Older Workers and Work Exit Preferences in a Digitalized Working Life
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18291/njwls.140206Keywords:
Health, Working Environment & Wellbeing, Learning & Competencies, Employment, Wages, Unemployment & Rehabilitation, Gender, Ethnicity, Age and DiversityAbstract
With working life being in the middle of both a demographic and a digital transition, a key question is whether digitalization may counteract the policy goal of delaying work exit. Here, we use survey data from the Norwegian Senior Policy Barometer to investigate the association between how digital tools are experienced and the preference for timing of work exit. We find that, even after controlling for various potential confounders, experiencing digital difficulties at the workplace is correlated with preferring to leave work early. A relevant follow-up question is then which factors increase the likelihood among older workers of experiencing such difficulties. The analyses show that workplace conditions are more important than individual characteristics, suggesting that efforts taken to reduce experiences of digital difficulties at the workplace could be effective in preventing early exits.
Author Biographies
Per Erik Solem, Oslo Metropolitan University
Research professor, NOVA. Mail: pesol@oslomet.no
Linda Hauge, Center for Senior Policy
Senior advisor
Tale Hellevik, Oslo Metropolitan University
Research professor, NOVA
Katharina Herlofson, Oslo Metropolitan University
Research professor, NOVA
References
Andersen, L.L., Jensen, P.H. & Sundstrup, E. (2020). Barriers and opportunities for prolonging working life across different occupational groups: the SeniorWorkingLife study, European Journal of Public Health 30(2): 241–246. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz146
Battisti, M. & Gravina, A.F. (2021). Do robots complement or substitute for older workers? Economic Letters 208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2021.110064
Behagfel, L., Caroli, E. & Roger, M. (2014). Age-biased technical and organizational change, training and employment prospects of older workers, Economica 81(322): 368–389. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecca.12078
Becker, K. (2010). Facilitating unlearning during implementation of new technology, Journal of Organizational Change Management 23(3): 251–268. Doi:10.1108/09534811011049590
Bjørnstad, A.F. (2019). Utviklingen i sysselsetting og pensjonering blant seniorer [Changes in employment and retirement among senior workers], Arbeid og Velferd 2-2019: 43–55.
Blanas, S., Gancia, G. & Lee, S.Y. (2019). Who is afraid of machines? Economic Policy 34(100): 627–690. https://doi.org/10.1093/epolic/eiaa005
Blekesaune, M., & Solem, P.E. (2005). Working conditions and early retirement: a prospective study of retirement behavior, Research on Aging 27: 3–30. Doi: 10.1177/0164027504271438
Brooke, L. (2009). Prolonging the careers of older information technology workers: continuity, exit or retirement transitions? Ageing & Society 29(2): 237–256. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X0800768X
Chu, C.H., Nyrup, R., Leslie, K., Shi, J., Bianchi, A., Lyn, A., McNicholl, M., Kahn, S., Rahimi, S. & Grenier, A. (2022). Digital ageism: challenges and opportunities in artificial intelligence for older adults, The Gerontologist 62(7): 947–955. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnab167
Cullen, R. (2001). Addressing the digital divide, Online Information Review 25(5): 311–320.
Dalen, E. (2015). Norsk seniorpolitisk barometer 2015. Kommentarrapport. Ledere i arbeidslivet. [The Norwegian Senior Policy Barometer 2015. Commentary report. Managers in working life], Oslo: Ipsos MMI.
European Commission (2016). ICT for work: Digital skills in the workplace. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/new-report-shows-digital-skills-are-required-all-types-jobs
Fløtre, I.A. & Tuv, N. (2022). Slik kan lønnsforskjellen mellom kvinner og menn forklares. [How to explain gender differences in income]. https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/lonn-og-arbeidskraftkostnader/statistikk/lonn/artikler/slik-kan-lonnsforskjellen-mellom-kvinner-og-menn-forklares.
