Age and work-related stress: a review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Purpose – The ongoing demographic changes in many industrialized countries affect managerial decisions in many ways, and require sound knowledge of systematic age differences in central work-related variables. The current paper aims to address age differences in the experience of work-related stress. Based on life-span approaches, the authors focus on age differences in different components of the work-related stress process and meta-analyze existing empirical studies on the relationship between age and short-term indicators of work-related stress (i.e. irritation). Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct both a literature review and a meta-analysis of age and indicators of work-related stress. Findings – The literature review revealed that age might affect several components of the stress process at work. However, as these effects are partly conflicting, they might nullify each other in the overall relation between age and stress. Indeed, the conducted meta-analysis showed no general correlatio...