The Ageing Megatrend - Are Businesses Responding?

Abstract

This research examines whether businesses have responded to the demographic trend which is seeing a “…shift from a predominantly young to an older population” (Government Office for Science, 2016, p. 24), focusing specifically on drivers of response within businesses and also revealing barriers to response. The study takes an interpretive, qualitative approach, and is based on data generated in eight semi-structured interviews with participants in senior positions (including Human Resource leaders) in a range of industries based in the UK and France. The study found divergent reactions to meeting the needs of older employees. There were 4 significant findings. The first finding revealed that management practices and culture are key rather than policies to affording greater flexibility and approach to the wellbeing of older workers. The second highlighted unanimity of appreciation of the skills that older workers possess and that leaders were motivated to facilitate positive change towards this age group through personal intervention. Connected to this finding was the revelation of the reliance on trust that leaders placed in their managers to perpetuate the same ethos as themselves. Thirdly, the study revealed new career pathways, but these appeared restricted to workers with agency or those championed by senior management, whereas manual workers faced difficulties with sustainability of their working lives through the physical challenges of the roles. Lastly, this study also revealed the significance of heritage and tradition embedded as drivers of responses companies constructed to meet older workers’ needs. This and convention appeared as a theme throughout the findings and notably provided the framework to practices. Other drivers of response were found to be industry type, leadership philosophy and style, and these drivers helped define whether responses were more or less proactive versus reactive