Employers’ policies and attitudes towards the performance of older employees in Lithuania
Abstract
The ageing labour force is the one of the main challenges for the labour market in Lithuania. The working career of older employees very much depends on the policies and attitude of employers. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyse the policies and attitudes of Lithuanian employers towards older employees. The data of Eurobarometer 76.2 in 2011 and the data of the employers’ survey in Lithuania in 2014 were used for the implementation of the goal. The construction, trade, education, health care and public administration sectors were selected on arbitrary basis. The respondents were surveyed by telephone. The sample of the survey included 216 managers or staff managers. The employers in primary data of Eurobarometer 76.2 were defined as general and middle managers. The data were analysed using the method of factor analysis. The secondary Eurostat data were used for the analysis of socioeconomic context. The legal norms were analysed using national documents. The main findings of the research reveal the general positive attitude of employers towards older workers in Lithuania. However, the existing workplace practice gives little encouragement for prolonging the working career in older age due to obsolete cultural and legal norms.
Keyword : employers, old age, employees, attitudes, characteristics
How to Cite
Skučienė, D., & Moskvina, J. (2019). Employers’ policies and attitudes towards the performance of older employees in Lithuania. Business: Theory and Practice, 20, 476-484. https://doi.org/10.3846/btp.2019.44
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Ambrazevičiūtė K (2018) Vyresnio amžiaus žmonių teisės į darbą įgyvendinimas visuomenės senėjimo sąlygomis. Daktaro disertacija. Socialiniai mokslai, teisė (01 S). Mykolo Romerio universitetas, Vilnius.
Armstrong-Stassen M (2007) Organisational practices and the post-retirement employment experience of older workers. Human Resource Management Journal 18: 36-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-8583.2007.00057.x
Bal AC, Reiss AEB, Rudolph CW, Baltes BB (2011) Examining positive and negative perceptions of older workers: A meta-analysis. Journals of Gerontology. Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 66: 687-698. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbr056
Bouman R, Horne R, Milasi S, Prasad N (2015) Ageing and labour market implications for Lithuania. Research Department working paper No. 6. International Labour Office, Research Department. Geneva: ILO.
Conen WS, Henkens K, Schippers J (2012) Employers’ attitudes and actions towards the extension of working lives in Europe. International Journal of Manpower 33 (6): 648-665. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437721211261804
Dordoni P, Argentero P (2015) When age stereotypes are employment barriers: a conceptual analysis and a literature review on older workers stereotypes. Ageing International 40 (4): 393-412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-015-9222-6
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) (2013) Lithuania. Country statistical overview http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/3066_en_VetCountryOverview_LT.pdf
European Commission (2014) Eurobarometer 76.2 (2011). TNS Opinion & Social, Brussels (Producer). GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA5566 Data file Version 2.0.1.
Furunes T, Mykletun RJ (2010) Age discrimination in the workplace: Validation of the Nordic Age Discrimination Scale (NADS). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 51 (1): 23-30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00738.x
Guillemard AM (2015) Age policy. In Smelser NJ and Baltes PB (Eds.) International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences 1: 267-271. Oxford: Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/01823-4
Hamilton DL, Sherman JW (1994) Stereotypes (2nd ed.). In: Wyer Jr R, Srull TK (Eds.) Handbook of Social Cognition 2: 1-68. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum.
Hansen J-IC, Leuty ME (2012) Work values across generations. Journal of Career Assessment 20 (1): 34-52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072711417163
Henkens K (2005) Stereotyping older workers and retirement: The managers’ point of view. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue Canadienne du Vieillissement 24 (4): 353-366. https://doi.org/10.1353/cja.2006.0011
Hess KP (2013) Investigation of nonverbal discrimination against women in simulated initial job interviews. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 43 (3): 544-555. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2013.01034.x
Karpinska K, Henkens K, Schippers J (2013) Hiring retirees: impact of age norms and stereotypes. Journal of Managerial Psychology 28 (7/8): 886-906. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-07-2013-0223
Kunze F, Boehm S, Bruch H (2013) Organizational performance consequences of age diversity: Inspecting the role of diversity‐friendly HR policies and top managers’ negative age stereotypes. Journal of Management Studies 50 (3): 413-442. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12016
Lazazzara A, Karpinska K, Henkens K (2013) What factors influence training opportunities for older workers? Three factorial surveys exploring the attitudes of HR professionals. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 24 (11): 2154-2172. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.725077
Lietuvos Respublikos civilinės krašto apsaugos tarnybos statuto patvirtinimo ir įgyvendinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2003, Nr. 73-3348.469.
Lietuvos Respublikos darbo kodeksas, Valstybės žinios, 2016-09-19, Nr. 23709.
