The moderating role of psychological climate in relationships between age and work role performance

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Evans, B., 2023. The moderating role of psychological climate in relationships between age and work role performance. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

Defined by falling birth rates and a rise in life expectancy, population ageing presents notable challenges for financial institutions, healthcare systems, and labour markets. As a result of this, there has been a push for workers to postpone retirement and continue working into their later years. Despite legislative and institutional reform, there have been sustained reports of age-related discrimination and biases, often based on a flawed assumption that workers are unable to perform as effectively in later life.

While there is a vast body of literature examining the relationship between age and performance, the empirical evidence is inconclusive. Several factors contribute to this perspective, including the empirical overlap in performance dimensions and the traditional reliance on calendar age to explain changes in needs and motives across the lifespan. In the workplace, contextual elements play a pivotal role in driving motivation, but how these factors influence performance patterns throughout the working life remains unclear. While research indicates that job-related motives change with age, there is scant evidence on the reasons behind the changing experiences of work characteristics as one ages and how these might influence performance behaviours.

To this end, this thesis investigates the interplay between dimensions of psychological climate and age conceptualisations in predicting proficient, adaptive, and proactive performance behaviours. Using data obtained from two samples, this thesis tested for the moderating role of psychological climate in relationships between age and performance and examined the differential effects of age on performance ratings in employee-supervisor dyads. Data gathered from a sample of 393 employees working in the United Kingdom were used to test relations in a series of structural equation models and latent interaction models. The direct effects of age and moderating role of psychological climate dimensions were tested in 9 models, each representing an individual dimension of work performance. Data obtained from a sample of 56 employees and 6 supervisors from organisations in the United Kingdom were used to test the differential effects of age on work performance in employee-supervisor dyads using a series of one-way repeated measures ANOVA tests and hierarchical linear models.

In keeping with previous research, evidence did not support a main effect for calendar age on proficiency, adaptivity, or proactivity. Despite this, findings showed that supervisors typically rate older workers lower on proficiency and adaptivity in core tasks. Being physically and mentally healthy are stable, positive predictors of proficiency, adaptivity, and proactivity for all aged workers. Allowing for role flexibility in job roles also reinforces the positive effects of physical health on adaptive behaviour in core tasks. Additionally, higher levels of work planning positively fosters adaptive and proactive behaviours in core tasks as individuals age. Feeling younger or older does not have a noticeable effect on performance behaviour, but feeling young acts as a protective resource when managers are not supportive in tasks that demand adaptive behaviour. Similarly, feeling young is beneficial to team-member proficiency and adaptivity when community and belonging is low. Conversely, individuals that feel young perform less effectively when a high sense of community is threatened by changes to the team dynamic. Autonomous working practices positively predict proficient, adaptive, and proactive performance behaviour for all employees, while sense of community is positively associated with proficiency.

These findings build on occupational and lifespan development literature by providing evidence to support distinct relationships between dimensions of age, psychological climate, and performance. In doing so, this thesis reinforces the need for future research to examine unique relationships between constructs of age and performance to avoid calendar age being used as a proxy. In the same way, it suggests that collapsing dimensions of age, psychological climate, and performance is not conducive to an optimal exploration of age-performance trajectories and instead may lead to spurious support. Finally, it contributes much-needed insight on the moderating role of psychological climate dimensions in relationships between age and performance.

Item Type:

Thesis

Creators:

Evans, B.

Contributors:

Name	Role	NTU ID	ORCID
Baguley, T.	Thesis supervisor	PSY3BAGULTS	orcid.org/0000-0002-0477-2492
Karanika-Murray, M.	Thesis supervisor	PSY3KARANM	orcid.org/0000-0002-4141-3747
Harris, M.	Thesis supervisor	PSY3HARRIM	orcid.org/0009-0002-1366-8299