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Older workers and organizational change: corporate memory versus potentiality

Philip Taylor (Office of the Pro‐Vice Chancellor and President, Monash University, Churchill, Australia)
Libby Brooke (Business, Work and Ageing Centre for Research, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia)
Christopher McLoughlin (Office of the Pro‐Vice Chancellor and President, Monash University, Churchill, Australia)
Tia Di Biase (Business, Work and Ageing Centre for Research, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia)

International Journal of Manpower

ISSN: 0143-7720

Article publication date: 15 June 2010

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Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on the recent work of Sennett and others who considered the position of older workers in dynamic economies subject to rapid change, this paper aims to examine the perceived fit between employees of different ages and their employing organizations in four Australian workplaces.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis of qualitative data, collected among workers and managers in four Australian organizations, was performed.

Findings

Results suggests that potentiality tended to be prized as an asset over corporate memory. While managers were frequently paternalistic towards their older employees, ageing human capital was often devalued as managers tried to balance operational budgets and organizations sought to remain responsive to changing market demands.

Originality/value

The paper discusses the implications for the prolongation of working lives.

Keywords

Citation

Taylor, P., Brooke, L., McLoughlin, C. and Di Biase, T. (2010), "Older workers and organizational change: corporate memory versus potentiality", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 374-386. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437721011050639

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2010, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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