Career success of older workers: the influence of social skills and continuous learning ability

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (9) ◽  
pp. 1113-1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Hennekam
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Career Satisfaction ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Continuous Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Older Employees

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the competencies social skills and continuous learning ability on career success and career satisfaction among workers aged 50 or over. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach consisted of 920 surveys and 11 semi-structured interviews with working individuals aged 50 or above, registered at a job agency specialized in older employees in the Netherlands. Multiple regression and content analysis were used to analyze the findings. Findings – The survey showed a positive relationship between the competencies and career success and career satisfaction However, the interviews revealed that not all older workers perceived the need to continuously stay up-to-date as positive, pushing them into retirement. Originality/value – The influence of competencies on career success and career satisfaction of older workers has received only little attention from researchers.

Making older workers happy to carry on

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-24
Author(s):  
Brian Beal
Keyword(s):  
Older Workers ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Career Satisfaction ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Continuous Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Older Employees

Purpose The paper aims to examine the influences of the competencies, social skills and continuous learning ability on career success and career satisfaction among workers aged 50 and over. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methods approach consisted of 920 surveys and 11 semi-structured interviews with working individuals aged 50 or above, registered at a job agency specialized in older employees in The Netherlands. Multiple regression and content analysis were used to analyze the findings. Findings The survey showed a positive relationship between the competencies and career success and career satisfaction. However, the interviews revealed that not all older workers perceived the need to continuously stay up-to-date as positive, pushing them into retirement. Originality/value The influence of competencies on career success and career satisfaction of older workers has received only little attention from researchers.

Competencies of older workers and its influence on career success and job satisfaction

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Hennekam
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Multiple Regression ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Older Employees

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the competencies motivation, integrity and social skills on both intrinsic and extrinsic career success. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 1,112 individuals aged 45 or above registered at a job agency specialized in older employees in the Netherlands filled out a survey. The results were analyzed using multiple regression. Findings – The three competencies had a positive relationship with intrinsic career success (job satisfaction). Motivation and social skills were also positively related to extrinsic career success, while integrity was unrelated. Originality/value – The influence of competencies on career success of older workers has received only little attention from researchers.

How do employers think about older workers?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hila Axelrad ◽  
Alexandra Kalev ◽  
Noah Lewin-Epstein
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Retirement Age ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pension Income ◽  
Significant Barrier

PurposeHigher pensionable age in many countries that are part of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and a shrinking pension income force older people to postpone their retirement. Yet, age-based discrimination in employers' decisions is a significant barrier to their employment. Hence, this paper aims to explore employers' attitudes regarding the employment of workers aged 60–70, striving for a better understanding of age discrimination.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 30 managers, experts and employees in retirement age in Israel.FindingsFindings reveal a spectrum of employers' attitudes toward the employment of older workers. The authors' analytical contribution is a conceptual typology based on employers' perceived ability to employ older workers and their stated attitudes toward the employment of older workers.Social implicationsThe insights that emerge from this research are fundamental for organizational actors' ability to expand the productive, unbiased employment of older workers.Originality/valueBy understanding employers' preferences and perspectives and the implications on employers' ability and/or willingness to employ older workers, this research will help policymakers formulate and implement policy innovations that address these biases.

Media portrayals of older employees: a success story?

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine van Selm ◽  
Beatrice I.J.M. Van der Heijden
Keyword(s):  
Mass Media ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Portrayals ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Age Related

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of how portrayals of older employees in mass media messages can help combating stereotypical beliefs on their employability. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a systematic review of empirical studies on mass media portrayals of older employees in order to show what these reveal about the ways in which their employment status, occupation, job type, or work setting is portrayed. The approach builds upon theory on media portrayals, media effects, and stereotypes of older workers’ employability. Findings – This study shows that older employees in media portrayals, when present at all, are relatively often shown in higher-level professional roles, herewith overall, depicting an image that is positive, yet differs from stereotypical beliefs on their employability that are prevalent in working organizations. Research limitations/implications – Further empirical work is needed to more safely conclude on the prevalence of age-related portrayals of work and employment in mass media. In addition, longitudinal research is called for in order to better understand the possible causes for the way in which older employees are portrayed, as well as effects of age-related stereotyping in mass media and corporate communication outlets over time. Practical implications – This research sparks ideas about how new portrayals of older employees in mass media and corporate communication outlets can contribute to novel approaches to managing an aging and multi-generational workforce. Social implications – This study shows how working organizations can make use of the positive and powerful media portrayals of older employees, in order to activate normal and non-ageist behaviors toward them, and herewith, to increase their life-long employability. Originality/value – This study highlights the role of media portrayals of older employees in combating stereotypes about their employability.

Study of managers in Pakistani food and beverage company shows how “authentic leadership” enhances employees' career success

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-26
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Authentic Leadership ◽  
Career Satisfaction ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Hierarchical Status

Purpose The authors wanted to find out if authentic leadership had an effect on career success. Design/methodology/approach The author tested hypotheses on full-time employees and received 162 valid questionnaires. Findings The results showed that authentic leadership was positively correlated with career self-efficacy and that career self-efficacy was positively associated with both career satisfaction and hierarchical status. The results also suggested that the “direct path from authentic leadership to hierarchical status was not significant”. Meanwhile, results showed that career self-efficacy was necessary to fully mediate the relationship between authentic leadership and hierarchical status. The results also showed that career self-efficacy only partially mediated the effects on career satisfaction. Originality/value The author felt his study made a valuable contribution because it offered a new perspective on career satisfaction that expanded the literature. The analysis of career self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism was another significant finding.

scholarly journals Engaging the multi-generational workforce in tourism and hospitality

