Work changes and employee age, maladaptive coping expectations, and well-being: a Swedish cohort study

Annelies E M Van Vianen,Constanze Leineweber,Hugo Westerlund,Michelle Van Laethem

doi:10.1007/s00420-021-01824-6

Annelies E M Van Vianen, Constanze Leineweber + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-021-01824-6

Copy DOI

Abstract

PurposeOlder workers are expected to suffer more from work changes than younger ones, but empirical evidence is lacking. Negative responses to work changes may result rather from maladaptive coping expectations. This study examined possible age differences in job and life satisfaction, and sleep disturbances, after work changes (voluntary and involuntary job changes, reorganizations) and the moderating role of maladaptive coping expectations.MethodsFour biennial waves from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) including respondents who participated in all four waves (n = 3084). We used multilevel path analyses to estimate direct and moderated relationships between work changes and outcomes.ResultsInvoluntary job changes were associated with lower job and life satisfaction and more sleep disturbances. Reorganizations were only associated with lower job satisfaction. Older employees were more satisfied with their jobs and lives than younger employees and experienced more sleep disturbances. After involuntary job changes, older employees had similar (lower) levels of well-being as younger ones, but they reported more sleep disturbances when having experienced reorganizations. Maladaptive coping expectations were related to lower job and life satisfaction and more sleep disturbances. Employees with maladaptive coping expectations reported more sleep disturbances after involuntary job changes and reorganizations.ConclusionOur results suggest that there are few age differences in well-being after work changes. Employee well-being seems to mostly depend on maladaptive coping expectations. Organizations aiming to prepare employees for job changes and reorganizations could focus their efforts on employees with maladaptive expectations rather than on older ones.

Highlights

Due to globalization, competition and technological progress, jobs and organizations change rapidly, which challenges employees to prepare for and adapt to job transitions and reorganizations (Savickas et al 2009)
Higher job demands were associated with lower job satisfaction and life satisfaction, and more sleep disturbances
We examined employee well-being outcomes after work changes and explored whether these outcomes depended on employee age and maladaptive coping expectations

Summary

Introduction

Competition and technological progress, jobs and organizations change rapidly, which challenges employees to prepare for and adapt to job transitions and reorganizations (Savickas et al 2009). The skills and jobs of older workers (> 50 years) are at risk of obsolescence, requiring them to cope with work changes they may not have wanted (OECD 2019). It is conceivable that older workers may be harmed more by job changes and reorganizations than younger workers. Older workers are on average longer tenured and when being in a job for a long time it can be more difficult to unlearn routinized skills and work procedures (Niessen et al 2010). Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) (Carstensen 2006) suggests that a shorter (rather than open) time perspective prompts the selection of emotion-related (rather than knowledge-related) goals in older employees and a focus on attaining positive work experiences and avoiding negative ones (Truxillo et al 2015). Job changes and reorganizations are at odds with increased security motives in older employees

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion