The purpose of this grounded theory study was to better understand the differences in the way older, male workers perceived themselves as they aged, particularly with reference to work and aspects of the work environment. Career theorists have, for the most part, paid scant attention to this population. Research efforts that have focused on the “older worker” implicitly assume that they are homogeneous, that aging itself has a uniform impact, and that aging is a process of inevitable loss. A grounded theory approach was chosen because it was deemed most suitable to explore the phenomena because the basic variables were not readily identifiable, the field was rather ill-defined, and the research questions were best asked from within the “lived experience” of the participants. A sample of older, male workers, who were actively employed, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. A number of major categories and subcategories emerged through the research analysis including attitudes toward aging, the meaning of work, and the value of interpersonal relationships. The content of these categories were observed to change over the lives of the respondents, and these changes were neither uniform nor necessarily predictable. The differences that were observed among, and within, the respondents were attributable to the interaction of the level of cognitive development, locus of control, self-knowledge, interpersonal orientation, adaptive competence, spiritual courage, and the emotional viability of one's life story. The results of the study suggest that “older workers” do not constitute a unique population within the general workforce and that, in the future, researchers must attend to their individual differences. The findings of the study provide strong support for the notion that adult development is not the result of the passage of time alone, but rather is the result of an interaction among a diversity of factors. The results also affirm that, for many older workers, aging is a time of ongoing growth and renewal, and further that personal development is inseparable from career development. Older workers have the potential to not only contribute to the postmodern workplace, but also markedly enhance the quality of working life for all. / Graduate

As life expectancy rates continue to rise, so does the need for continued participation in the workforce. Economic sustainability and aging in place become values anticipated and realized through longer life spans. The ability to maintain lifestyle is severely halted when individuals are faced with loss of employment. This qualitative case study was created to delve into how individuals separated from the workforce after the age of 50, re-gain employment. The foundation of this study was couched on the following assumptions: (1) the older/later-life displaced worker will have developed/learned a set of competencies comprised of attitudes behaviors and skills underpinning ventures of re-engagement into the workforce; (2) workforce re-engagement can sustain livelihoods for later-life displaced workers; (3) older/later-life displaced workers have found self-sustaining opportunities through re-engagement pathways that have allowed them to continue to contribute to their communities. Twelve individuals over the age of 50 representing eight states, and various careers participated in the study. The principal data sources were in-depth interviews and a focus group. Although, the study was designed to explore workforce re-entry for displaced workers over the age of 50, the key finding that transitioning to employment pathways differing from previous careers, emerged as most challenging. In addition, post separation perceptions yielded thematic elements concerning pluralistic ageism on the separation from, and the re-entry into the workforce. Primary recommendations include the communication and viable training and re-tooling prior to workforce separation, comprehensive counseling, and awareness of legislative workforce rights, all of which should be disseminated with greater regularity.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Saint Mary's University, 2008. / Includes abstract and appendices. Advisor: E. Kevin Kelloway. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-147).

No description available.