Lietuvos Respublikos notariato įstatymas. Lietuvos aidas, 1992, Nr. 192-0.
Lietuvos Respublikos specialiųjų tyrimų tarnybos statuto patvirtinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2003, Nr. 38-1656.458.
Lietuvos Respublikos tarnybos Lietuvos Respublikos muitinėje statuto patvirtinimo ir įgyvendinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2000, Nr. 94-2917.
Lietuvos Respublikos teisingumo ministro 2001 m. balandžio 20 d. įsakymas Nr. 73 „Dėl Skyrimo į vyresniojo teismo antstolio, vyresniojo teismo antstolio pavaduotojo pareigas uždaro konkurso būdu tvarkos bei Teismo antstolių, vyresniųjų teismo antstolių, vyresniųjų teismo antstolių pavaduotojų priėmimo į tarnybą konkurso organizavimo tvarkos patvirtinimo“. Valstybės žinios, 2001, Nr. 41-1433.
Lietuvos Respublikos užimtumo įstatymas, Valstybės žinios, 2016-07-05, Nr. 18825.
Lietuvos Respublikos valstybės tarnybos įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 1999, Nr. 66.
Lietuvos Respublikos vidaus tarnybos statuto patvirtinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2003, Nr. 42-1927.
Lietuvos Respublikos žvalgybos įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2000, Nr. 64-1931.
Loretto W, Duncan C, White PJ (2000) Ageism and employment: controversies, ambiguities and younger people’s perceptions. Ageing and Society 20 (3): 279-302. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X00007741
Mačernytė-Panomariovienė I (2008) Įsidarbinimo amžiaus cenzo nustatymas ir jo pagrįstumas. Teisės problemos 1 (59): 5-23.
Malinen S, Johnston L (2013) Workplace ageism: discovering hidden bias. Experimental Aging Research 39 (4): 445-465. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361073X.2013.808111
McNair S, Flynn M, Dutton N (2007) Employer responses to an ageing workforce: a qualitative study. Department of Work and Pensions, Research Report No 455. 16.
Mikulionienė S, Petkevičienė D (2006) Senatvės įvaizdžiai Lietuvos periodinėje spaudoje: tarp pagarbos ir baimės. Socialinis darbas 5 (1): 38-49.
Naegele L, De Tavernier W, Hess M (2018) Work environment and the origin of ageism. In: Ayalon L Tesch-Römer C (Eds.) Contemporary perspectives on ageism. Springer, Cham, 73-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8_5
Ng TW, Feldman DC (2012) Evaluating six common stereotypes about older workers with meta‐analytical data. Personnel psychology 65 (4): 821-858. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12003
Ng TW, Feldman DC (2008) The relationship of age to ten dimensions of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology 93 (2): 392. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.93.2.392
Ng TW, Feldman DC (2010) The relationships of age with job attitudes: A meta‐analysis. Personnel Psychology 63 (3): 677-718. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01184.x
Nilsson K (2018) Managers’ attitudes to their older employees: A cross-sectional study. Work 59 (1): 49-58. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-172663
Oude Mulders J, Henkens K, Schippers J (2016) European top managers’ age-related workplace norms and their organizations’ recruitment and retention practices regarding older workers. The Gerontologist 57 (5): 857-866. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw076
Posthuma RA, Campion MA (2008) Age stereotypes at the workplace: common stereotypes, moderators, and future research directions. Journal of Management 35: 158-188. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308318617
Principi A, Fabbietti P, Lamura G (2015) Perceived qualities of older workers and age management in companies: does the age of HR managers matter? Personnel Review 44 (5): 801-820. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2013-0158
Radl J (2012) Too old to work, or too young to retire? The pervasiveness of age norms in Western Europe. Work, Employment and Society 26 (5): 755-771. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017012451644
Rapolienė G (2007) Lietuvos pagyvenusių žmonių identitetas iš postmodernizmo perspektyvos. Gerontologija 8 (2): 109-116.
Skučienė D, Bartkus A, Moskvina J, Uleckiene A (2015) Senėjanti visuomenė: kaip mes pasirengę? Monografija. Lietuvos socialinių tyrimų centras. Vilnius, 2015, 332 p.
