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.

scholarly journals Student engagement with sustainability: understanding the value–action gap

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Chaplin ◽  
Paul Wyton
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Significant Barrier ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of research that aimed to determine what university students living in Unite accommodation in the UK understand about the concept of sustainable living. It considers what barriers they perceive to be standing in the way of following sustainable living practices. In particular, the research aimed to explore any value–action gap for the student population with a view to informing future actions to help close any gap. Design/methodology/approach – The study was completed through an online questionnaire survey of students living in halls of residence operated by provider The Unite Group Plc. The survey informed semi-structured interviews and focus groups that explored the issues raised in greater detail. Findings – It was found that students living in Unite properties believed sustainable living to be important, yet levels of understanding were very low and there appeared to be a wide value–action gap. Reasons for this are varied; however, an unexpected theme emerged around the association of effort and importance. There was a very strong association between sustainable living and recycling, which, therefore, saw the lack of adequate recycling facilities as a significant barrier to sustainable living. There were also issues around a lack of information, cost and respondents’ flatmates as further barriers. However, the most significant barrier was the displacement of responsibility for sustainable living to other people or organisations. Originality/value – Gaining an insight into the complexity of attitude and behaviour of students with the sustainability agenda will enable understanding that can be applied to activities that promote sustainability.

scholarly journals The importance of a room with a view for older people with limited mobility

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 273-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Musselwhite
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Human Element ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Vantage Points ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how older people who are almost entirely housebound use a view from their window to make sense of the world and stay connected to the outside space that they cannot physically inhabit. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews with 42 individuals were carried out who were living at home, were relatively immobile and had an interesting view outside they liked from one or more of their windows. Findings The findings suggest that immobile older people enjoy watching a motion-full, changing, world going on outside of their own mobility and interact and create meaning and sense, relating themselves to the outside world. Practical implications Findings suggest that those working in health and social care must realise the importance of older people observing the outdoors and create situations where that is enabled and maintained through improving vantage points and potentially using technology. Originality/value This study builds and updates work by Rowles (1981) showing that preference for views from the window involves the immediate surveillance zone but also further afield. The view can be rural or urban but should include a human element from which older people can interact through storytelling. The view often contains different flows, between mundane and mystery and intrigue, and between expected and random.

“It does not help to look young and dumb…”

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 202-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Meinich ◽  
Kate Sang
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Workplace Diversity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Younger Workers ◽  
Technical Industry

Purpose While age is receiving increased attention in the literature on workplace diversity, it remains under researched. Intergenerational contact and its relationship to ageism require further research to understand their mechanisms and impacts. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Using semi-structured interviews in the Norwegian technical industry, this paper explores how generations are formed and how this influences intergenerational contact. Findings Through the lens of ageism, the findings reveal that generational stereotypes are strongly held by respondents, and may affect how members of the generations interact in the workplace. Further, the data demonstrate that both age and generation are socially constructed, and age discrimination is perceived by both older and younger workers. Originality/value The study has relevance for managers who are overseeing organizations with considerable age differences.

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.

Facilitators and barriers to developing firefighter resilience

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Rose Conway ◽  
Sara Waring
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Formal Support ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Support Mechanisms ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Potential Improvement

PurposeDeveloping resilience is vital for firefighters and other practitioners exposed to trauma as part of their day-to-day work in maintaining physical and mental resilience. However, further understanding of what factors facilitate and hinder the development of firefighter resilience and why is needed. The current study evaluates efficacy of support mechanisms currently in place and develops an evidence base for interventions to support development of firefighter resilience.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 firefighters from across two regions in the United Kingdom, the Northwest and Southeast of England. Thematic analysis was used to analyse transcripts, highlighting themes within, and across, services to identify what factors affect development of firefighter resilience and why.FindingsThematic analysis highlighted four key themes shared by firefighters across regions: “informal support”, “formal support”, “basic welfare measures” and “trust”. Importantly, how effective formal measures are perceived to be and the willingness for firefighters to access these resources was dependent upon the level of trust held in senior management. Firefighters across locations highlighted levels of trust were affected by industrial actions which created divides. Accordingly, one way firefighter resilience may be further promoted is by altering how formal support mechanisms are accessed.Originality/valueAlthough existing research has found factors which promote resilience of firefighters, evaluation of specific services is lacking. The current research highlights areas among two UK services where resilience is effectively being promoted and areas for potential improvement.

