Keyword

Older Worker, Management, Homebuilding Industry, Healthy Aging

Abstract

The number of older adults remaining or returning to the labor force is growing due to the financial and social benefits associated with work. Although businesses recognize that older workers will be vital to the global economy in the future, few studies have examined the job designs that optimize generational needs for older workers. This study explored the perceptions of job characteristics (opportunities for decision-making, skill variety, coworker support, supervisor support) as related to healthy aging (social network, emotional support, personal sense of control, generativity) in 109 older sales associates in the retail homebuilding industry. Older workers completed four standardized surveys measuring job characteristics and qualities associated with healthy aging. The job of a sales associate enabled them opportunities to make decisions, use a variety of skills, and experience social support in their jobs. These job design characteristics contributed to healthy aging outcomes of generativity and personal control. The most important job design characteristics for healthy aging were skill variety and coworker support. Recommendations are provided for supervising older workers based on these findings.


Full Text : PDF

References
  1. American Association of Retired Persons (2003). Staying ahead of the curve:  The         
  2.    AARP working in retirement study. AARP Knowledge Management: Washington, DC 
  3.    Retrieved at:  http://research.aarp.org/econ/multiwork_2003_1.pdf
  4.   Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. (1990). Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral          sciences. New York: Cambridge University Press.
  5.   Brooke, L. (2003). Human resource costs and benefits of maintaining a mature-age          workforce.  International Journal of Manpower, 24 (3), 260-283.
  6.  Bureau of Labor Statistics (2001). 1995 survey of employer provided training-   employee results. Retrieved at http://www.bls.gov/ept/eptover.htm
  7.   Bureau of Labor Statistics (2009). Employment projections. Civilian labor force by    age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Retrieved   at:http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_304.htm
  8.  Cahill, K.E., Giandrea, M.D., & Quinn, J.F. (2006). Retirement patterns from career     employment. The Gerontologist, 46 (4), 514-523.
  9.  Cheng, S.-T. (2009). Generativity in later life: Perceived respect from younger   generations as a determinant of goal disengagement and psychological well-being. 
  10.  Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 64B (1), 45-54.
  11.  DeLong, D. W. (2004). Lost knowledge: Confronting the threat of an aging workforce. New   York: Oxford University Press.
  12.   Erikson, E. (1997). The life cycle completed: Extended version. New York: W.W. Norton &                Company.
  13.   Gendall, M. (2008).  Older workers: Increasing their labor force participation and                     hours     of work. Monthly Labor Review, 130, 41-54. 
  14.   General Accounting Office (2001). Older workers: Demographic trends pose challenges   employers and workers (GAO No. 02-85). Washington, DC: United States General    Accounting Office.
  15.  Gulati, R., & Kletter, D. (2005). Shrinking core: Expanding periphery: The relational    architecture of high-performing organizations. California Management Review, 47     (3), 77-103.
  16.  Hedge, J.W., Borman, W.C., & Lammlein, S.E. (2006). The aging workforce:   Realities,  myths, and implications for organizations. Washington, DC: American  Psychological Association.
  17.   Ilmarinen, J. (2006). Towards a longer and better working life: A challenge of work      force    ageing. Medicina del Lavoro, 97 (2), 143-147.
  18.   Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (2008) Employment status    survey. http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/shugyou/index.htm
  19.   Karasek, R. A. (1986). Job Content Questionnaire and user’s guide. New York: Job- Heart Project at Columbia University.
  20.   Karasek, R., & Theorell, T. (1990). Healthy work: Stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life. New York: Basic Books.
  21.   Karasek, R., Brisson, C., Kawakami, N., Houtman, I., Bongers, P., & Amick, B.  (1998). The JCQ: An instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychosocial job characteristics. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 3 (4),  322-355.
  22.   Karazman, R., Kloimuller, I., Geissler, H., & Karazman-Morawetz, I. (2000). Effects  of ergonomic and health training on work interest, work ability and health in elderly public urban transport drivers. International Journal of Industrial     Ergonomics, 25, 503-511.
  23.   McAdams, D. P., & de St. Aubin, E. (1992).  A theory of generativity and its        assessment through self-report, behavioral acts, and narrative themes in autobiography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62(6), 1003 - 1015.
  24.   McNaught, W., &  Barth, M. C. (1992). Are older workers “Good Buys”?- A case study   of Days Inns of America. Sloan Management Review, 33(3), 53-63.
  25.    McCann, R.M., & Giles, H. (2007). Age-differentiated communication in organizations:   Perspectives from Thailand and the United States. Communication Research Reports, 24(1),   1-12.
  26.   Mirowsky, J., & Ross, C. E. (1991). Eliminating defense bias and agreement bias   from   measures of the sense of  control: A 2 X 2 index. Social Psychology Quarterly, 54 (2), 127- 145.
  27.   Noonan, A. E. (2005). “At this point now”: Older workers’ reflections on their    current employment experiences. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 61(3), 211-214.
  28.   Ross, C. E., & Wright, M. P. (1998). Women’s work, men’s work, and the sense of  control. Work and Occupations, 25 (3), 333-356.
  29.  Rowe, J. W., & Kahn, R. L. (1998). Successful aging. New York: Dell Publishing,  Random House.
  30.  Seeman, T., Lusignolo, T. M., Albert, M., & Berkman, L. (2001). Social relationships,   social     support, and patterns of cognitive aging in healthy, high-functioning         older adults: MacArthur studies of successful aging. Health Psychology, 2 (4), 243-255.
  31.   Smola, K. W., & Sutton, C. D. (2002). Generational differences: Revisiting generational       work values for the new millennium. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23(4), 363-    384.
  32.  U.S. Department of Labor (2010). Occupational employment statistics. Retrieved at: http://stats.bls.gov/oes/
  33.  Wahlstedt, K. G. I., Nygard, C. H., Kemmlert, K., Torgen, M., & Bjorksten, M. G. (2000).The effects of a change in     work organization upon the work environment and musculoskeletal symptoms among letter carriers.
  34.   Wenger, J.B. & Reynolds, J. (2009). Older married workers and nonstandard jobs:  The     effects of health and health insurance. Industrial Relations, 48 (3), 411-43