Folkenborg, K., Øye. E. & Holst, L.S. (2022). Norsk seniorpolitisk barometer 2022. Yrkesaktiv befolkning. [The Norwegian Senior Policy Barometer 2022. Occupationally active individuals]. https://seniorpolitikk.no/kunnskap/norsk-seniorpolitisk-barometer/
Friemel, T.N. (2016). The digital divide has grown old: determinants of a digital divide among seniors, New Media & Society 18(2): 313–331. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814538648
Glauner, P., Plugmann, P. & Lerzynski, G. (Eds.) (2021). Digitalization in Healthcare. Implementing Innovation and Artificial Intelligence, Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65896-0
Greenan, N. & Messe, P.-J. (2018). Transmission of vocational skills in the second part of careers: the effect of ICT and management changes, Journal for Labour Market Research 52(6). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12651-018-0240-1
Grødem, A.S. (2020). Eldre arbeidstakere med ny teknologi. Kommunikasjon og motivasjon i arbeidslivet under koronatiltakene. [Older workers with new technology. Communication and motivation in working life during the corona restrictions]. Rapport 202:11, Oslo: Institutt for samfunnsforskning.
Gudmundsdottir, G.B. & Björnsson, J.K. (2021). Hvor godt er lærere forberedt på den digitale hverdagen? [How prepared are teachers for the digital everyday life]. In Björnsson J.K (Ed.), Hva kan vi lære av TALIS 2018? Gode relasjoner som grunnlag for læring (pp. 57–86), Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk.
Hellevik, O. (2009). Linear versus logistic regression when the dependent variable is a dichotomy, Quality & Quantity 43: 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-007-9077-3
Hægeland, T., Rønningen, D. & Salvanes, K.G. (2007). Adapt or withdraw? Evidence on technological changes and early retirement using matched worker-firm data. Discussion Papers 509, Oslo: Statistics Norway. https://www.ssb.no/a/publikasjoner/pdf/DP/dp-509.pdf
Håkansson Lindqvist, M. & Pettersson, F. (2019). Digitalization and school leadership: on the complexity of leading for digitalization in school, International Journal of Information and Learning Technology 36(3): 218–230. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-11-2018-0126
Komp-Luekkunen. K., Poli, A., Hellevik, T., Herlofson, K., Heuer, A., Norum, R., Solem, P.E., Kahn, J., Rantanen, V., & Motel-Klingebiel, A. (2022). Older workers in digitalizing workplaces: a systematic literature review, The Journal of Ageing and Social Change 12(2). https://doi.org/10.18848/2576-5310/CGP/v12i02/37-59
Kjeldstad, R. & Nymoen, E.H. (2012). Underemployment in a gender-segregated labour market, Economic and Industrial Democracy 33(2): 207–224. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831X11402238
Lee, C.C., Czaja, S.J. & Sharit, J. (2009). Training older workers for technology-based employment, Educational Gerontology 35(1): 15–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601270802300091
Lien, O.C. (2022). Status for seniorenes deltakelse på arbeidsmarkedet. [The employment of seniors. A status report]. Presentation at the FOSA-conference (April 21, 2022), The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration.
Ljunggren, J., Hernes, D., Øye, E. & Holst, L.S. (2021). Norsk seniorpolitisk barometer 2021. Ledere i arbeidslivet. [The Norwegian Senior Policy Barometer 2021. Managers]. www.seniorpolitikk.no/Norsk seniorpolitisk barometer/Yrkesaktive rapport 2022
Manor, S. & Herscovici, A. (2021). Digital ageism: a new kind of discrimination, Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies 3(5): 1084–1093. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.299
Midtsundstad, T. & Nielsen, R.A. (2022). Seniorer i sykehussektoren – Hvordan beholde seniorene og deres kompetanse. [Senior workers in the hospital sector – How to retain seniors and their competency], Fafo-rapport 2022:18.
Morris, M.G. & Venkatesh, V. (2000). Age differences in technology adoption decisions: Implications for a changing workforce, Personnel Psychology 53(2): 375–403. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2000.tb00206.x
Nagarajan, N.R. & Sixsmith, A. (2021). Policy initiatives to address the challenges of an older population in the workforce, Ageing International 48: 41–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12126-021-09442-w
Nagel, L. (2020). The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the digital transformation of work, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 40(9/10): 861–875. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-07-2020-0323.
