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Determinants of older and younger workers' job satisfaction and organisational commitment in the contrasting labour markets of Belgium and Sweden

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2008

RITA CLAES  and
BART VAN DE VEN
RITA CLAES*
Affiliation:
Department of Personnel, Work and Organizational Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
BART VAN DE VEN
Affiliation:
Department of Personnel, Work and Organizational Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium.
*
Address for correspondence: Rita Claes, Department of Personnel Management, Work and Organisational Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Throughout the industrialised world, promoting the retention of older workers is high on the agenda of governments, employers, unions and the media, but not at any price. If persuading older workers to stay at work longer is to benefit companies and wider society, then the employees should be committed and satisfied with their decision. This study explores the factors that keep older workers satisfied and committed at work by contrasting samples of older (aged 50 or more years) and younger workers (up to 25 years) in favourable (Sweden) and unfavourable labour markets (Belgium). The core research question is whether the influential factors are different for the two age groups, after controlling for country, gender, educational level, employment sector, supervisory position, and the employee's financial contribution to the household. The predictors included workers' self-reports of skill discretion (i.e. the range of skills used on the job), organisational fairness, and perceived job insecurity. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that, across age groups, skill discretion and organisational fairness predicted both job satisfaction and organisational commitment. For older workers there was a negative impact of perceived job insecurity on job satisfaction and organisational commitment. The national context only affected younger workers. In the unfavourable Belgian labour market, they were more satisfied and committed to their organisation.

Keywords

older workersjob satisfactionorganisational commitmentworkforce retention
Type
Research Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 28 , Issue 8 , November 2008 , pp. 1093 - 1112
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

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