Title | The Management of an Ageing Workforce: Organisational Policies in Germany and Britain |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2014 |
Authors | Schröder, Heike, Muller-Camen, Michael, and Flynn, Matthew |
Journal | Human Resource Management Journal |
Volume | 24 |
Issue | 4 |
Pagination | 394 - 409 |
Keywords | age discrimination, age management;, Britain, case study, Germany, qualitative research |
Abstract | Demographic change as well as pressure from the European Union and national government are forcing organizations to change age-discriminatory HRM approaches. Based on a qualitative analysis of eight British and German organizations, we found that commitment, scope, coverage and implementation of age management differ due to country-specific institutions, particularly government, in nudging employers and unions to preferred age practices. This confirms the path dependency concept suggested by institutional theory. Nevertheless, we also found that industry-specific factors mediate the implementation of age management, leading to some convergence across countries. This indicates that organizations deviate from the institutional path to implement practices that they deem important. |