Testing the Shielding Effect of Intergenerational Contact against Ageism in the Workplace: A Canadian Study

Abstract

Negative outcomes of ageism in the context of the Canadian labor market are well documented. Older workers remain the target of age-based stereotypes and attitudes on the part of employers. This study aims at assessing (1) the extent to which quality and quantity intergroup contacts between younger and older workers as well as knowledge-sharing practices reduce ageist attitudes, in turn (2) how a decrease in ageist attitudes increase the level of workers’ engagement and intentions to remain in the organization. Data were collected from 603 Canadian workers (aged 18 to 68 years old) from private and public organizations using an online survey measuring concepts under study. Results of a path analysis suggest that intergroup contacts and knowledge-sharing practices are associated with positive attitudes about older workers. More so, positive attitudes about older workers generate higher levels of work engagement, which in turn are associated with stronger intentions to remain with the organization. However, positive attitudes about older workers had no effect on intentions to remain in the workplace. Results are discussed in light of the intergroup contact theory.

Fostering Positive Views About Older Workers and Reducing Age Discrimination: A Retest of the Workplace Intergenerational Contact and Knowledge Sharing Model

“…More so, knowledge sharing practices between workers of different ages reinforce the perception of equal status, one of the conditions that maximizes the effects of intergroup contacts on prejudice (Choi & Jarrott, 2021). In Lagacé et al’s (2022) study, intergenerational knowledge sharing practices positively impacted both younger and older participants’ views about aging and older workers, which in turn, increased work engagement and intentions to remain in the organization.…”

“…Taken together, findings from the Canadian and Belgian studies highlight that both younger and older workers may benefit from interacting and sharing knowledge with one another, as these can contribute to countering ageist stereotypes about older workers and in turn, increase work engagement as well as intentions to stay in the organization for workers of all ages (Iweins et al, 2013; Lagacé et al, 2022). However, these studies did not examine the extent to which the cognitive component of ageism (i.e., stereotypes) was associated with its behavioral component, namely, age-based discrimination (Solem, 2016).…”

“…Comprised of 603 workers aged 18 to 68, the final model showed that when young and old perceived workplace contacts as positive, both groups subscribed to positive views about older workers. In turn, such views increased levels of work engagement, which positively impacted intentions to remain in the organization for workers of all ages (Lagacé et al, 2022). The model also allowed to test the extent to which intergenerational knowledge sharing practices could improve views about aging and older workers in addition to perceived intergroup contact.…”

“…In sum, the current research seeks to obtain a deeper validation of the Workplace Intergenerational Contact and Knowledge Sharing Model (Lagacé et al, 2022) by testing the following hypotheses among younger and older workers:…”

Are You Willing to Protect the Health of Older People? Intergenerational Contact and Ageism as Predictors of Attitudes toward the COVID-19 Vaccination Passport

“…Our study also contributes to the literature on the intergroup contact tertiary effect, i.e., intergroup contact effects beyond intergroup relations [ 44 , 45 ]. Indeed, previous research has shown that intergroup contact can be associated for example with more pro-environmental behavior [ 46 ] or with organizational outcomes such as work engagement and reduced turnover intentions [ 47 ]. In this research we show that intergroup contact effects might also pertain to public health, being (indirectly via ageism) associated with attitudes toward the vaccination passport, see also [ 15 ].…”