TY - JOUR

T1 - Organisational age cultures

T2 - The interplay of chief executive officers age and attitudes toward younger and older employees

AU - Zacher, Hannes

AU - Gielnik, Michael

PY - 2014/5

Y1 - 2014/5

N2 - This article investigates the interactive effects of chief executive officer (CEO) age and CEO attitudes toward younger and older employees on organisational age cultures. Data was collected from 66 CEOs of small and medium-sized businesses and 274 employees. Results were consistent with expectations based on organisational culture and upper echelons theories. The relationship between CEO age and organisational age culture for younger employees was negative for CEOs with a less positive attitude toward younger employees and positive for those with a more positive attitude toward younger employees. The relationship between CEO age and organisational age culture for older employees was positive for CEOs with a more positive attitude toward older employees and non-significant for those with a less positive attitude toward older employees. The findings provide initial support for the existence of organisational age cultures, suggesting that these cultures can be predicted by the interplay of CEO age and age-related attitudes.

AB - This article investigates the interactive effects of chief executive officer (CEO) age and CEO attitudes toward younger and older employees on organisational age cultures. Data was collected from 66 CEOs of small and medium-sized businesses and 274 employees. Results were consistent with expectations based on organisational culture and upper echelons theories. The relationship between CEO age and organisational age culture for younger employees was negative for CEOs with a less positive attitude toward younger employees and positive for those with a more positive attitude toward younger employees. The relationship between CEO age and organisational age culture for older employees was positive for CEOs with a more positive attitude toward older employees and non-significant for those with a less positive attitude toward older employees. The findings provide initial support for the existence of organisational age cultures, suggesting that these cultures can be predicted by the interplay of CEO age and age-related attitudes.

KW - Business psychology

KW - Entrepreneurship

KW - age

KW - ageing

KW - attitudes

KW - older employees

KW - organisational culture

KW - small business

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84898908462&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0266242612463025

DO - 10.1177/0266242612463025

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 32

SP - 327

EP - 349

JO - International Small Business Journal

JF - International Small Business Journal

SN - 0266-2426

IS - 3

ER -