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Article
Publication date: 5 January 2023

Barbara Mikołajczyk

The purpose of this paper is to show the potential of international human rights law to raise awareness of the international community about ageism and its three aspects – old age…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the potential of international human rights law to raise awareness of the international community about ageism and its three aspects – old age discrimination, stereotyping and prejudices against older persons. The author evaluates the ability of international human rights law to encourage states to take action against these phenomena and looks for new solutions. The author also intends to examine if there are international law instruments compelling states to reject stereotypes and prejudices on older persons if there is no treaty devoted to them.

Design/methodology/approach

The author applies methods relevant to legal science. The core human rights treaties, soft law documents and activities of human rights bodies are selected, analysed and interpreted.

Findings

The core human rights treaties require going beyond their literal interpretation to observe older persons' rights. States should interpret them in good faith, relying on the ageing mainstreaming approach. Instruction to states on how to do so lies in the soft law and output of the international human rights bodies. However, there is also room for improvement. Therefore, the author proposes adopting a targeted resolution on counteracting ageism and its components, updating positions by international treaty bodies, and involving various human rights procedures and specialised agencies in the fight against intangible dimensions of ageism.

Originality/value

It is the first study analysing awareness about stereotyping and prejudices against older persons from international human rights law. The author indicates untapped possibilities of the fight against ageism and its intangible dimensions under international law.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 December 2019

Mengyang Zhang and Sarah Gibney

The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between experiencing ageism in the workplace and working conditions on perceived job sustainability among current workers…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between experiencing ageism in the workplace and working conditions on perceived job sustainability among current workers aged 40 and over in Europe, within the context of positive and active ageing strategies and programmes.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are from the 6th round of the European Working Conditions Survey (n=22,229), and the analytical sample contains adults aged 40 and older in 28 European Member States grouped by employment regime: social-democratic regime, corporatist regime, liberal regime, Southern European regime, post-socialist corporatist regime and post-socialist liberal regime. Perceived job sustainability estimated based on whether the respondent thinks (yes/no) that they can do their current job or similar role until the age of 60 or in next five years if the respondent is aged 56 and over. Experience of ageism in the workplace (yes/no) is self-reported. Generalised structural equation modelling was used to control for both individual- and organisational-level influences and to correct for potential endogeneity in estimating the impact of experienced ageism on perceived job sustainability. In addition, employment regimes are included in the model to investigate differences in this relationship by setting.

Findings

Adults who have not experienced ageism are more likely to have positive perceptions of job sustainability, net of other factors and employment regime. Job sustainability is positively associated with age, being male, being in good health status and higher levels of work satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is that data are cross-sectional, and time variant factors and individual fixed characteristics are excluded from the estimation. The results are influenced by the self-reported data about experienced ageism and evaluation of workplace environment, which may lead to potential endogeneity caused by unobservable personal characteristics such as personality type.

Originality/value

Although the average reported prevalence of ageism in the workplace is 3.4 per cent across the 28 European Union Member States, this study shows that ageism imposes significant negative influence on current workers. This study has highlighted the interrelationship between ageism, workplace satisfaction and job sustainability in this comparative setting. Efforts to reduce ageism in the workplace are likely to lead to improved working conditions and job sustainability.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 41 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2018

Jenny Meinich and Kate Sang

While age is receiving increased attention in the literature on workplace diversity, it remains under researched. Intergenerational contact and its relationship to ageism require…

Abstract

Purpose

While age is receiving increased attention in the literature on workplace diversity, it remains under researched. Intergenerational contact and its relationship to ageism require further research to understand their mechanisms and impacts. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Using semi-structured interviews in the Norwegian technical industry, this paper explores how generations are formed and how this influences intergenerational contact.

Findings

Through the lens of ageism, the findings reveal that generational stereotypes are strongly held by respondents, and may affect how members of the generations interact in the workplace. Further, the data demonstrate that both age and generation are socially constructed, and age discrimination is perceived by both older and younger workers.