Stypińska J, Nikander P (2018) Ageism and age discrimination in the labour market: A macrostructural perspective. In: Ayalon L, Tesch-Römer C (Eds.) Contemporary perspectives on ageism. Springer, Cham, 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8_6
Taylor P, Walker A (1998) Employers and older workers: attitudes and employment practices. Ageing & Society 18 (6): 641-658. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X98007119
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K, Schippers J (2009) Dealing with older workers in Europe: a comparative survey of employers’ attitudes and actions. Journal of European Social Policy 19 (1): 47-60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928708098523
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K, Wang M (2014) Recharging or retiring older workers? Uncovering the age-based strategies of European employers. The Gerontologist 55 (5): 814-824. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnu048
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K (2017) Do stereotypes about older workers change? Evidence from a panel study among employers. CentER Discussion Paper, Vol. 2017-028. Tilburg: CentER, Center for Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3005980
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K, Schippers J (2010) Productivity of older workers: Perceptions of employers and employees. Population and Development Review 36 (2): 309-330. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2010.00331.x
Ambrazevičiūtė K (2018) Vyresnio amžiaus žmonių teisės į darbą įgyvendinimas visuomenės senėjimo sąlygomis. Daktaro disertacija. Socialiniai mokslai, teisė (01 S). Mykolo Romerio universitetas, Vilnius.
Armstrong-Stassen M (2007) Organisational practices and the post-retirement employment experience of older workers. Human Resource Management Journal 18: 36-53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-8583.2007.00057.x
Bal AC, Reiss AEB, Rudolph CW, Baltes BB (2011) Examining positive and negative perceptions of older workers: A meta-analysis. Journals of Gerontology. Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 66: 687-698. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbr056
Bouman R, Horne R, Milasi S, Prasad N (2015) Ageing and labour market implications for Lithuania. Research Department working paper No. 6. International Labour Office, Research Department. Geneva: ILO.
Conen WS, Henkens K, Schippers J (2012) Employers’ attitudes and actions towards the extension of working lives in Europe. International Journal of Manpower 33 (6): 648-665. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437721211261804
Dordoni P, Argentero P (2015) When age stereotypes are employment barriers: a conceptual analysis and a literature review on older workers stereotypes. Ageing International 40 (4): 393-412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-015-9222-6
European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) (2013) Lithuania. Country statistical overview http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Files/3066_en_VetCountryOverview_LT.pdf
European Commission (2014) Eurobarometer 76.2 (2011). TNS Opinion & Social, Brussels (Producer). GESIS Data Archive, Cologne. ZA5566 Data file Version 2.0.1.
Furunes T, Mykletun RJ (2010) Age discrimination in the workplace: Validation of the Nordic Age Discrimination Scale (NADS). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 51 (1): 23-30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00738.x
Guillemard AM (2015) Age policy. In Smelser NJ and Baltes PB (Eds.) International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences 1: 267-271. Oxford: Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043076-7/01823-4
Hamilton DL, Sherman JW (1994) Stereotypes (2nd ed.). In: Wyer Jr R, Srull TK (Eds.) Handbook of Social Cognition 2: 1-68. Mahwah, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum.
Hansen J-IC, Leuty ME (2012) Work values across generations. Journal of Career Assessment 20 (1): 34-52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072711417163
Henkens K (2005) Stereotyping older workers and retirement: The managers’ point of view. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue Canadienne du Vieillissement 24 (4): 353-366. https://doi.org/10.1353/cja.2006.0011
Hess KP (2013) Investigation of nonverbal discrimination against women in simulated initial job interviews. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 43 (3): 544-555. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2013.01034.x
Karpinska K, Henkens K, Schippers J (2013) Hiring retirees: impact of age norms and stereotypes. Journal of Managerial Psychology 28 (7/8): 886-906. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-07-2013-0223
Kunze F, Boehm S, Bruch H (2013) Organizational performance consequences of age diversity: Inspecting the role of diversity‐friendly HR policies and top managers’ negative age stereotypes. Journal of Management Studies 50 (3): 413-442. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12016
Lazazzara A, Karpinska K, Henkens K (2013) What factors influence training opportunities for older workers? Three factorial surveys exploring the attitudes of HR professionals. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 24 (11): 2154-2172. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.725077
Lietuvos Respublikos civilinės krašto apsaugos tarnybos statuto patvirtinimo ir įgyvendinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2003, Nr. 73-3348.469.
Lietuvos Respublikos darbo kodeksas, Valstybės žinios, 2016-09-19, Nr. 23709.
Lietuvos Respublikos notariato įstatymas. Lietuvos aidas, 1992, Nr. 192-0.
Lietuvos Respublikos specialiųjų tyrimų tarnybos statuto patvirtinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2003, Nr. 38-1656.458.
Lietuvos Respublikos tarnybos Lietuvos Respublikos muitinėje statuto patvirtinimo ir įgyvendinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2000, Nr. 94-2917.
