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This study aims to empirically validate an innovative work behaviour-enhancing model of employability in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to examine possible moderating effects of age.

Data have been collected from 487 pairs of employees and their immediate supervisors who worked in 151 SMEs. Structural equation modelling (SEM) has been used to investigate the predictive validity of employability on innovative work behaviour using a multi-source approach. The moderating effect of employee age on the relationship between, on the one hand, self-ratings and supervisor ratings of employability, and, on the other hand, innovative work behaviour has been tested using multi-group SEM.

Results suggest that self-rated employability correlates positively with supervisor-rated innovative work behaviour, and that supervisor-rated employability correlates positively with self-rated innovative work behaviour. Age appeared to have a weak influence on the relationship between employability and innovative work behaviour; more specifically, in case of a higher age, the relationship was stronger.

The cross-sectional design is a limitation of this study. Another limitation relates to the generalizability of the study findings outside the context in which the research has been undertaken. The relational meaning of employee age might be different in other cultures.

Supervisors appear to play an essential role in providing an age-friendly working life for employees. Moreover, as SMEs often do not employ professionals to manage human resources, supervisors themselves have to carry the responsibility to encourage aging employees to develop themselves the enhancing innovative work behaviour.

This study is the first to investigate the predictive validity of employability on innovative work behaviour and the effects of age on this relationship.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the baby boomer generation and the veteran generation in the Netherlands perceive their own employability and how this is related to their self-reported job performance.

In total, 973 workers in employment aged 45 and over filled out a survey measuring self-perceived employability and self-reported job performance. Data were analyzed by the use of t-tests and multiple regression.

Based on the human capital theory, it was found that self-perceived employability was positively related to self-reported job performance. However, in contradiction with our expectations, the veterans perceived their internal and external employability as more positive than the baby boomers.

This study distinguishes between two generations that are part of the group “older workers”. Moreover, we show that a positive relationship exists between one’s perception of one’s own employability and their self-reported performance.

The purpose of this chapter is to draw attention to employability being an important social innovation that potentially thrives with transformational leadership, partly depending on certain personal characteristics such as managerial role and personality.

The study was carried out among pairs of employees (314) and immediate supervisors (334) working at a large Dutch company that produces building materials. We made use of Linear Regression and Structural Equation Modeling to test our hypothesis and explore our assumptions with regard to the research model.

We have found that transformational leadership is positively related to employee and supervisor ratings of employability. Furthermore, there is some indication that transformational leadership enhances employability in some situations, demonstrating differences between categories of workers with and without a managerial function. Moreover, it appeared that after controlling for personality, only the positive relationship between transformational leadership and supervisor ratings of employability, remained for the workers not having a managerial function.

Our study design comprised a cross-sectional approach and therefore future longitudinal research is necessary to investigate causal relationships between transformational leadership, personality, and employability.

In terms of individual career development practices, our outcomes should be translated into increased attention for aligning leadership style to meet the requirements of all types of employees across the life-span.

By providing more insight into the increased importance of transformational leadership for certain groups of workers, this contribution is intended to come up with opportunities for increasing the employability for different types of workers.

This chapter draws attention to the fact that transformational leadership can be a useful tool for stimulating employability of workers. Worker characteristics such as personality, work role (e.g., managerial role) and other life-span factors always have to be taken into account for a customized approach, given the uniqueness of each and every employee.

The purpose of this paper is to examine self-perceived employability, the factors that influence this, the chances to find a job and retirement preferences of two generations older workers with a low occupational status in the creative industries in the Netherlands.

Survey data including qualitative elements were obtained from 1,112 older workers registered in a job agency specialized in older workers. Correlations, t-tests and multiple regressions were performed to test the hypotheses, while the open questions were analyzed in a qualitative manner.

The Veteran Generation reported a higher self-rated employability than the Baby Boomer Generation, found a job quicker and also preferred to retire later than the Baby Boomer Generation. In addition, they focussed on aspects that fostered their employability. The Baby Boomers, on the other hand, stressed the importance of some barriers that hindered their employability. The Baby Boomer Generation explained how external factors like negative stereotypes and being too expensive hinder their employability and chances at the labor market.

A limitation in the study is the use of a cross-sectional design that fails to capture the influence of the aging process.

In the light of the aging population, knowledge about which factors influence the employability and labor participation of older workers is necessary. More insights about the differences and similarities among the various generations in the workforce can help organizations to take important decisions about human resource policies and practices.

This study compared the Baby Boomer Generation to the Veteran Generation in a sector that is known for its unstable employment and hazardous working environments.

This paper aims to investigate associations between self‐rated employability (SRE) and affective organizational commitment and performance to probe the so‐called management paradox, namely the idea that SRE relates to performance, but also to reduced commitment. SRE concerns the workers' perception about all available (quantitative SRE) or instead better (qualitative SRE) job opportunities on the internal (internal SRE) and/or the external (external SRE) labour market. This leads to four types of SRE: internal quantitative SRE; internal qualitative SRE; external quantitative SRE; and external qualitative SRE.

Analyses were based on a sample of 551 workers from nine organizations: a large Belgian organization providing human resource services, and eight schools. Hypotheses were tested with structural equation modeling, accounting also for sector differences.

Internal quantitative SRE associated positively with affective organizational commitment – directly as well as indirectly – through internal qualitative SRE. External quantitative SRE associated negatively with affective organizational commitment through external qualitative SRE. However, a direct and positive relationship was established between external quantitative SRE and affective organizational commitment. Finally, affective organizational commitment associated positively with performance.

This study is among the first to empirically test and prove false the management paradox. Another strength is that this study advanced SRE as a multi‐dimensional construct.