Originality/value

The study has relevance for managers who are overseeing organizations with considerable age differences.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2006

Jacqueline Granleese and Gemma Sayer

This study set out to explore employees' experience and understandings of gender and age in higher education to identify if women in higher education experienced the double…

5148

Abstract

Purpose

This study set out to explore employees' experience and understandings of gender and age in higher education to identify if women in higher education experienced the double jeopardy of gendered ageism. Further the role of physical attractiveness and appearance in higher education is explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Rich data were afforded by the qualitative method of in‐depth interviewing of 48 employees in a matched by gender, age grouping and academic status design. The recorded transcripts were subject to content and interpretative phenomenological analyses.

Findings

This study supports previous findings in different workplace settings that women, both academics and non‐academics, experience the double jeopardy of being discriminated against on the grounds of their age and gender in a way that men do not experience. Emergent themes are women: question they experience age discrimination as any perceived discrimination may be gender related and not only age‐related (uncertainty); are socialised to tolerate acceptable levels (tolerance); grow to love the perpetrators (identify with the status quo). Physical attractiveness and appearance are seen as relevant to the workplace in higher education. Non‐academics see academics as being career driven by their lack of attractiveness and or poor appearance. Male academics perceive women academics as unattractive and dressing down in appearance. Young female academics play down their “looks”, i.e. attractiveness and appearance so the effect is minimal (minimisation) as they perceive these be a disadvantage in their careers. Male academics do not report such considerations. “Lookism” thus presents a further prejudice that female academics experience beyond gendered ageism.

Research limitations/implications

One experienced interviewer was used to enhance consistency of interviewing but there may be concerns about possible interviewer effects and the generalisability of the findings within higher education.

Practical implications

Having identified and elucidated “lookism” as a concern for female academics, its extent and sequalae in higher education may be addressed.

Originality/value

This is the first study to show female academics experience the triple jeopardy of gendered ageism and how they look i.e.“lookism”.

Details

Women in Management Review, vol. 21 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0964-9425

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2000

Annette Boaz and Carol Hayden

Older people feel that ageism underlies many of their more specific concerns. A number of pieces of research carried out on behalf of the Inter‐Ministerial Group on Older People…

Abstract

Older people feel that ageism underlies many of their more specific concerns. A number of pieces of research carried out on behalf of the Inter‐Ministerial Group on Older People also reveal the importance of the Government addressing the ageist attitudes to older people that affect their ability to participate in society.

Details

Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-7794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 December 2020

Mohammad Rababa, Ammar M. Hammouri and Sami Al-Rawashdeh

This study aims to examine the association between nurses’ ageism and their knowledge about aging and socio-demographic and professional characteristics in recent international…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the association between nurses’ ageism and their knowledge about aging and socio-demographic and professional characteristics in recent international nursing research studies.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive search of seven databases covering papers since 2000 was undertaken and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed.

Findings

Ageism among nurses is still poorly understood. It is evident that ageism is associated with poor nurses’ level of knowledge about aging. A range of nurses’ demographical and professional characteristics have been examined as potential predictors of ageism, but they were inconsistent with positive, negative and neutral associations.

Originality/value

There is a lack of robustly designed studies investigating the association of nurses’ level of knowledge about aging and their socio-demographical and professional characteristics to ageism. Future descriptive-correlational and interventional studies are recommended to understand and target ageism in health-care settings.

Details

Working with Older People, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-3666

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1997

Ian Glover and Mohamed Branine

Offers a fairly general discussion of the significance of ageism in work and employment and then proceeds to suggest that labour process researchers might very usefully pay some…

2141

Abstract

Offers a fairly general discussion of the significance of ageism in work and employment and then proceeds to suggest that labour process researchers might very usefully pay some attention to it. Writers about the labour process tend to emphasize the issue of labour exploitation and gender and race discrimination but, to some extent, seem to overlook the problem of ageism in work and employment. In this context, considers the character of links between a number of economic and social phenomena and ageism, namely life cycles, divisions of labour, managerialism and industrialization. Specific aspects of ageism in the UK are discussed and the need for debate and policy formulation about the issue of ageism is called for.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 October 2023

Krista Jaakson and Mariya Dedova

This study aims to answer two research questions: first, to what extent can workplace bullying be explained by ageism? And second, does the likelihood of workplace bullying…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to answer two research questions: first, to what extent can workplace bullying be explained by ageism? And second, does the likelihood of workplace bullying increase when age interacts with gender and ethnic minority?

