Ageism in the Workplace: The Role of Psychosocial Factors in Predicting Job Satisfaction, Commitment, and Engagement

Abstract

With a worldwide aging population and increasingly youth‐centered societies around the world, there are mounting concerns about how perceptions of age and aging may influence the workplace. Using an age diverse national sample of workers (n = 800) from a wide range of occupations and socioeconomic backgrounds in the United States, this study investigated understudied psychosocial factors (age identity, aging anxiety, perceived age discrimination, perceived social support at work, and work centrality) that may buffer or hinder job satisfaction, commitment, and engagement. Identity variables, both age identity and work centrality, as well as perceived social support at work, were found to be positively associated with job satisfaction, commitment, and engagement, while both perceived age discrimination and anxiety about aging were negatively associated with these three job longevity variables. The results suggest that psychosocial factors such as age identity, work centrality, and perceived social support could be targeted to improve job satisfaction, commitment, and engagement, while it would be beneficial for organizational policies to continue to focus on reducing age discrimination as well as reducing anxiety about aging in the workplace.

Perceived Age Discrimination and Job Satisfaction Among Older Employed Men in Japan

“…However, the relationship found between age discrimination and job satisfaction indicates support for Hypothesis 1, which proposed that perceived age discrimination would be associated with lower job satisfaction. These results are consistent with past research (Hassell & Perrewé, 1993; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). This additive effect was indicated even after controlling for the effects of occupation categories and other psychosocial factors.…”

“…Regarding additive effects, supervisor and coworker support were positively related to job satisfaction, irrespective of the level of age discrimination, in this study. This finding suggests that social support at work is a strong and significant predictor of job satisfaction, consistent with prior research (Chou & Robert, 2008; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). Older employed men who perceive that they can rely on either supervisors or other coworkers for support would likely be better able to handle work-related problems and more satisfied with their work environment.…”

Perceived Age Discrimination and Job Satisfaction Among Older Employed Men in Japan

“…However, the relationship found between age discrimination and job satisfaction indicates support for Hypothesis 1, which proposed that perceived age discrimination would be associated with lower job satisfaction. These results are consistent with past research (Hassell & Perrewé, 1993; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). This additive effect was indicated even after controlling for the effects of occupation categories and other psychosocial factors.…”

“…Regarding additive effects, supervisor and coworker support were positively related to job satisfaction, irrespective of the level of age discrimination, in this study. This finding suggests that social support at work is a strong and significant predictor of job satisfaction, consistent with prior research (Chou & Robert, 2008; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). Older employed men who perceive that they can rely on either supervisors or other coworkers for support would likely be better able to handle work-related problems and more satisfied with their work environment.…”

Measuring Age Discrimination at Work: Spanish Adaptation and Preliminary Validation of the Nordic Age Discrimination Scale (NADS)

“…In a similar vein, there is strong evidence on the negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and psychological wellbeing at work, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction [25,40,48,55,85,86,87,88], in line with results obtained in our study. Finally, regarding social factors at work, our results coincide with other studies [8,10,25,88], showing a negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and perception of social support; this negative relationship is significant both in relation to the supervisor and to coworkers, which shows that age discrimination is vertical and horizontal. These results are revealing of the need to devote more attention to promote intergenerational contact and relationships at work, and to adopt an organizational multi-age perspective [89].…”

Influence of Perceived Glass Ceiling and Personal Attributes on Female Employees’ Organizational Commitment

“…The present study examined impact of personal attributes and perceived glass ceiling on organizational commitment of female employees and established that these factors influenced organizational commitment. The finding concurred with previous studies that reported these factors influence, and are associated with organizational commitment (Abdul -Nasiru et al 2014;Bombuwela & Alwis, 2013;Downes et al, 2014;Macdonald & Levy, 2016;Ng & Feldman, 2010;Sabahattin et al, 2017;Salami, 2008).…”

Perceived Age Discrimination and Job Satisfaction Among Older Employed Men in Japan

