Fostering successful ageing at work: The role of cognitive job crafting, work certainty and perceived remaining time at work

Abstract

This research emphasizes the role of employees in managing their experiences of successful ageing at work. Following a lifespan developmental framework, we propose a new model in which employees, who proactively engage in cognitive job crafting and work uncertainty regulation, are more effective in altering their perceptions of remaining time at work. This, in turn, enhances their experiences of successful ageing in the workplace (i.e. the likelihood to sustain longer, healthier and more productive working lives). We test the conceptual model in two consecutive studies with workers from the United States of America (Study 1) and China (Study 2). The results replicate across the two studies, confirming the indirect positive effect of cognitive crafting on successful ageing at work through perceived remaining time at work. In addition, in Study 2, we find that the effect of cognitive crafting on perceived remaining time at work is stronger for employees with higher (vs. lower) levels of work certainty. Finally, work predictability indirectly moderates the relationship between cognitive crafting and perceived remaining time at work via work certainty. These findings offer important theoretical insights into the fields of work and ageing, job design and uncertainty regulation and provide the evidence base for building capacity, improving organizational practice and policymaking on active ageing at work and beyond.