Age-Related Human Resource Management Policies and Practices: Antecedents, Outcomes, and Conceptualizations

Stephan A Boehm,Matthijs Bal,Heike Schröder

doi:10.1093/workar/waab024

Abstract

AbstractDue to the demographic change in age, societies, firms, and individuals struggle with the need to postpone retirement while keeping up motivation, performance, and health throughout employees’ working life. Organizations, and specifically the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices they design and implement, take a central role in this process. Being influenced by macro-level trends such as new legislation, organizational HRM practices affect outcomes such as productivity and employability both at the firm and individual level of analysis. This editorial introduces the Special Issue on “Age-related Human Resource Management Policies and Practices” by conducting an interdisciplinary literature review. We offer an organizing framework that spans the macro-, meso-, and individual level and discusses major antecedents, boundary conditions, and outcomes of age-related HRM practices. Further, we propose a typology of HRM practices and discuss the role of individual HRM dimensions versus bundles of HRM practices in dealing with an aging and more age-diverse workforce. Building on these considerations, we introduce the eight articles included in this special issue. Finally, taking stock of our review and the new studies presented here, we deduct some recommendations for future research in the field of age-related HRM.

Highlights

KEY WOR DS: age-related human resource management, age management, age-inclusive Human Resource Management (HRM), age-specific HRM policies and practices
We offer an organizing framework that spans the macro, meso, and individual level and discusses major antecedents, boundary conditions, and outcomes of age-related HRM practices
We propose a typology of HRM practices and discuss the role of individual HRM dimensions versus bundles of HRM practices in dealing with an aging and more age-diverse workforce

Summary

Introduction

KEY WOR DS: age-related human resource management, age management, age-inclusive HRM, age-specific HRM policies and practices. This special issue addresses this growing scholarly interest to investigate more fully the need for, design, implementation, and effects of age-related Human Resource Management (HRM) policies and practices that allow individuals to extend their working lives.

Results

Conclusion