It Matters How Old You Feel: Antecedents and Performance Consequences of Average Relative Subjective Age in Organizations

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kunze, Florian; Raes, Anneloes M. L.; Bruch, Heike
• 署名单位: University of Konstanz; University of Navarra; IESE Business School; University of St Gallen
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/a0038909
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 1511-1526
• 关键词: subjective age; selection-optimization-compensation theory; socioemotional selectivity theory; age-inclusive human resource practices; COMPANY PERFORMANCE

摘要

This article extends the conceptual knowledge of average relative subjective age in organizations by exploring organizational-level antecedents and consequences of employees, on average, feeling younger than their chronological age. We draw from the theories of selection-optimization-compensation and socioemotional selectivity to build a theoretical framework for relative subjective age in organizations. We hypothesize that companies in which employees, on average, perceive themselves to be younger than they actually are have a higher average individual goal accomplishment and, in turn, experience higher company performance. We further hypothesize that employees' average experience of high work-related meaning relates to a lower subjective age in organizations. In addition, we assess the role of environmental dynamism and age-inclusive human resource management as moderators in this theoretical model. Through empirically testing this model in a multisource dataset, including 107 companies with 15,164 participating employees, we received support for the hypothesized relationships. Our results contribute to current debates in the scientific literature on age and have important practical implications in light of the demographic changes faced by many companies. This research indicates to both researchers and practitioners that it is not employees' chronological age but their subjective age, a factor that can be influenced, which drives organizational performance outcomes.