Age Diversity in Neighborhoods-A Mixed-Methods Approach Examining Older Residents and Community Wellbeing.

This paper focuses on age diversity in neighbourhoods and its possible impacts on community wellbeing. The aims of this paper are (a) to investigate whether age diversity in neighbourhoods contribute to older residents' wellbeing and (b) to explore older residents' experiences and views on age diversity in their neighbourhood. These questions are addressed using a mixed-method approach combining survey and interview data and analysis. The data is derived from a survey (n = 420) and 19 semistructured interviews addressed to the older residents of a rental house company located in Eastern Finland. The interview data is analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results of qualitative data indicate that older adults see various benefits in an age-diverse living environment. In the quantitative analysis, we apply multilevel models in our statistical analyses to take both community- and individual-level variation into account. The quantitative results show that older adults living in age-diverse neighbourhoods reported higher community wellbeing. Such association was not found among the younger residents. Overall, our study adds to the understanding of the importance of neighbouring relations on community wellbeing in later life. The results can be utilized when developing age-friendly environments and housing policies at local and national levels.

Managing One's Age in Age-Dissimilar Mentoring Relationships.

The aging of the workforce creates opportunities for experienced employees to share expertise with newer employees, via mentoring relationships. Age-dissimilar interactions, however, like those between mentor and protégé, can engender challenging interpersonal dynamics such as concern about how others view and respond to them. The current study examines the unique challenges and opportunities of age-dissimilar mentoring relationships, using a sample of doctor and lawyer protégés. Findings suggest that age dissimilarity does not play as large of a role in mentoring relationship outcomes as age-related behaviors. How one manages their age seems to be more important, such that managing one's age in a positive way by redefining age-related stereotypes rather than switching attention away from stereotypes is better for mentoring relationship outcomes no matter the age difference between mentor and protégé. Implications, inferences, and limitations are discussed.

A nationally representative dataset of 1,549 Americans aged 18 to 94 on interest in, experience with, and barriers to cogeneration, defined as working with older and younger people for social good.

This dataset focuses on Americans' interest in, experience with, and perceived barriers to working with members of other generations to improve the world around them. It includes responses from a March 2022 survey of 1,549 people between the ages of 18 and 94 who lived in the U.S. using the NORC at the University of Chicago AmeriSpeak® Panel. To increase the representativeness of the sample, the survey was offered both online and by phone. The sample is drawn from a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population. Questions focused on respondents' efforts (paid or volunteer) to improve the world around them, with a particular focus on cogenerational work with people at least 25 years older and younger than themselves. Respondents answered questions about their interest in and experience with cogenerational work as well as perceived barriers to it. Respondents were also asked to identify specific issues that they would like to work on with people of different generations (e.g., mental health, education, environment), their beliefs on if and how younger and older people working together might reduce divisions in society, and their engagement with people of different generations outside of their families. The complete dataset with 189 variables (10 of which are string/text variables from open-ended responses) is available both as a Stata .do file as well as in two .csv files. Two codebooks (one simplified, one full) and a project report from NORC that details the dataset's weighting and other methodological information are also available. This point-in-time dataset can be used for univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis and may be useful to researchers, social sector leaders, and policymakers interested in multigenerational efforts to solve social problems.

Age Diversity Management in Organizations Scale: development and evidence of validity / Escala Gestão da Diversidade Etária nas Organizações: desenvolvimento e evidências de validade / Escala Gestión de la Diversidad de Edades en las Organizaciones: desarrollo y evidencias de validez

This study aimed to develop the Age Diversity Management in Organizations scale for the Brazilian context and verify its evidence of validity. The process included five steps: proposal of its definition and development of the items according to the literature; content and semantic validity by judges; semantic validity by the target population; exploratory factorial analysis (EFA); and confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA). The EFA sample consisted of 674 workers from different organizations and the CFA of 722 workers. The final version of the scale was composed of 20 items (α =.91), divided into four factors: retirement preparation practices (5 items, α =.93); equal treatment for workers of different ages (6 items, a=.85), training to promote age diversity (5 items, α =.81), and management practices for older workers (4 items, α =.72). The theoretical and practical implications as well as the limitations of this measure are discussed. (AU)

Este estudo objetivou desenvolver e identificar os indícios de validade da escala Gestão da Diversidade Etária nas Organizações (GeDEO) para o contexto brasileiro. Esse processo incluiu cinco etapas: proposição do conceito e redação dos itens à luz da literatura; validade de conteúdo e semântica por juízes; validação semântica pelo público-alvo; análise fatorial exploratória (AFE) e análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC). A amostra da AFE foi composta por 674 trabalhadores de diversas organizações e, a da AFC, por 722. A versão final possui 20 itens (α = 0,91), com quatro fatores: práticas de preparação para aposentadoria (5 itens, α = 0,93); tratamento equânime a trabalhadores de diferentes idades (6 itens, α = 0,85); treinamento para promoção da diversidade etária (5 itens, α = 0,81) e práticas de gestão de pessoas a trabalhadores mais velhos (4 itens, α = 0,72). As implicações teórico-práticas e as limitações desta medida são discutidas. (AU)

El objetivo fue desarrollar e identificar las evidencias de validez de la escala de Gestión de la Diversidad de Edades en las Organizaciones para el contexto brasileño. Este proceso incluyó cinco pasos: propuesta del concepto y desarrollo de los ítems; validez de contenido y semántica por los jueces; validez semántica por parte de la población objetivo; análisis factorial exploratorio (AFE) y análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC). La muestra de AFE consistió en 674 trabajadores de diferentes organizaciones, y la de AFC, en 722. La versión final contiene 20 ítems (α = 0,91), divididos en cuatro factores: prácticas de preparación para la jubilación (5 ítems, α = 0,93); igualdad de trato pata los trabajadores de diferentes edades (6 ítems, α = 0,85), capacitación para promover la diversidad de edades (5 ítems, α = 0,81) y prácticas de gestión para trabajadores mayores (4 ítems, α = 0,72). Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas, así como las limitaciones de esta medida. (AU)

Age Diversity Climate Affecting Individual-Level Work-Related Outcomes.

