The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older workers:The role of self-regulation and organizations

We live in an unusual time, which effects all of us in different ways. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, some people are working harder than ever, some people have lost their job, some people can only work from home, and some people have to reinvent how they work (Kniffin et al., 2020). Older 50+ workers might even be more affected by the pandemic compared to younger workers because they are labeled as vulnerable and as being at risk in terms of Covid-19 (Ayalon et al., 2020). However, emerging studies on the impact of Covid-19 suggest that older workers respond more effectively to measures that counter Covid-19 (Losada-Balter et al., 2020). This is in line with the lifespan developmental perspective, which theorizes and demonstrates that older adults generally are very capable of adapting and very effective in dealing with the aging process (Baltes and Baltes, 1990; Freund, 2008). Multiple studies show that older adults engage in various self-regulation strategies aimed at continuously maintaining or restoring person-environment fit (e.g., Kooij et al., 2020; Taneva and Arnold, 2018; Zacher, Kooij, & Beier, 2018a) thus helping them to age successfully at work. In this commentary, I will take a more positive perspective on older workers and discuss the self-regulation strategies that older workers engage in and how organizations can stimulate this. I will end my commentary with some suggestions for future research

Successful aging at work:A process model to guide future research and practice

Although aging workforces result in numerous practical challenges for organizations and societies, little research has focused on successful aging at work. The limited existent research has generated rather diverse conceptualizations of successful aging at work, which are often broad and difficult to operationalize in practice. Therefore, to advance research and practice, we offer a specific and practical conceptualization of successful aging at work by developing a process model, which identifies relevant antecedents and mechanisms. In particular, we define successful aging at work as the proactive maintenance of, or adaptive recovery (after decline) to, high levels of ability and motivation to continue working among older workers. We also argue that proactive efforts to maintain, or adaptive efforts to recover and restore, high ability and motivation to continue working result from a self-regulation process that involves goal engagement and disengagement strategies to maintain, adjust, and restore person-environment fit. Further, we propose that at various levels (i.e., person, job, work group, organization, and society) more distal factors function as antecedents of this self-regulation process, with age related bias and discrimination potentially operating at each level. Finally, we offer a roadmap for future research and practical applications

The neglected contexts and outcomes of evidence-based management:A systematic scoping review in hospital settings

PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the necessity of practicing Evidence-based Management (EBMgt) as an approach to decision-making in hospital settings. The literature, however, provides limited insight into the process of EBMgt and its contextual nuances. Such insight is critical for better leveraging EBMgt in practice. Therefore, the authors' aim was to integrate the literature on the process of EBMgt in hospital settings, identify the gaps in knowledge and delineate areas for future research. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The authors conducted a systematic scoping review using an innovative methodology that involved two systematic searches. First using EBMgt terminology and second using terminology associated with the EBMgt concept, which the authors derived from the first search. FINDINGS: The authors identified 218 relevant articles, which using content analysis, they mapped onto the grounded model of the EBMgt process; a novel model of the EBMgt process developed by Sahakian and colleagues. The authors found that the English language literature provides limited insight into the role of managers' perceptions and motives in EBMgt, the practice of EBMgt in Global South countries, and the outcomes of EBMgt. Overall, this study’s findings indicated that aspects of the decision-maker, context and outcomes have been neglected in EBMgt. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The authors contributed to the EBMgt literature by identifying these gaps and proposing future research areas and to the systematic review literature by developing a novel scoping review method

Stimulating job crafting behaviors of older workers:The influence of opportunity-enhancing human resource practices and psychological empowerment

Since job crafting behaviour is of profound importance for the retention of older workers, we examined how organizations can stimulate job crafting behaviour among older workers with opportunity-enhancing Human Resource (HR) practices. We introduced three job crafting behaviours: accommodative, utilization, and developmental job crafting. We hypothesized that opportunity-enhancing HR practices increase psychological empowerment among older workers and therefore their job crafting behaviour. We conducted a survey study with two waves among 125 Dutch older workers (65+) affiliated with a temporary employment agency aiming to employ older workers and found that changes in perceptions of opportunity-enhancing HR practices are positively related to changes in psychological empowerment and, in turn, to changes in utilization and developmental crafting behaviours. Unexpectedly, changes in psychological empowerment were not associated with changes in accommodative crafting and changes in opportunity-enhancing HR practices perceptions were not directly associated with changes in job crafting behaviour. With this study, we contribute to the literature on job crafting and human resource management by showing that opportunity-enhancing HR practices influence job crafting behaviour through psychological empowerment