Design/methodology/approach

The authors report results from a survey carried out in 11 organizations in Estonia (N = 1,614) using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (Einarsen et al., 2009).

Findings

The results show that ageism does not explain bullying in Estonia. As in some earlier studies, older age correlates negatively with negative acts, and women report less work-related bullying than men. These findings were unexpected because Estonia's post-socialist background and the highest gender wage gap in Europe suggested otherwise. However, there is gendered ageism in work-related bullying such that older women report more negative acts in their workplace. Respondents from ethnic minority groups do not experience more bullying in general, nor in combination with age. Surprisingly, managers reported both person- and work-related bullying more than employees with no subordinates.

Originality/value

The study contributes to intersectionality literature with a view to workplace bullying in post-socialist study context.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 44 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 June 2023

Yun Ying Zhong, Xi Yu Leung, Jie Sun and Boon Peng Ng

This study aims to investigate the impacts of pandemic-related media coverage on younger hospitality and tourism employees’ ageist attitudes toward older people by applying the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impacts of pandemic-related media coverage on younger hospitality and tourism employees’ ageist attitudes toward older people by applying the media priming theory and the terror management theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This study takes a mixed-method approach through an online survey. A total of 416 usable responses are collected from current US hospitality and tourism employees under 55 years. Qualitative data were analyzed using word cloud. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is then used to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

The study’s results show that younger employees' cognitive reaction negatively affects aging anxiety and intergenerational tension, which subsequently influence their willingness to work with older people. Negative media-induced emotions are positively associated with aging anxiety, whereas positive emotions exert no significant impact. Intergenerational contact frequency moderates the effect of intergenerational tension on younger employees’ willingness to work with older people.

Research limitations/implications

This study’s findings contribute to the hospitality and tourism workforce literature by considering the priming effects of media coverage on younger employees’ attitudes toward self-aging and the older group. This study also offers managerial insights on developing effective age-inclusion interventions to reduce workplace ageism in the post-pandemic era.

Originality/value

Existing hospitality and tourism studies on older workers are scant and largely descriptive. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study that assesses the effects of pandemic-related media coverage on workplace ageism toward older people among the current hospitality and tourism workforce.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 35 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2020

Per Erik Solem

The purpose of this paper is to explore responses of older workers and of managers to the call from the authorities to extend working life.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore responses of older workers and of managers to the call from the authorities to extend working life.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are from the Norwegian Senior Policy Barometer with interviews with samples of about 750 managers and 1,000 workers each year from 2003. There is no panel data.

Findings

Older workers increasingly prefer to extend their working career. The preferred age for exit has increased from 61 years in 2003 to 66 years in 2018. Managers seem less interested in expanding their older workforce. A majority of managers expressed quite positive conceptions of older workers' performance, but less often they liked to recruit older workers. As an average, managers told that they would hesitate to call in applicants above 58 years of age to job interviews. Age for hesitation is only moderately correlated (r = 0.29) to managers' beliefs about older workers’ performance at work. Thus, the managers' beliefs about older workers’ performance made only a small difference for their willingness to hire older workers.

Research limitations/implications

The results suggest that counteracting stereotypes, prejudice and age discrimination in working life needs a broad approach, including attention to the affective component of ageism. For research, the measurement of the affective component needs consideration and further exploration.

Originality/value

The article brings data from a distinctive Norwegian context and approaches the rarely studied affective component of ageism in working life.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 41 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

1 – 10 of 832