Was wollen jüngere und ältere Erwerbstätige erreichen? Altersbezogene Unterschiede in den Inhalten und Merkmalen beruflicher Ziele

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Hannes Zacher
  • Manuela Degner
  • Robert Seevaldt
  • Michael Frese
  • Jörg Lüdde
Demographic changes necessitate that companies commit younger workers and motivate older workers through work design. Age-related differences in occupational goals should be taken into account when accomplishing these challenges. In this study, we investigated goal contents and goal characteristics of employees from different age groups. We surveyed 150 employees working in the service sector (average age = 44 years, age range 19 to 60 years) on their most important occupational goals. Employees who stated goals from the area of organizational citizenship were significantly older than employees with other goals. Employees who stated goals from the areas of training and pay/career were significantly younger than employees with other goals. After controlling for gender, education, and work characteristics, no age-related differences were found in the goal areas teamwork, job security, working time, well-being, and new challenges. In addition, no relationships were found between age and the goal characteristics specificity, planning intensity, as well as positive and negative goal emotions. We recommend that companies provide older workers with more opportunities for organizational citizenship and commit younger workers by providing development opportunities and adequate pay.
Translated title of the contributionWhat do younger and older workers want to accomplish?: Age-related differences in content and characteristics of occupational goals
Original languageGerman
JournalZeitschrift für Personalpsychologie
Volume8
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)191-200
Number of pages10
ISSN1617-6391
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
Externally publishedYes