The work of WARN researchers spans the full continuum of experiences affecting workers over their lifespan, with particular emphasis on those aged 45 years and older.
From understanding how organisations can create a workplace environment that will enhance and encourage engagement and contribute to successful ageing at work, through to establishing practices that support and guide the older worker into a satisfying retirement experience, the Work and Ageing Research Network (WARN) can provide expert, evidence-based input to both policy and practice.
Current projects
We offer the following research summaries to showcase some of the highlights from our work:
Excel50+
In this project, our attention is on the older workers’ employment relationship as it is captured in the psychological contract.
Retirement Resources Inventory
Leung and Earl (2012) report on the development of an inventory that assesses resources relevant to retirement well-being. The researchers also examined the relationship between retirement resources (as measured by the newly constructed RRI) and management practices relating to retirement well-being.
Effects of Perceived Age Discrimination
Griffin, Bayl-Smith and Hesketh (2016) explore the long-term effects of perceived age discrimination on the job satisfaction and work withdrawal (e.g. resigning or retiring) of older employees. The research was designed to reveal the effects of age discrimination, as perceived by the older worker (aged 45 years and older), on their later levels of job satisfaction and intentions to withdraw from employment.
Mature-Age Workers and Stereotype Threat
Kulik, Perera and Cregan (2017) examine the effects of ‘stereotype threat’ on the performance, motivation and engagement of older workers.This research was designed to find out whether stereotype threat was more of an issue for older workers with younger managers, young work teams and who work in occupations requiring manual labour.
Age and Occupational Wellbeing
Zacher, Jimmieson and Bordia (2014) look at a number of factors which are thought to explain previously reported phenomena that people in their late 20s through to early 40s tend to be less satisfied with their jobs and more emotionally exhausted than workers who are younger than 25 or older than 45.
Broken Promises at Work
Garcia, Bordia, Restubog and Caines (2017) examine the effects of perceptions of psychological contract breach on two wellbeing indicators of older workers: psychological distress and insomnia. They also wondered if generativity concern mitigated the harmful effects of breach and predicted that those with high generativity concern will be less affected by psychological contract.
Stereotype Threat and Relationship with Job Attitudes
von Hippel, Kalokerinos, and Henry (2013) examine whether older employees are susceptible to disengagement from work when they feel stereotyped on the basis of their age by analysisng data from over 1000 Australian employees.