Responsibility, authority, and accountability in school-based and non-school-based management

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yael Grinshtain ◽  
Dan Gibton
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Based ◽  
Primary School Principals ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
School Based Management

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how primary school principals in Israel cope with the gaps between authority and responsibility in their work, deriving from partially implemented decentralization processes, and how this relates to school-based management (SBM) and accountability principles. Design/methodology/approach Using the qualitative method, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with school principals from one district in Israel. Thematic analysis was used in order to identify themes in the interviews that enable creating codes for the characteristics of authority and responsibility and for the principals’ strategies. Findings Gaps were found between authority and responsibility, with particularly low levels of authority alongside high levels of responsibility. Coupled with the demand for accountability, those gaps led principals to adopt three strategies – active, partly active, and passive – to help reduce the tension resulting from them. The SBM definition has links to the specific strategy that principals used. Originality/value The results indicate the importance of clear definitions of authority and responsibility in principals’ work. The current study deepens the understanding of the gaps between these concepts as key for understanding accountability at decentralized schools; tensions that principals cope with as a result of those gaps; and the strategies that enable principals to ease the tension for the benefit of all those involved in the principals’ work.

scholarly journals Domestic abuse and older people: factors influencing help-seeking

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 247-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Wydall ◽  
Rebecca Zerk
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Domestic Abuse ◽  
Continuous Process ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Engagement ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore professionals’ perceptions of the barriers to help-seeking for victim-survivors of domestic abuse aged 60 years and over. Help-seeking as defined by Anderson and Saunders (2003) is not a single act or decision, but a complex and continuous process, victims engage in when seeking support. Design/methodology/approach A total of 50 qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with statutory practitioners and managers from 21 out of 22 local authorities in Wales. The research team worked collaboratively to produce a coding scheme which was subjected to a systematic coding exercise using the software package NVivo. Findings Professionals believed that older people’s “interconnectedness” with family, social embeddedness in the community and “meanings of the home” influenced help-seeking. The research suggests that for older victim-survivors of domestic abuse, age discrimination by practitioners, compounds older people’s experiences of help-seeking, restricting the range, quality and type of support provided. The paper demonstrates that a significant shift is required in practice to ensure that older people are in a position to make informed choices and their wishes are central in the decision-making process. Research limitations/implications Further qualitative research is needed to explore what older people themselves believe are the factors that impact on statutory service engagement. Originality/value This study is the first in the UK to conduct Pan-Wales research on professionals’ views on help-seeking behaviours of older people. One of the key findings from the study is that professionals from the statutory sector feel that connections to the home and social networks strongly influence help-seeking for older victim-survivors of domestic abuse.

The needs of people with mild learning disabilities within the Scottish criminal justice system: a qualitative study of healthcare perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 175-186
Author(s):  
Fellex Mediseni ◽  
Michael Brown
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
System A

Purpose – The Purpose of this paper is to identify and explore the views and experiences of specialist learning disability (LD) health service professionals regarding the management of and support offered to people with LD when they come into contact with the Scottish criminal justice system (CJS). Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative design was adopted for this study due to the limited existing evidence in the area and the need to start to build and develop understanding of the phenomena under study. A purposive sampling procedure was used to select participants from an accessible population within one Scottish NHS Health Literature review, qualitative research, semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. Findings – The findings identified three key themes challenges in practice; the need for additional resources; and the ability of services to provide management and support. Originality/value – The findings serve to contribute to the understanding of the role and contributions made by and required from specialist LD health services to manage and support people with LD in the Scottish CJS.

scholarly journals The promises and the reality of smart, digital telecare in England

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-79
Author(s):  
Phoebe Stirling ◽  
Gemma Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Housing Associations ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Qualitative Thematic Analysis ◽  
Cost Efficient

Purpose This paper asks how the introduction of “smart” digital technologies might affect the goals that can be attributed to telecare for older people, by those coordinating its provision. Design/methodology/approach A total of 29 in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with local authorities, housing associations and other organisations coordinating smart telecare provision, as well as telecare manufacturers and suppliers. Interviews were analysed by using qualitative thematic analysis. Findings The analysis reveals discrepancies between the goals and outcomes of smart telecare provision, according to those coordinating service delivery. This study concludes that the goal for smart telecare to be preventative and cost-efficient may be complicated by various organisational and operational challenges associated with coordinating provision. Originality/value New, “smart” telecare technology for older people stands apart from earlier, user-activated or automatic devices. It may have distinct and under-researched organisational and ethical implications.

Abuse in care? A research project to identify early indicators of concern in residential and nursing homes for older people

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Marsland ◽  
Peter Oakes ◽  
Caroline White
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Older People ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Organisational Cultures ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Early Indicators

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the prevention of the abuse of older people in residential and nursing homes, through the identification of “early indicators of concern”. Such indicators support practitioners in identifying services in which older people are at risk of abuse, neglect and ill treatment. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews were conducted with health and social care practitioners in two local authorities (in England and Scotland), who had visited services in which abuse or neglect had occurred. Practitioners were asked about the things that they had seen within the service which had caused them to become concerned. Findings – Over 90 early indicators of concern were identified. These indicators were grouped within six themes which identify key manifestations of service cultures which may promote the abuse of older people. Practical implications – Information and guidance has been developed to enable practitioners to recognise early indicators and identify services in which older people are at risk and in which actions are required to help prevent the onset of abuse. Originality/value – A range of studies have highlighted the importance of organisational cultures in promoting the abuse of older people. The early indicators identified through this research represent visible signs of such poor service cultures which can be observed by practitioners, enabling them to recognise services in which older people are at greater risk.

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