The master narrative of older employees in changing workplaces
International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
ISSN: 0144-333X
Article publication date: 7 December 2021
Issue publication date: 23 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Interest in older employees increases in times of population ageing. Previous research exploring the situation has underlined older employees' struggle with workplace changes. However, it has not explored their master narrative – the socially shared narrative about older employees that steers behaviour. This study explores this narrative and its differences across changing workplaces. It draws on Lyotard's suggestion that master narratives disintegrate in post-modern societies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducts focus groups among older Finnish employees of an airline, postal service and social care. These groups experienced different kinds of workplace changes, namely mass layoffs, digitalisation and restructuring. The focus groups highlight the individuals' shared narratives, thereby pinpointing the master narrative.
Findings
The master narrative describes how simultaneous changes at the workplace and in their health lead older employees to look for ways to exit their jobs. This narrative is largely stable across workplaces, showing no disintegration but some variation.
Originality/value
This is the first study on the master narrative of older employees and its disintegration. To the authors’ knowledge, it is also the first study to use focus groups to explore a master narrative.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Both authors contributed equally to the manuscript. This study was funded by the University of Helsinki (Three-year-grant Dnro 32/51/2016). The authors thank Visa Rantanen for video recording a focus group, Juho Sarasma for transcribing the recordings, and Lauri Leukkunen for providing support with the translations.
Citation
Niemi, T. and Komp-Leukkunen, K. (2022), "The master narrative of older employees in changing workplaces", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 42 No. 11-12, pp. 1165-1179. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-06-2021-0153
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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