Engaging the aging workforce: the relationship between perceived age similarity, satisfaction with coworkers, and employee engagement

Business publications and the popular press have stressed the importance of creating conditions for meaningful employee expression in work roles, also known as engagement. Few empirical studies, however, have examined how individual or situational factors relate to engagement. Consequently, this stu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of applied psychology Vol. 92; no. 6; p. 1542
Main Authors Avery, Derek R, McKay, Patrick F, Wilson, David C
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.11.2007
Subjects
Aging - psychology
Attitude
Employment
Female
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
Job Satisfaction
Male
Social Perception
Surveys and Questionnaires
Workplace - psychology
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Summary:Business publications and the popular press have stressed the importance of creating conditions for meaningful employee expression in work roles, also known as engagement. Few empirical studies, however, have examined how individual or situational factors relate to engagement. Consequently, this study examines the interplay between employee age, perceived coworker age composition, and satisfaction with older (older than 55) and younger (younger than 40) coworkers on engagement using a sample of 901 individuals employed in the United Kingdom. Results indicated that satisfaction with one's coworkers related significantly to engagement. Moreover, perceived age similarity was associated with higher levels of engagement among older workers when they were highly satisfied with their coworkers over 55 and lower levels of engagement when they were not.
ISSN:0021-9010
DOI:10.1037/0021-9010.92.6.1542