“…However, the relationship found between age discrimination and job satisfaction indicates support for Hypothesis 1, which proposed that perceived age discrimination would be associated with lower job satisfaction. These results are consistent with past research (Hassell & Perrewé, 1993; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). This additive effect was indicated even after controlling for the effects of occupation categories and other psychosocial factors.…”

“…Regarding additive effects, supervisor and coworker support were positively related to job satisfaction, irrespective of the level of age discrimination, in this study. This finding suggests that social support at work is a strong and significant predictor of job satisfaction, consistent with prior research (Chou & Robert, 2008; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). Older employed men who perceive that they can rely on either supervisors or other coworkers for support would likely be better able to handle work-related problems and more satisfied with their work environment.…”

Measuring Age Discrimination at Work: Spanish Adaptation and Preliminary Validation of the Nordic Age Discrimination Scale (NADS)

“…In a similar vein, there is strong evidence on the negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and psychological wellbeing at work, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction [25,40,48,55,85,86,87,88], in line with results obtained in our study. Finally, regarding social factors at work, our results coincide with other studies [8,10,25,88], showing a negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and perception of social support; this negative relationship is significant both in relation to the supervisor and to coworkers, which shows that age discrimination is vertical and horizontal. These results are revealing of the need to devote more attention to promote intergenerational contact and relationships at work, and to adopt an organizational multi-age perspective [89].…”

Influence of Perceived Glass Ceiling and Personal Attributes on Female Employees’ Organizational Commitment

“…The present study examined impact of personal attributes and perceived glass ceiling on organizational commitment of female employees and established that these factors influenced organizational commitment. The finding concurred with previous studies that reported these factors influence, and are associated with organizational commitment (Abdul -Nasiru et al 2014;Bombuwela & Alwis, 2013;Downes et al, 2014;Macdonald & Levy, 2016;Ng & Feldman, 2010;Sabahattin et al, 2017;Salami, 2008).…”

Perceived Age Discrimination and Job Satisfaction Among Older Employed Men in Japan

“…However, the relationship found between age discrimination and job satisfaction indicates support for Hypothesis 1, which proposed that perceived age discrimination would be associated with lower job satisfaction. These results are consistent with past research (Hassell & Perrewé, 1993; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). This additive effect was indicated even after controlling for the effects of occupation categories and other psychosocial factors.…”

“…Regarding additive effects, supervisor and coworker support were positively related to job satisfaction, irrespective of the level of age discrimination, in this study. This finding suggests that social support at work is a strong and significant predictor of job satisfaction, consistent with prior research (Chou & Robert, 2008; Macdonald & Levy, 2016; Redman & Snape, 2006). Older employed men who perceive that they can rely on either supervisors or other coworkers for support would likely be better able to handle work-related problems and more satisfied with their work environment.…”

Measuring Age Discrimination at Work: Spanish Adaptation and Preliminary Validation of the Nordic Age Discrimination Scale (NADS)

“…In a similar vein, there is strong evidence on the negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and psychological wellbeing at work, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction [25,40,48,55,85,86,87,88], in line with results obtained in our study. Finally, regarding social factors at work, our results coincide with other studies [8,10,25,88], showing a negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and perception of social support; this negative relationship is significant both in relation to the supervisor and to coworkers, which shows that age discrimination is vertical and horizontal. These results are revealing of the need to devote more attention to promote intergenerational contact and relationships at work, and to adopt an organizational multi-age perspective [89].…”

Influence of Perceived Glass Ceiling and Personal Attributes on Female Employees’ Organizational Commitment

“…The present study examined impact of personal attributes and perceived glass ceiling on organizational commitment of female employees and established that these factors influenced organizational commitment. The finding concurred with previous studies that reported these factors influence, and are associated with organizational commitment (Abdul -Nasiru et al 2014;Bombuwela & Alwis, 2013;Downes et al, 2014;Macdonald & Levy, 2016;Ng & Feldman, 2010;Sabahattin et al, 2017;Salami, 2008).…”