The present study answers the call for more studies to investigate the age diversity climate's effect on individual-level outcomes. Building on the social identity approach and social exchange theory, we surveyed 110 Italian employees aged between 18 and 61 years old (M = 46.10, SD = 10.02) and investigated the role of age diversity climate in predicting intentions to quit (H1), job-related wellbeing (H2), and work engagement (H3). Our findings confirmed the hypotheses (H1 and H2), showing the added effect of age diversity climate over and above age, job tenure, role clarity, job demands, job control, perceived support, and perceived job and organizational fit. In fact, age diversity climate accounted for a significant increase in the variance explained for two of the three hypothesized models (i.e., intentions to quit and job-related wellbeing, but not work engagement). To conclude, this study contributes to the existing literature by showing the age diversity climate's predictive value for turnover intentions and job-related wellbeing, and corroborating the importance of supporting age diversity through a variety of Human Resources Management strategies.

Perceived organizational values and innovation: The role of transactive memory and age diversity in military teams.

This study investigates the mediating role of transactive memory system (TMS) in the relationship between perception of innovation value (VIN) and team innovation, as well as the moderating effect of age diversity for the TMS - team innovation relationship. The study of this moderated-mediation model concerning VIN, TMS, and team diversity as a contextual factor, is especially relevant in military teams which are directly concerned by military values, have high needs of effective coordination, and naturally are composed by young soldiers working with older leaders. To test our model, we evaluated 453 employees composing 48 military units from Italy's Air Force. Results confirmed that VIN is positively related to TMS, and that the latter has a positive effect on team innovation except at high levels of age diversity where the effect is reduced and non-significant. These findings highlight the importance of identifying and managing age differences, sharing common and distributed expertise, and promoting innovative initiatives in the military. Theoretical backgrounds, results, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Age-Friendly Universities (AFU): Possibilities and Power in Campus Connections.

Shifting age demographics are reshaping societies and challenging institutions of higher education to respond to aging populations through new approaches to teaching, research, and community engagement. The Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative offers a set of guiding principles institutions can use to assess the extent to which their programs and practices are age inclusive, as well as identify gaps and opportunities. However, institutions need guiding change models to help them mount more comprehensive, integrated age-friendly efforts. Hirschhorn and May's campaign approach to change in higher education offers one such model. Drawing on its four core elements (i.e., "listen in" to the institution, develop a strategic theme, sweep people in, build the infrastructure), the present paper shows how AFU partners are working to move their age-friendly efforts across their campuses by building connections, coalitions, and partnerships. It is argued that such relationships are essential for achieving and sustaining an institution's age-friendly vision.

Age-Diversity Practices and Retirement Preferences Among Older Workers: A Moderated Mediation Model of Work Engagement and Work Ability.

To meet the demographic changes, organizations are challenged to develop practices that retain older workers and encourage them to postpone retirement. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of human resources (HR) practices in retirement preferences of older workers. Drawing on theories on lifespan development and social exchange, we suggest that organizations can facilitate longer working lives by implementing bundles of HR practices that are sensitive to age-related changes in workers' skills, preferences, and goals - i.e., age-diversity practices. We posit that age-diversity practices are positively related to work engagement that, in turn, relates to the preference for retiring later. We further suggest that work ability moderates the relationship between age-diversity practices and work engagement. Finally, we propose a moderated mediation model in which the mediated relationship is moderated by work ability. A sample of 232 older Portuguese workers completed a questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings show that work engagement completely mediates the relationship between age-diversity practices and the preference for early or late retirement. Moreover, this mediating relationship is more important for those workers who experience low work ability. Results further demonstrate that the effect of age-diversity practices on the preference for retiring later via work engagement is stronger for lower levels of work ability. This study highlights the organizational role in promoting longer and healthier working lives through the implementation of age-supportive HR practices.

Being trusted: How team generational age diversity promotes and undermines trust in cross-boundary relationships.

We examine how demographic context influences the trust that boundary spanners experience in their dyadic relationships with clients. Because of the salience of age as a demographic characteristic as well as the increasing prevalence of age diversity and intergenerational conflict in the workplace, we focus on team age diversity as a demographic social context that affects trust between boundary spanners and their clients. Using social categorization theory and theories of social capital, we develop and test our contextual argument that a boundary spanner's experience of being trusted is influenced by the social categorization processes that occur in dyadic interactions with a specific client and, simultaneously, by similar social categorization processes that influence the degree to which the client team as a whole serves as a cooperative resource for demographically similar versus dissimilar boundary spanner-client dyads. Using a sample of 168 senior boundary spanners from the consulting industry, we find that generational diversity among client team members from a client organization undermines the perception of being trusted within homogeneous boundary spanner-client dyads while it enhances the perception of being trusted within heterogeneous dyads. The perception of being trusted is an important aspect of cross-boundary relationships because it influences coordination and the costs associated with coordination.