The purpose of this paper is to advance two seemingly conflicting paths from perceived employability to employee performance. Both paths start from the idea that feeling employable makes employees more independent from their employer. Framed positively, independence implies the perception of being in control, and perceived control may promote employee performance. Framed negatively, independence implies reduced attachment to the organization, while such ties drive employee performance. Innovative features in this study are threefold. First, the authors introduce perceived justice as a moderator. Second, the authors distinguish between perceived quantitative and qualitative employability: this relates to seeing “other” vs “better” job opportunities. Third, the authors include a range of performance indicators: task performance, organizational citizenship behavior and counterproductive work behavior.

Survey data were collected within one Belgian public-sector organization (n=1,500 employees) and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Perceived control mediated the relationship between perceived employability and employee performance, yet only upon high perceived justice. Affective organizational commitment mediated the relationship between perceived employability and employee performance, regardless of perceived justice. Those relationships were positive for quantitative perceived employability and negative for qualitative perceived employability.

Perceived employability relates positively to employee performance, especially upon high perceived justice. Yet this relationship is bounded to which job alternatives are perceived, just “other” or instead “better.”

The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible differences in the degrees of employability, leader–member exchange (LMX) and innovative work behaviours in a comparison between Belgium and the Netherlands. Although neighbouring countries, disparate national cultures between the two are assumed to influence the amount of employability, LMX and innovative work behaviours among their respective working populations. Furthermore, this paper aims to validate a mediation model across the two countries to test whether employability (partially) mediates the relationship between LMX and innovative work behaviours.

Data from employees and their immediate supervisors working in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium and the Netherlands supported the hypothesized model. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the mediation model using a multi-source approach.

The amount of employability and innovative work behaviours of employees appeared to differ significantly between Belgium and the Netherlands. Furthermore, the results suggested that for both countries a positive relationship with one’s immediate supervisor (LMX) is beneficial in the light of workers’ innovative work behaviours, through its impact on employability, which was found to be a full mediator in this relationship.

Future studies using a longitudinal approach could give more insight into the model relationships. Moreover, the variation in systems, national contexts and managerial practices in the Euroregion calls for more cross-national comparative scholarly research.

SMEs often do not employ professionals to manage human resources, that is, supervisors themselves have to carry the responsibility to encourage employees to further develop themselves and to enhance their innovative work behaviours. This while the challenge of more cross-national cooperation encourages a boost for innovations in the Euroregion.

This study is the first cross-national validation of a mediation model wherein a competence-based measure of employability is incorporated as a possible mediator in the relationship between LMX and innovative work behaviours.

Employability has been studied in different disciplines (e.g. occupational health and career) and has been seen as a personal resource with overall positive outcomes. The present research investigates the behavioral implications of (perceived) employability and responds to the recent call of research that perceived employability could have not only positive but also negative behavioral implications. Furthermore, this study aims to reduce the asymmetry of data set and replication of existing results in non-Western economies.

Multinationals were taken as context to test the hypotheses, and a sample of 230 white-collar employees was drawn from fast-moving consumer goods companies. Partial least square–structural equation modeling through SmartPLS was used to analyze the data.

In light of social exchange theory, the present research identified the dark side of employability, which may impair the employer–employee relationship. Perceived employability did not relate significantly with in-role performance, nor did it correlate with organizational citizenship behavior, that is, a discretionary behavior promotes the efficient and effective functioning. However, perceived employability had a positive significant relationship with OCBI, that is, helping supervisors and coworkers with heavy workloads, as well as with counterproductive behaviors.

Employable workers have always been considered key players and an asset for organizations due to their high productivity skills. A balanced employer–employee relationship creates a mutual win; therefore, a carefully drafted human resources policy may help organizations to fulfill the needs of employable workers and reap optimal benefits in terms of productivity. Behavioral training to supervisors/managers may help to assertively deal with employees' negative behavior without further escalation.

The present study suggests a paradoxical perspective in employability – a behavior debate, which is in an initial phase where it is difficult to determine whether employable workers are productive to the organizations or not.

Although environmental factors at the organizational level are of importance for individual employability, very few studies have investigated how the practices an organization implements can facilitate employability. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how high-involvement human resources (HIHR) practices (i.e. recognition, competence development, empowerment, information sharing and fair rewards) influence employee learning, which contributes to employability.

The data were collected from 288 pairs of employees and their direct supervisors in Chinese companies. In this study, we measure perceived employability from both employees and their direct supervisors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis is conducted to test the hypotheses.

The results indicate that employees’ perceptions of the HIHR practices of recognition, competence development, empowerment and information sharing are positively related to employee learning, and then facilitate self- and supervisor-ratings of employees’ employability. Practices of fair rewards have a negative effect on employee learning and employability.

This study contributes to employability and human resource management literature in several ways. First, the study raises the association between different HIHR practices and perceived employability through employee learning. Second, the study considers both self-rating and supervisor-rating of employability to improve the effectiveness of the results.

The changes in the economy along with various political reforms have resulted in an increased focus on enhancing the employability of higher education graduates and have challenged the traditional role of higher education such as creating informed citizens and improving the well-being of individuals and the larger society. In this era of globalization, employability of higher education graduates is considered imperative in strengthening economies and in increasing their competitiveness. This increased focus on employability calls for innovative methods and approaches for assessing the skills and competencies of graduates. Employability is a broad concept and should not be seen as synonymous with the actual employment of graduates. Given these changes in the larger economy and higher education systems, this chapter attempts to map the changes in the overall goals and objectives of higher education against various political and economic forces, and to discuss the implications of these changes with reference to ‘employability gain’ of graduates. In doing so, we first discuss various definitions of employability and identify commonalities and differences between them. Next, we examine the potential of two assessment approaches – self-reports and performance-based tests – for measuring employability gains based on research findings from two higher education quality management projects implemented in Germany.