Managerial bias is a major source of workplace inequality and a central target of employer diversity efforts, yet we know little about the content of stereotypes and where they prevail. Stereotypes ...can be ambivalent, mixing negative and positive dimensions. Ambivalent stereotypes can rationalize discriminatory decision-making but they may also be more amenable to change. This article examines the prevalence of wholly negative and ambivalent age-based stereotypes across organizational contexts. Data on 551 managers reveals, first, that the modal manager holds ambivalent stereotypes about older workers, with positive perceptions of their personal attributes and negative perceptions regarding their employability. Second, both negative and ambivalent stereotypes are common in the presence of a labour union. Their prevalence declines, however, in different contexts: ambivalent stereotypes decline with increased intergroup contact and negative stereotypes decline when accountability triggers are implmented. Implications for research on work, organizations, older workers, and diversity management are discussed.
Self-employment allows individuals to extend their working lives instead of accepting forced retirement. This study examines transitions to self-employment after age 50 but before retirement age. The ...study is based on data from Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), in which 16,412 people from 18 countries contributed 24,583 observations. Multilevel analyses were used; the data were pooled into one dataset, in which individuals (first-level variables) were nested within countries (second-level variables). The results reveal that few employees choose to switch to self-employment between age 50 and retirement. Characteristics such as health limitations, marital status, and national unemployment rates affect these employees’ decisions to become self-employed. Given the wage gaps between salaried employees and self-employed and the few employment opportunities available to salaried employees after they reach the official retirement age, the transition to self-employment is a solution for those who need sources of income or wish to remain active after retirement age.
In this research we show that workers aged 30-44 were significantly more likely than those aged 45-59 to find a job a year after being unemployed. The main contribution is demonstrating empirically ...that since older workers' difficulties are related to their age, while for younger individuals the difficulties are more related to the business cycle, policy makers must devise different programs to address unemployment among young and older individuals. The solution to youth unemployment is the creation of more jobs, and combining differential minimum wage levels and earned income tax credits might improve the rate of employment for older individuals.
Beyond the obvious positive effect on employees, job satisfaction is also critical for organizations. Job satisfaction affects workers' turnover intents, while also predicting employees' commitment ...to their workplace and their performances. Thus, not surprisingly, most organizations strive for employee satisfaction. The goal of the study is to examine which job characteristics and workplace practices affect the job satisfaction of employees, and particularly that of older ones (55+), and, in turn, enhance their will to work and may encourage them to work longer. Our analysis of the Social Survey for 2016 from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics focused on job conditions and revealed that income satisfaction, additional benefits, a sense of belonging and work-life balance enhance job satisfaction and the desire to work longer, particularly among older workers. Among younger workers, a higher significance was found for professional training and skills. Implications for organizations and policymakers are discussed.
The current study compared employers' perceptions and knowledge about older workers to official data, as well as employers' views of the ideal situation regarding older workers, to assess potential ...gaps. A questionnaire answered by a sample of 373 employers was used to examine possible gaps between employers' perceptions, views, and official statistical data regarding older workers. Statistical significance (T-Test) analyses suggested that gaps do exist, in issues like labor force participation rate, health status, and women's retirement age, which may explain obstacles faced by older workers. Logistic regression models revealed the effect of personal and organizational characteristics on employers' preferences regarding the ideal labor force participation rate of older workers, and the ideal retirement age according to their preference. Educational measures and policies aimed at increasing employers' awareness to the official data regarding the aging workforce should be tailored to specific organizations, sectors, and employers' characteristics.
The goal of this research is to examine the associations among personal characteristics, country-level indicators, and the retirement timing in 20 European countries. Data came from 34,483 retired ...respondents who participated in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Using a multilevel analysis, we explored the relationship between timing of retirement and personal as well as country-level variables. Early retirement was found to be more likely when gross domestic product (GDP) was lower, and/or when health conditions were poorer, while later retirement was more common when GDP or unemployment rate were higher. In addition, the country of residence affected the timing of retirement. One implication is that increasing the pensionable age will increase retirement age, as people tend to retire when they are eligible for full pension benefits. Furthermore, the differences in retirement decision among countries are largely related to the generosity of pension schemes.
PurposeIn recent years, crowdfunding has developed as a new fundraising alternative. Yet, the effects of the backing experience in reward and donation-based crowdfunding (DBCF) on well-being were ...researched only through qualitative practices. The current study offers a novel quantitative inquiry of the association between backing motivation and backers' well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a uniform questionnaire distributed among 700 Israeli adults, which included questions about backing experience, sense of meaning and social welfare.FindingsThe results indicate that only intrinsic backing motivation is associated with the sense of meaning in life. Non-investment crowdfunding offers a platform for people who are intrinsically motivated to increase their sense of meaning in life. Moreover, the authors find that the tendency to back further projects is associated with backers' sense of meaning in life.Social implicationsThe findings can promote a better matching between backers' desire for living the good life and entrepreneurs' desire to reach their funding targets. Social welfare implications are discussed.Originality/valueThe linkage between backers' well-being and crowdfunding has not been explored in quantitative studies. Hence, the study offers a novel approach and some new insights on this linkage.
PurposeThe paper aims to examine the unique nature of crowdfunding and its association with supporters' well-being, measured by Seligman's (2011) well-being theory and its five elements of PERMA: ...positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment.Design/methodology/approach22 structured interviews were conducted with supporters of crowdfunding projects. The interviews were analyzed using deduction, generating themes and assigning them to the relevant PERMA elements.FindingsAlmost all interviews included five or four PERMA elements, supporting the hypothesis about crowdfunding as a form of economic behavior that is triggered by the desire for fulfillment in life. The authors found that the tendency to become a serial crowdfunder is triggered by PERMA and a sense of trust.Originality/valueThis is the first study that presents a well-being theory of non-investment crowdfunding contributions. Based on the interviews, we suggest a theory linking the motivation for backing current and future projects with PERMA elements, sense of trust and the nature of adaption to activities with intrinsic attributes.
The decision about the timing of retirement and actual retirement age is based on financial factors as well as personal characteristics and country-level macro indicators. The goal of this research ...is to examine the associations between the mentioned factors and actual retirement age while focusing on similarities and differences between European countries. The data came from 34,478 respondents in 20 countries who participated in waves 2, 4 and 5 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Using Ordinary least squares regression models, we explored associations between actual retirement age and personal as well as the country-level variables. Results reveal that higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP), higher pension spending, being a male, and being self-employed were found to be associated with higher actual retirement age, while being a female, civil servant, having fair or poor health, and secondary education were found to be associated with lower actual retirement age. The effect of net household wealth and GDP were not consistent across countries. The contribution of our study is the ability to make predictions about actual retirement age based on each country’ GDP per capita, thus adding the country variables to the individual characteristics and improving our understanding concerning actual retirement age. The different effects of wealth and GDP across countries suggest that policymakers should take into account the specific effect in their country to better assess the implications of different policy measures on the actual retirement age.
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