As the workforces of industrialized countries around the world continue to age, research is needed to better understand how policies regarding retirement, and exit from the workforce, impact older workers. In particular, it is important to identify mechanisms that can be used to understand and promote the retention of older workers. Work ability (WA), a construct that has been predominately studied in Scandinavian and European countries, has been studied in this context, and identified as a predictor of exit from the workforce. Using the Job Demands-Resources model (JDR; Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001) as the theoretical basis, the goal of the present study was to compile and synthesize the existing literature on WA, quantitatively analyze its antecedents and outcomes (via meta-analysis), and assess potential moderators to these relationships. To my knowledge, this is the first quantitative synthesis of the WA literature. In total k = 158 studies including n =149,758 workers were included in this meta-analysis. Results showed that WA was related to a number of antecedents including job demands (r) = [-.15, -.30], job resources (r) = [.19, .25], and personal resources (r) = [.14, .45]; as well as to several outcomes including job satisfaction (r) = .23, job performance (self-rated) (r) = .23, and exit behaviors (r) = [-.19, -.36]. Moderator analyses showed that when assessing the relationship between WA and some correlates (e.g., disability, retirement), studies that used the Work Ability Index (WAI) found stronger relationships with WA than studies that used measures of perceived WA. Additionally, studies that included workers from certain occupations (e.g., blue collar jobs) found weaker relationships between WA and some of its correlates (e.g., physical job demands, job control) compared to studies of workers in other occupation groups (e.g., white collar jobs). The mean age of the sample also moderated the relationships between WA and some of its correlates. Specifically, studies that consisted of older workers found stronger relationships between WA and certain correlates (e.g., job control, physical job demands), whereas for other correlates (e.g., musculoskeletal disease, disability) studies consisting of younger workers found stronger relationships with WA. This study contributes to the existing literature by synthesizing findings from existing work, identifying gaps in the existing literature, and determining how various measures of WA impact the relationships between WA and its correlates. In addition, this study helps to identify factors that can be considered in interventions aimed at retaining older workers and extending working careers.

A conceptual model examining the antecedents and outcomes of occupational self-efficacy among the older workforce is presented. Proposed antecedents to occupational self-efficacy included self-perceived stereotypes and work demands.

Past studies showed that older workers maintained a high level of job performance despite declines in physical and cognitive abilities. The present research project aimed at examining the impacts of emotion regulatory and SOC (selection, optimization, and compensation) strategies in explaining how older workers manage to maintain a high level of job performance. Two studies were conducted to assess Chinese insurance sales workers' global and momentary employment of emotion regulatory and SOC strategies at work, and to compare the effectiveness of emotion regulatory and SOC strategies in predicting job performance for younger and older workers. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey study and consisted of 355 insurance sales workers. Results showed that older adults reported higher employment of elective selection and optimization than did younger workers. Older workers' employment of elective selection and compensation, as well as suppression, was associated with higher job performance, however such association was not found among younger workers. Study 2 was a five-day experience sampling study. It consisted of 87 participants who carried a handheld computer that recorded their momentary employment of emotion regulatory and SOC strategies during their work. Results of the multilevel analyses revealed that older and younger workers varied in their use of cognitive reappraisal, elective selection, and loss-based selection across work-related situations with different levels of task difficulty. Older workers' greater use of the four SOC strategies and suppression in the sampling period was predictive of the post-sampling increase in sales commission. Among these strategies, elective selection contributed the most to the increase in insurance sales among older workers even after accounting for the impact of other strategies. Findings from this research project contribute to the understanding of Chinese workers' psychological adaptation in the face of age-related declines in cognitive abilities. They also revealed cultural differences in the effectiveness of emotion regulatory strategies in predicting job performance of older and younger workers. Moreover, these findings shed light on the types of recommendations that should be given to employers for modifying organizational policies and implementing appropriate training and development programs, to meet with the needs of the aging workforce. / Yeung, Yuen Lan Dannii. / Adviser: Helene H. Fung. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: B, page: 3821. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-86). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

published_or_final_version / Japanese Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

This study is designed to investigate the relationship between the age and tenure of the chief executive officer of a corporation and his participation in innovation. The chief executive is assumed to be the key participant in the innovation process. Two questions form the basis of the study, Firsts, are younger chief executives more innovative than older executives? And second, does the tenure of chief executives affect performance in innovation?

The development, content, societal and individual effects of selected myths toward the aged in American society were reviewed and analyzed. Emphasis was placed on factors associated with the development of the myths . The myths were compared with facts or reality relative to the major dimensions of the lives of the aged. The functions and dysfunctions of the myths for the aged as a group, for the individual, and for society were analyzed. Secondary sources of data were utilized in the preliminary identification of the selected myths. The sources were also used to justify the selection and analyze the development of myths within their socio-cultural milieus. Myths were utilized in the analysis of the attitudes toward the aged, and the effects.