Training Interventions to Increase Innovation and Productivity in Age-Diverse Teams

Abstract

In multiple first world countries, demographic change is expected to lead to an increase in retirement age and associated age-diversity in work-teams. Still, despite these changes, organizations must maintain and even enhance productivity and innovation. The present chapter introduces interventions at the individual and the management level to improve innovation and productivity in organizations with teams characterized by high age-diversity. These interventions were specifically developed, implemented and evaluated in two middle-sized organizations. On the individual level, employees received a training intervention to improve cognitive abilities and another training to enhance stress management abilities. On the management level, leaders were trained in how to mitigate the adverse effects of age diversity on team performance. Results indicate that the cognitive training intervention improved abilities such as updating and maintenance of working memory and that the stress management training reduced work overload and job-related effort. In addition the leadership training reduced age-stereotypes and associated conflicts in teams. To enhance the effects of the training interventions the introduction of follow-up booster sessions is recommended.