Successful Aging at Work: The Role of Development/Maintenance Context and HR Attributions in Burnout

Abstract

Fusing the lifespan perspective on age with organisational psychology theory on HR attributions, we examine the confluence of HR attributions, burnout, and the employee management context with regard to the study of work and ageing. Time-lagged, multi-level survey data were collected from a sample of N = 1,165 blue-collar employees working at the manufacturing plants of a large-scale firm operating in the Turkish energy industry. A cross-level moderated mediation model was tested using multi-level structural equation modelling (SEM). The results supported study hypotheses such that the positive association between age and burnout was mediated by well-being HR attributions, and this mediated association was moderated by the employee management context surrounding employee safety. At the organisational units level, development-oriented contexts—indicated by the degree of innovation strategy, safety training, and active unit safety leadership—weakened the positive association between age and well-being HR attributions, whereas a maintenance-oriented context indicated by passive unit safety leadership strengthened this association. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for successful ageing at work are discussed.