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Barron ◽  
Anna Leask ◽  
Alan Fyall
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Generational Differences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Hospitality And Tourism ◽  
Tourism And Hospitality ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to present strategies that hospitality and tourism organisations might adopt as a means of encouraging employee engagement, thus enabling the more effective management of an increasingly multi-generational workforce. This paper evaluates current strategies being adopted that might encourage employee engagement by a selection of hospitality and tourism organisations and develop recommendations for organisations wishing to more effectively engage the multi-generational workforce. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a mixed methods approach and presents findings based on a series of semi-structured interviews with management and self-completion questionnaires aimed at employees. Findings – The relationship between the supervisor and the employee remains a key enhancer regarding engagement and employees are increasingly demanding more contemporary methods of communication. Employers should take note of generational characteristics and adopt flexible policies attractive to all employees. Practical implications – This paper contributes no t only to the debate regarding generational differences in the workplace but it also identifies that the various generations evident in tourism organisations are desirous of similar working conditions and benefits. Organisations should consider the development of a range of packages that focus on linking employees with their purpose, their colleagues and their resources as a means of encouraging employee engagement. Originality/value – This study contributes to the debate regarding employee engagement and compares and contrasts initiatives that various tourism and hospitality organisations are adopting as a means of encouraging employee engagement. The study also elicits the views of the organisations employees to understand the extent of the effectiveness of such initiatives and makes recommendations regarding the most effective initiatives from both a management and employee perspective.

scholarly journals Directing our own careers, but getting help from empowering leaders

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minseo Kim ◽  
Terry A. Beehr
Keyword(s):  
Career Success ◽  
Career Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Career Commitment ◽  
Career Orientation ◽  
Empowering Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Protean Career ◽  
Subjective Career Success ◽  
Career Literature

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential effects of empowering leadership on followers’ subjective career success through psychological empowerment, protean career orientation, and career commitment. Design/methodology/approach Full-time employees working in the USA were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants answered surveys at three separate points over a six-week period (n=261). Structural equation modeling and bootstrapping were used to verify the indirect effect of empowering leadership on career satisfaction controlling for common method variance and growth need strength. Findings Empowering leadership was positively related to followers’ subsequent psychological empowerment, which in turn predicted protean career attitudes and career commitment, but only career commitment had a significant relationship with career satisfaction. Research limitations/implications Empowering leadership behaviors focus on potentially career-enhancing factors, including providing followers with the confidence, inspiration, and authority to assume control of their work lives. Empowering leaders benefit their followers’ careers, and psychological empowerment and career commitment may be important mechanisms in the empowering leadership-career success relationship when their effects are considered simultaneously. Employees’ development of a protean career orientation has less direct effect on subjective career success than simple commitment to a career. Originality/value Empowering leadership has been overlooked in career literature. The findings advance the understanding of how empowering leader behaviors could help employees’ subjective career success in a serial mediation model. Additionally, the study empirically demonstrates that psychologically empowered employees are more likely to engage in protean career actions and navigate their own career goals.

Working towards successful retirement: older workers and retirees speaking about ageing, change and later life

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila J. Gewolb
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Linguistic Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how older workers and people who have already retired speak about ageing and change and their experience of retirement. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study is described in which focus groups with older workers and semi-structured interviews with retired people were carried out. The recorded data were analysed using a linguistic approach (Discourse Analysis), which investigates in detail how people express their views and opinions and how their discourse might relate to societal attitudes towards ageing and retirement. Findings – Many older people who were still at work were concerned that they would decline and become senile once they retired unless they could remain active in some way. This was confirmed by people who had already retired and who spoke about how keeping busy and active had resulted in successful retirement and ageing. Research limitations/implications – Participants from four focus groups and five interview respondents represent only a small sample of older people who are still working or who are retired. This means that the results of this study cannot be extended to include all older workers and retired people. Social implications – This study will help to raise awareness of the concerns of older workers who may be nearing retirement, and how keeping busy and active after leaving work is considered by retirees to be part of successful retirement and helping to combat decline. Originality/value – A study of this nature which examines how older workers express their views about retirement using Discourse Analysis is original and may be used as a method for future research into other aspects of being older at work.

Servant leadership and career success: the effects of career skills and proactive personality

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 717-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Wang ◽  
Kun Yu ◽  
Ruobing Xi ◽  
Xiaodan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Career Success ◽  
Career Satisfaction ◽  
Proactive Personality ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Employability ◽  
Subjective Career Success ◽  
Matched Data ◽  
Career Skills

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of servant leadership on followers’ subjective career success and the mediating role of career skills. The moderating effect of followers’ proactive personality is also investigated. Design/methodology/approach This paper collected two-wave matched data from 283 employees of an IT company. The authors use hierarchical regression and bootstrapping to test the hypotheses. Findings Servant leadership has a positive effect on career satisfaction and perceived employability through career skills. In addition, proactive personality moderates the association between servant leadership and career skills, such that the relationship is stronger when proactive personality is high. Proactive personality also moderates the indirect effect of servant leadership on career satisfaction and perceived employability. Practical implications The findings suggest that organizations should select and train leaders to practice servant leadership to enhance employee subjective career success. Originality/value This is the first study to investigate the mechanism and boundary conditions of the association between servant leadership and employee subjective career success.

Informal learning and work engagement among older workers

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Younger Workers ◽  
Firm Success ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
Pertinent Information

Purpose Transfer of key skills and knowledge between older and younger workers remains vital for ongoing firm success. The effectiveness of this process can be increased when organizations provide opportunities for informal learning that serve to heighten levels of work engagement among older employees. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Transfer of key skills and knowledge between older and younger workers remains vital for ongoing firm success. The effectiveness of this process can be increased when organizations provide opportunities for informal learning that serve to heighten levels of work engagement among older employees. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers’ hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

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