retirement Study, HRS), Sweden (Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health, SLOSH), and Japan (Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement, JSTAR) complemented by interviews with older workers in Sweden. This symposium will provide insights into the nature and consequences of working after pensionable age in contrasting institutional settings.

Remaking Retirement

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Older Persons ◽  
The United States ◽  
Older Population ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cost Of Education ◽  
The World ◽  
Low Interest Rates ◽  
Key Aspects

Around the world, people nearing and entering retirement are holding ever-greater levels of debt than in the past. This is not a benign situation, as many pre-retirees and retirees are stressed about their indebtedness. Moreover, this growth in debt among the older population may render retirees vulnerable to financial shocks, medical care bills, and changes in interest rates. Contributors to this volume explore key aspects of the rise in debt across older cohorts, drill down into the types of debt and reasons for debt incurred by the older population, and review policies to remedy some of the financial problems facing older persons, in the United States and elsewhere. The authors explore which groups are most affected by debt, and they also identify the factors causing this important increase in leverage at older ages. It is clear that the economic and market environments are influential when it comes to saving and debt. Access to easy borrowing, low interest rates, and the rising cost of education have had important impacts on how much people borrow, and how much debt they carry at older ages. In this environment, the capacity to manage debt is ever more important as older workers lack the opportunity to recover for mistakes.

scholarly journals Sexuality in Later Life and Mental Health Among Older Black Gay Men

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 313-314
Author(s):  
Darlingtina Esiaka ◽  
Alice Cheng ◽  
Candidus Nwakasi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Gay Men ◽  
Later Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Sexual Identities ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Black Gay Men

Abstract Self-acknowledgement and integration of racial and sexual identities are significant to one’s overall sense of identity because of their implications for mental health and wellbeing. These issues are important as one ages because older people experience a wide range of factors that add layers to their ability to (re)integrate subsets of their identity into their overall self-identity such as age and age-related disabilities. This study examined the intersection of race and sexual identities on overall health status in older Black gay men, a demographic group that has historically received less attention. Data from the Social Justice Sexuality (SJS) survey of LGBTQ+ people of color which occurred over a 12-month period in the United States were analyzed. Participants (N=160), 50 years and over, responded to questions about their sexuality, social identity, family dynamics, community connection and engagement, and mental and physical health. Results show an association of mental wellbeing with racial and sexual identities. Further, results show that a strong sense of connection to other sexual minorities is positively associated with mental health in older Black gay men. We discuss the implication of findings for mental health interventions targeting this gendered population.

Measurement of Perceived Interpersonal and Societal Anti-Muslim Discrimination in the United States

Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107319112097338
Author(s):  
Naheed Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
The United States ◽  
Discrimination Index ◽  
Muslim Americans ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Development And Validation ◽  
Component Models

Background: Hate crimes against Muslim Americans have increased exponentially in the past 20 years, but there is currently no scale for measuring perceived anti-Muslim discrimination in the United States. To fill this gap, this study used a mixed-method approach to develop scales for measuring perceived anti-Muslim discrimination. Method: Qualitative data informed the development and validation of the 19-item Societal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index and the 9-item Interpersonal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index. Quantitative data ( N = 347) were collected from Muslim Americans using an online survey and used to assess the anti-Muslim indexes. Results: Qualitative data contributed to the refinement scale items. Quantitative results indicated one-component models and modest to high reliability of the Interpersonal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index (.77) and Societal Anti-Muslim Discrimination Index (.88) scales. Discussion: Study results established the validity of these novel scales for measuring the distinct facets of anti-Muslim discrimination not captured by the Everyday Discrimination Index. These scales will facilitate research on anti-Muslim discrimination and the health implications of this form of religious-based discrimination.

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