Lietuvos Respublikos teisingumo ministro 2001 m. balandžio 20 d. įsakymas Nr. 73 „Dėl Skyrimo į vyresniojo teismo antstolio, vyresniojo teismo antstolio pavaduotojo pareigas uždaro konkurso būdu tvarkos bei Teismo antstolių, vyresniųjų teismo antstolių, vyresniųjų teismo antstolių pavaduotojų priėmimo į tarnybą konkurso organizavimo tvarkos patvirtinimo“. Valstybės žinios, 2001, Nr. 41-1433.
Lietuvos Respublikos užimtumo įstatymas, Valstybės žinios, 2016-07-05, Nr. 18825.
Lietuvos Respublikos valstybės tarnybos įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 1999, Nr. 66.
Lietuvos Respublikos vidaus tarnybos statuto patvirtinimo įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2003, Nr. 42-1927.
Lietuvos Respublikos žvalgybos įstatymas. Valstybės žinios, 2000, Nr. 64-1931.
Loretto W, Duncan C, White PJ (2000) Ageism and employment: controversies, ambiguities and younger people’s perceptions. Ageing and Society 20 (3): 279-302. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X00007741
Mačernytė-Panomariovienė I (2008) Įsidarbinimo amžiaus cenzo nustatymas ir jo pagrįstumas. Teisės problemos 1 (59): 5-23.
Malinen S, Johnston L (2013) Workplace ageism: discovering hidden bias. Experimental Aging Research 39 (4): 445-465. https://doi.org/10.1080/0361073X.2013.808111
McNair S, Flynn M, Dutton N (2007) Employer responses to an ageing workforce: a qualitative study. Department of Work and Pensions, Research Report No 455. 16.
Mikulionienė S, Petkevičienė D (2006) Senatvės įvaizdžiai Lietuvos periodinėje spaudoje: tarp pagarbos ir baimės. Socialinis darbas 5 (1): 38-49.
Naegele L, De Tavernier W, Hess M (2018) Work environment and the origin of ageism. In: Ayalon L Tesch-Römer C (Eds.) Contemporary perspectives on ageism. Springer, Cham, 73-90. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8_5
Ng TW, Feldman DC (2012) Evaluating six common stereotypes about older workers with meta‐analytical data. Personnel psychology 65 (4): 821-858. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12003
Ng TW, Feldman DC (2008) The relationship of age to ten dimensions of job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology 93 (2): 392. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.93.2.392
Ng TW, Feldman DC (2010) The relationships of age with job attitudes: A meta‐analysis. Personnel Psychology 63 (3): 677-718. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2010.01184.x
Nilsson K (2018) Managers’ attitudes to their older employees: A cross-sectional study. Work 59 (1): 49-58. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-172663
Oude Mulders J, Henkens K, Schippers J (2016) European top managers’ age-related workplace norms and their organizations’ recruitment and retention practices regarding older workers. The Gerontologist 57 (5): 857-866. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw076
Posthuma RA, Campion MA (2008) Age stereotypes at the workplace: common stereotypes, moderators, and future research directions. Journal of Management 35: 158-188. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308318617
Principi A, Fabbietti P, Lamura G (2015) Perceived qualities of older workers and age management in companies: does the age of HR managers matter? Personnel Review 44 (5): 801-820. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2013-0158
Radl J (2012) Too old to work, or too young to retire? The pervasiveness of age norms in Western Europe. Work, Employment and Society 26 (5): 755-771. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017012451644
Rapolienė G (2007) Lietuvos pagyvenusių žmonių identitetas iš postmodernizmo perspektyvos. Gerontologija 8 (2): 109-116.
Skučienė D, Bartkus A, Moskvina J, Uleckiene A (2015) Senėjanti visuomenė: kaip mes pasirengę? Monografija. Lietuvos socialinių tyrimų centras. Vilnius, 2015, 332 p.
Stypińska J, Nikander P (2018) Ageism and age discrimination in the labour market: A macrostructural perspective. In: Ayalon L, Tesch-Römer C (Eds.) Contemporary perspectives on ageism. Springer, Cham, 91-108. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73820-8_6
Taylor P, Walker A (1998) Employers and older workers: attitudes and employment practices. Ageing & Society 18 (6): 641-658. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X98007119
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K, Schippers J (2009) Dealing with older workers in Europe: a comparative survey of employers’ attitudes and actions. Journal of European Social Policy 19 (1): 47-60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928708098523
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K, Wang M (2014) Recharging or retiring older workers? Uncovering the age-based strategies of European employers. The Gerontologist 55 (5): 814-824. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnu048
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K (2017) Do stereotypes about older workers change? Evidence from a panel study among employers. CentER Discussion Paper, Vol. 2017-028. Tilburg: CentER, Center for Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3005980
Van Dalen HP, Henkens K, Schippers J (2010) Productivity of older workers: Perceptions of employers and employees. Population and Development Review 36 (2): 309-330. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2010.00331.x