Kerstin Isaksson

The role of matching individual and organizational needs in the employment relationship as a

facilitating factor enabling longer working lives

René Schalk

Cedefop, Thessaloniki, 29-30 September 2008: Working at old age –

Emerging theories and empirical perspectives on ageing and work

Kerstin Isaksson

Content• Definition and meaning of “age”• The dynamics of matching of individual and

organizational needs over time• Research-based knowledge on HR-policies• Differences in psychological contracts

between European countries• Conclusions: how to take into account the

specific needs of each age group in organizations, and how to enable older people to stay employed?

Kerstin Isaksson

Meaning of “age”

Aging

Type of Definition ChronologicalAge

 

FunctionalAge

PsychosocialAge

OrganizationalAge

Life-spanAge

 

Biological, psychological, social and societal changes across time

Calendar Age 

Company Tenure

Underlying causal changes

HealthPossible indicators Home situationSocial or self perceptions

 

            

ageing

Representation of possible definitions of the concept “Ageing” and indicators (Adapted from De Lange et al., 2006)

Kerstin Isaksson

Matching organizational and individual needs

Context: labour market, economic developments,

flexicurity policies

Changes over time (career prospects, work/life balance, tasks/assignments)

The psychological contract

Employer demands/

offers

Employee demands/

offers

Kerstin Isaksson

The psychological contract

• The content refers to the perceptions of the employee on the promises and obligations of the employer and him/herself implied in the employment relationship

• The fulfillment of the psychological contract is concerned with whether the promises and obligations have been met

Kerstin Isaksson

Psychological contract

Age Background

variablesOrganisational

outcomes

Individual outcomes

Psychological Contract

• Content of PC

promises made

• State of PC

fulfillment of

promises

violations

Kerstin Isaksson

Theoretical background of changes with age

• Identity theory: older employees identify more less expectations on obligations, greater degree of fulfillment

• P-E fit theory: balancing career and private life different patterns of obligations at different points in time

• Rising expectations: older employees have higher expectations more obligations, more violations

• No age-related differences

Kerstin Isaksson

Research questions

• Are there systematic differences in content and fulfillment of employer obligations related to age?

• Does the country context make a difference?

Kerstin Isaksson

Sample of permanent employees from the Psycones project

• Seven European countries, three sectors• Permanent employees • N = 3351, 54% female, 69% non supervisory• Age

categories: <30, 31-40, 41-50, > 50 years

Kerstin Isaksson

Measures (employee perspective)

• Content of PC (employer obligations) Has your organization promised or committed itself to…. (yes/no) 15 employer promises

• Content of PC (employee obligations) Have you promised or committed yourself to…. (yes/no) 17 employee promises

• Contract fulfillmentFor each item “To what extent has this promise or commitment been kept?” (Scale 1-5)

• Violations (6 items)

Kerstin Isaksson

Fulfillment of employer obligations

age44,003,503,002,502,001,501,00

Mea

n D

eliv

ery

of

the

dea

l, em

plo

yers

ob

ligat

ion

s

3,75

3,70

3,65

3,60

3,55

Kerstin Isaksson

Fulfillment of employee obligations

age44,003,503,002,502,001,501,00

Mea

n D

eliv

ery

of

the

dea

l em

plo

yees

ob

ligat

ion

s

4,40

4,35

4,30

4,25

4,20

Kerstin Isaksson

Country differencesnumber of employer obligations

age categories4,003,503,002,502,001,501,00

Mea

n C

on

ten

t em

plo

yer

s o

blig

atio

ns

12,00

11,00

10,00

9,00

8,00

7,00

IsraelSpainUKBelgiumNetherlandsGermanySweden

country

Kerstin Isaksson

Country differences fulfillment of employer obligations

age categories4,003,503,002,502,001,501,00

Mea

n D

eliv

ery

of

the

dea

l, em

plo

yers

ob

ligat

ion

s

4,25

4,00

3,75

3,50

3,25

IsraelSpainUKBelgiumNetherlandsGermanySweden

country

Kerstin Isaksson

Country differences fulfillment of employee obligations

age categories4,003,503,002,502,001,501,00

Me

an D

eliv

ery

of

the

dea

l em

plo

ye

es o

blig

ati

on

s

4,60

4,50

4,40

4,30

4,20

4,10

4,00

IsraelSpainUKBelgiumNetherlandsGermanySweden

country

Kerstin Isaksson

Conclusions (1)

• No age differences in Number of Employer and Employee Obligations (Content of the Psychological Contract)

• Lower Fulfillment at lower ages

• No age differences in Violations

Kerstin Isaksson

Conclusions (2)

• Country effects in number of emlopyer obligations

• Better delivery with age in Germany, Sweden, and Israel, worse in Spain, UK, Belgium and The Netherlands

• No country differences with age in fulfillment of employee obligations

Kerstin Isaksson

Discussion

• Size of effects

• Career stages and specific obligations?

• Continuity effects?

• I-deals?