Human Resource beleid, duurzame inzetbaarheid en oudere werknemers

__Inleidend__ Gezien de sterke vergrijzing van Westerse samenlevingen (o.a. OECD, 2012; UN, 2007) en ontwikkelingen op overheidsniveau rond het ophogen van de pensioengerechtigde leeftijd is het (nood)zaak voor beleidmakers en Human Resource (HR) professionals om oudere werknemers op een gezonde, gemotiveerde en productieve manier langer in dienst te houden. Duurzaam inzetbaar houden van oudere medewerkers is hiermee een thema dat voor de komende jaren hoog op de agenda staat van HR professionals. In dit hoofdstuk zullen wij verschillende typen Human Resource (HR) beleid bespreken gericht op het verbeteren van de duurzame inzetbaarheid van werknemers, en dan met name oudere werknemers. Onder Human Resource Management verstaan wij alle activiteiten die samenhangen met het managen van werk en mensen in organisaties (Boxall & Purcell, 2011). ..

Een goede overeenkomst is het halve werk:Naar een duurzame werk- en inzetbaarheidsovereenkomst met behulp van het Capability Model

De afgelopen decennia is de functie en betekenis van werk enorm veranderd. Niet alleen wat iemand feitelijk kan en moet doen is belangrijk, ook wat iemand wil én mogelijk kan maken in arbeid doet ertoe. Hierin spelen werkwaarden van werknemers een grote rol. Kijkend vanuit het Capability Model stellen we voor om werkwaarden te includeren in het proces van het aanbieden en aannemen van werk. Dit kan door werkwaarden te verbinden met de missie, visie en bedrijfswaarden van de werk- gever in de vorm van een werk- en inzetbaarheidsovereenkomst; een op wederkerigheid gebaseerde afspraak tussen werkgever en werknemer over de wijze waarop beiden samen invulling willen geven aan (duurzame) inzetbaarheid, in aanvulling op het bestaande arbeidscontract. Deze verdiepende con- tractering vindt plaats in drie stappen. Allereerst biedt de werkgever een werknemer werk aan inclusief geldende arbeidsvoorwaarden die hij gelijktijdig verbindt aan zijn missie en bedrijfswaarden. Vervolgens onderzoekt de werknemer welke werkwaarden voor hem belangrijk zijn, in welke mate deze aansluiten op de bedrijfswaarden én welke afspraken hieruit ontstaan in verantwoordelijkheidsverdeling voor de ontwikkeling van inzetbaarheid van de werknemer. Hierna kunnen werkgever en werknemer tot een werk- en inzetbaarheidsovereenkomst komen, aan het werk gaan en periodiek evalueren in hoeverre zij in staat zijn hun waarden (samen) te realiseren. Het Capability Model geeft zo een handelingskader om te komen tot waarde in werk, betrokkenheid, duurzaam inzetbare werknemers en terugdringing van ziekteverzuim

Employable until retirement:How inclusive leadership and HR practices can foster sustainable employability through strengths use

Background: Although the new model of sustainable employability (SE), which builds on the capability approach, has received growing attention, research on how to enhance workers’ SE is scarce. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether (1) inclusive leadership and high-involvement HR practices are positively associated with SE and whether (2) strengths use mediates these associations. To test our research hypotheses, we surveyed Dutch employees (N = 364), selected with random sampling. The results of structural equation modeling showed that inclusive leadership and high-involvement HR practices were positively associated with workers’ SE. Moreover, we discovered that strengths use mediated these relationships. These results contribute to the SE literature by providing initial evidence that inclusive leadership and high-involvement HR practices are directly and indirectly (through strengths use) related to workers’ SE

A qualitative exploration of solo self-employed workers' career sustainability

Contemporary labor markets are characterized by rapidly growing numbers of solo self-employed workers who have their own businesses without employing employees. However, research on solo self-employment has almost exclusively focused on the decision to move into self-employment, thereby failing to consider the long-term career consequences of being solo self-employed. To complement existing research, we examined patterns of career self-management strategies among the solo self-employed in light of their career sustainability and enablers and barriers in their unique work context. We conducted 102 interviews among a heterogeneous sample of Dutch solo self-employed workers and identified four career self-management patterns: proactive crafters, adaptive crafters, survivors, and passive balancers. We found differences in their career sustainability (i.e., happiness, health, and productivity). Specifically, their happiness is overall sufficient while the level of productivity is mixed, and their health seems to be most problematic. This study contributes to the nascent scholarly literature on solo self-employment and career sustainability. Policymakers can use our findings to promote sustainable careers among the solo self-employed