Nylén, D. & Holmström, J. (2015). Digital innovation strategy: a framework for diagnosing and improving digital product and service innovation, Business Horizons 58(1): 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2014.09.001
OECD (2019). Education at a Glance 2019: OECD Indicators, Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en
OECD (2020). Promoting an Age-inclusive Workforce. Living, Learning and Earning Longer, Paris: OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/59752153-en
Poulsen, O.M., Fridriksson, J.F., Tómasson, K., Midtsundstad, T., Mehlum, I.S., Hilsen, A.I., Nilsson, K. & Albin, M. (2017). Working environment and work retention, TemaNord 2017:559. Nordic Council of Ministers. http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/TN2017-559
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants Part 1, On the Horizon 9(6): 1–6.
Riekhoff, A.-J. & Kuitto, K. (2022). Educational differences in extending working lives. Trends in effective exit ages in 16 European countries. Finnish Centre for Pensions, Studies 02/2022.
Rosa, H. (2013). Social Acceleration. A New Theory of Modernity, New York: Colombia University Press.
Rosales, A. & Fernández-Ardévol, M. (2020). Ageism in the era of digital platforms, Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 25(5–6): 1074–1087. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856520930905
Rutledge, M.S., Wettstein, G. & King, S.E. (2020). Will imports and robots push older workers into nontraditional jobs? Issue in Brief March 2020, Number 20-6. Center for Retirement research at Boston College.
Sharit, J., Czaja, S.J., Hernandez, M.A. & Nair, S.N. (2009). The employability of older workers as teleworkers: An appraisal of issues and an empirical study, Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing 19(5): 457–477. https://doi.org/10.1002/hfm.20138
Solem, P.E., Syse, A., Furunes, T., Mykletun, R. J., De Lange, A., Schaufeli, W. & Ilmarinen, J. (2016). To leave or not to leave: retirement intentions and retirement behaviour. Ageing & Society 36(2): 259–281. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X14001135
Statistics Norway (2020). Table 08415: Employed persons, by sex, major industry division (SIC2007) and education level (1 000 persons). https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/08415/
Staufer, M. (1992). Technological change and the older employee: implications for introduction and training, Behaviour & Information Technology 11(1): 46–52. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449299208924318
Stypinska, J. (2022). AI ageism: a critical roadmap for studying age discrimination and exclusion in digitalized societies, AI & Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-022-01553-5
Topa, G., Depolo, M. & Alcover, C.M. (2018). Early retirement: a meta-analysis of its antecedent and subsequent correlates, Frontiers in Psychology 8: 2157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02157
Tuominen, E., Karisalmi, S., Takala, M. & Kaliva, K. (2012). How do intentions affect future retirement? A case study of the Finnish flexible old-age pension scheme, European Journal of Social Security 14(2): 111–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/138826271201400203
Van Dalen, H.P., Henkens, K. & Schippers, J. (2009). Dealing with older workers in Europe: a comparative survey of employers’ attitudes and actions, Journal of European Social Policy 19(1): 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928708098523
Wang, M. & Shi, J. (2014). Psychological research on retirement, Annual Review of Psychology 65: 209–233. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115131
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Author and Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
The Copyright Holder of this Journal is the authors and the Journal. Normally the journal use the CC-BY NC-ND 4.0 licence.
Exceptions to the license terms may be granted
If you want to use content in the Journal in another way then described by this license, you must contact the licensor and ask for permission. Contact Bo Carstens at bo.carstens@gmail.com. Exceptions are always given for specific purposes and specific content only.
Sherpa/Romeo
The Journal is listed as a blue journal in Sherpa/Romeo, meaning that the author can archive post-print ((ie final draft post-refereeing) and author can archive publisher's version/PDF.
Copyright of others
Authors are responsible for obtaining permission from copyright holders for reproducing any illustrations, tables, figures or lengthy quotations previously published elsewhere.
Archives policy
All published material is archived at Roskilde University Library, Denmark, and transmitted to the Danish Royal Library in conformity with the Danish rules of legal deposit.
Plagiarism screening
We do not screen articles for plagiarism. It is the responsibility of the authors to make sure they do not plagiate.
