Media portrayals of older employees: a success story?

Selm, Martine van; Heijden, B.I.J.M. van der

doi:10.1108/jocm-05-2014-0102

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…This relates especially to negative competence media stereotypes. A more balanced portrayal of older employees’ competences might help to counter stereotypical beliefs about this group (Van Selm and Van der Heijden 2014). For example, media could emphasise that individual skills and health are of greater importance to job performance than age (Posthuma and Campion 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…By investigating both corporate and news media, this study considers the two key domains in which the consequences of stereotypical portrayals of older workers are likely being most significant. First, stereotypes in corporate media are likely to reflect inter-organisational beliefs (Van Selm and Van der Heijden 2014) and inform (older) employees and organisational stakeholders about how older employees are perceived within their organisation. Moreover, stereotypical communication in organisations has negative consequences for the perceived and actual employability of older staff (Henkens 2005) and older workers’ work aspirations (Gaillard and Desmette 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reliable and unproductive? Stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media

et al. 2016

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Older employees face a severe employability problem, partly because of dominant stereotypes about them. This study investigates stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model, we content analysed newspaper coverage and corporate media of 50 large-scale Dutch organisations, published between 2006 and 2013. The data revealed that stereotypical portrayals of older employees are more common in news media than in corporate media and mixed in terms of valence. Specifically, older employees were positively portrayed with regard to warmth stereotypes, such as trustworthiness, but negatively with regard to competence stereotypes, such as technological competence and adaptability. Additionally, stereotypical portrayals that do not clearly belong to warmth or competence dimensions are found, such as the mentoring role stereotype and the costly stereotype. Because competence stereotypes weigh more heavily in employers’ productivity perceptions, these media portrayals might contribute to the employability problem of older employees. We suggest that older employees could benefit from a more realistic media debate about their skills and capacities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reliable and unproductive? Stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media

et al. 2016

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“…Consistent with the content of these stereotypes, recent content analyses have shown that news media portray older employees as warm and incompetent (Kroon, Van Selm, Ter Hoeven & Vliegenthart, in press). These mixed‐media portrayals may contribute to salient stereotypes about older workers, which are thought to underlie age discrimination on the labor market (Van Selm & Van der Heijden, ). Older workers are generally perceived as less employable and have considerable lower re‐employment chances (OECD, ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Poles Apart: The Processing and Consequences of Mixed Media Stereotypes of Older Workers

et al. 2016

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This study uses the Stereotype Content Model to examine how mixed-media stereotypes about older workers affect the implicit activation and application of competence and warmth stereotypes among employees. By means of a 2 × 2 experiment, we show that a newspaper article portraying older workers in a stereotypical manner (i.e., high rather than low in warmth, low rather than high in competence) inhibits and evokes negative employability perceptions, resulting in a net negative effect on intentions to hire an older worker. Findings indicate that mixed-media portrayals have stronger effects on implicit stereotype activation compared to stereotype application. We propose a tailored media-based stereotype reduction strategy, whereby the negative component of older workers' stereotypes is replaced by stereotype-disconfirming information.

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“…The study also yields important information for managers, as well as teachers in business programs, seeking to prepare for a changing workforce. The following list offers some suggestions that managers choose to adopt based on the data: Managerial awareness of generationally based stereotypes can be directed toward curbing the reported tendency of intergenerational co-workers to treat one another negatively based on age-based stereotypes (van Selm and Van der Heijden, 2014). This may involve managers reminding employees that they are working with people, not stereotypes. Encourage open dialogue between generational cohorts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dangers of such a negative mindset were noted by the research of van Selm and Van der Heijden (2014), who examined some age-based stereotypes of older employees and reflected on how they impinge on co-workers. It is important to recognize, however, that many of the portrayals of Millennials today often come from a mix of popular and business sources whose claims and conclusions are not grounded in empirical study.…”

Section: Millennialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing Millennials: looking beyond generational stereotypes

Rosa

Hastings

2018

JOCM

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine what managers perceive Millennial employees as doing in organizations to find generalizations rather than relying upon stereotypes. Design/methodology/approach In total, 25 interviews were conducted with managers in the hospitality industry. The transcribed data were analyzed to learn about identified category-bound activities described. Findings Three prominent findings are elaborated. First, Millennials express a desire for learning and training, because they see this as fostering advancement. Second, there were mixed evaluations of Millennials effectiveness in teamwork. Specific teamwork problems managers identified involved cliquish behavior. Finally, managers stated that Millennials desire feedback. In order for the Millennial employee to feel satisfied with the feedback, however, it needs to be ample, positive and personal. Research limitations/implications The ability to generalize findings is limited because the objective of qualitative research is not to predict. The study does offer some patterned observations by managers that may be useful to future employees and other managers. Practical implications The analysis revealed that some practical problems managers may face when leading Millennial employees; however, these employees bring their own solution to the workplace: a desire for training. Originality/value Existing research on Millennials has not acknowledged the desire for training by Millennials. This is an important finding due to its implications for effective management.

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Media portrayals of older employees: a success story?

Cited by 9 publications

References 34 publications

Reliable and unproductive? Stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media

Reliable and unproductive? Stereotypes of older employees in corporate and news media

Poles Apart: The Processing and Consequences of Mixed Media Stereotypes of Older Workers

Managing Millennials: looking beyond generational stereotypes

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