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Suppo ing Longe Wo king Ca ee s in O ganisa ions: Challenges and Complexi ies
CHAPTER 5
Suppo ing Longe Wo king
Ca ee s in O ganisa ions:
Challenges and Complexi ies
HANNA SALMINEN
Takeaways o Leading Change
Popula ion ageing is a global phenomenon and a cu en mega end wi h
poli ical, go e nmen al and economic consequences wo ldwide. Al hough
popula ion aging b ings challenges, i can also p o ide new oppo uni ies.
Rela ional leade ship s esses he impo ance o collec i e leade ship and
bo om-up p ocesses along wi h op-down ones. This chap e highligh s
empi ically o ganisa ional p ac ices which suppo longe wo king
ca ee s. Howe e , his equi es us and open dialog be ween employees
and supe iso s as well as enabling o ganisa ional s uc u es. The main
a gumen pu o wa d is ha o ganisa ions which a e able o u ilise he
po en ial o longe wo king ca ee s and a mo e age-di e se wo k o ce, a e
likely o lou ish in he long un.
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T
he pu pose o his chap e is o ocus on human esou ce
managemen (HRM) challenges and complexi ies ela ed o he
e en ion o an ageing wo k o ce, he eby suppo ing longe wo king
ca ee s in o ganisa ions. The ageing o he popula ion is a mega end
cu en ly a ec ing socie ies and o ganisa ions wo ldwide. Inc eased
longe i y and dec eased e ili y a e he p ima y easons o he ageing
o he popula ion (Uhlenbe g, 2013). A numbe o Eu opean coun ies
and Japan ha e expe ienced bi h a es below he eplacemen a e since
he 1960s. The Uni ed S a es has expe ienced such a a e since he 1980s
(Mahon & Milla , 2014). Al hough de eloped coun ies ha e been he
o e unne s in e ms o popula ion ageing, o he coun ies will ollow
he same pa h. Acco ding o a Uni ed Na ions (UN) epo (2017), he
numbe o indi iduals o e age 60 has doubled since 1980 and is cu en ly
nea ly one billion wo ldwide. This numbe ha is expec ed o double by
2050 (The Uni ed Na ions, 2017).
Popula ion ageing is an example o a wicked p oblem ha b ings changes
o socie ies, o ganisa ions and indi iduals (He el & Zache , 2018). Vi id
e ms, including “g ey dawn and sunami” (Mahon & Milla , 2014, p. 553, 560)
ha e been used o desc ibe he consequences o
popula ion ageing. A he socie al le el, popula ion
ageing a ec s a a ie y o sec o s, including
labou ma ke s, se ices, housing, anspo a ion
and in e -gene a ional ies (The Uni ed Na ions,
2017). I also changes he dependency a io and is
expec ed o in luence na ional compe i i eness.
Changing demog aphics and hei in luences
a e pa icula ly no able in he heal hca e ield
due o he inc easing use o heal hca e se ices
by a socie y’s oldes ci izens (Mahon & Milla ,
2014). The e is con inuing p essu e in his ield
o slow he inc ease o heal hca e cos s wi hou
jeopa dising he quali y o heal hca e se ices
(Buchan, O’May, & Dussaul , 2013). A he
momen o w i ing, he Finnish public heal hca e
and social sec o s a e cu en ly unde going an
This chap e ocuses
on human esou ce
managemen (HRM)
challenges and
complexi ies ela ed
o he e en ion o
an ageing wo k o ce,
he eby suppo ing
longe wo king ca ee s
in o ganisa ions.
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Suppo ing Longe Wo king Ca ee s in O ganisa ions: Challenges and Complexi ies
eno mous e o m, known as SOTE, aimed a es aining cos s and secu ing
equal heal hca e se ices o all ci izens.
Due o popula ion ageing, se e al socie y-le el ac ions ha e been aken,
including legisla ion conce ning age disc imina ion. In ecen yea s,
a ious e i emen e o ms ha e been enac ed in many coun ies wi h
he aim o pos poning he e i emen age o dec ease pension cos s and
dependency a ios (Mahon & Milla , 2014; He el & Zache , 2018). In 2017,
Finland enac ed a new e i emen e o m aimed a leng hening wo king
ca ee s. Such inc eases in he o icial e i emen age ha e inc eased he
a e o pa icipa ion o olde indi iduals in he labou ma ke in ecen
yea s (Sonne , Olsen, & Man edi, 2014). In Finland, o example, olde
employees a e cu en ly conside ing wo king a e e i emen mo e o en
han hey did be o e (Tenhunen, 2017). Howe e , he e a e signi ican
di e ences be ween na ions in e ms o he wo king ac i i y o olde
indi iduals. Fo ins ance, in Sweden, 70% o hose o e age 55 a e wo king,
bu in I aly, only 38% o hose in ha age g oup a e ac i ely pa icipa ing
in wo king li e (Mahon & Milla , 2014).
Along wi h socie y-le el ini ia i es and e o ms, he need o
o ganisa ional-le el ac ions, including HRM p ac ices and policies,
ha suppo longe wo king ca ee s has been s essed (Sonne , Olsen,
& Man edi, 2014). F om he o ganisa ional pe spec i e, he inc easing
a e age age o he wo k o ce means ha o ganisa ions mus e icien ly
use he knowledge and skills o hei olde employees and ind ways o
engage and e ain hei employees o all ages (Ng & Feldman, 2015). Ye ,
o ganisa ions a y g ea ly in how hey ha e esponded o he challenges
ela ed o he ageing wo k o ce and he deg ee o which hey ha e p omo ed
longe wo king ca ee s (Wallin, 2014).
In ecen yea s, he e en ion o olde employees has been s udied in
di e en ields, including ge on ology, psychology, sociology, poli ical
science and managemen . A a ie y o heo e ical concep ualisa ions o la e
ca ee and e i emen ha e been p esen ed (Wang & Shul z, 2010). This
chap e pays pa icula a en ion o HRM p ac ices as po en ial ac o s
in luencing he e en ion o olde employees in o ganisa ions. In line wi h
ela ional leade ship, which emphasises he collec i e leade ship and
bo om-up p ocesses, his chap e also ocuses on he ac i e ole o olde
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Suppo ing Longe Wo king Ca ee s in O ganisa ions: Challenges and Complexi ies
employees in e ms o managing hei la e ca ee and how hey pe cei e
HRM p ac ices p o ided by he o ganisa ion.
The empi ical analysis is based on quali a i e esea ch examining he
la e-ca ee in en ions and expec a ions o olde nu sing p o essionals.
In e iew da a we e collec ed among 22 olde (50+) nu sing p o essionals
in one Finnish uni e si y hospi al in Decembe 2016. The public-heal hca e
ield p o ides an in e es ing con ex in which o examine he challenges
ela ed o he e en ion o olde employees, because he ield cu en ly
aces p essu es o espond o he inc easing need o heal hca e se ices
in a cos -e icien way while endu ing a sho age o nu sing p o essionals.
The chap e is s uc u ed as ollows: The heo e ical sec ion ocuses
on how e en ion o olde employees has been app oached in ecen
HRM s udies. The empi ical sec ion sheds ligh on he challenges and
complexi ies o e aining longe wo king ca ee s in heal hca e con ex . I
ocuses on he pe cep ions o olde (50+) nu sing p o essionals owa ds
hei wo k and HRM p ac ices. Finally, he chap e p o ides concluding
ema ks and implica ions o he LFC app oach.
Re aining Olde Employees in
O ganisa ions: he HRM Pe spec i e
When i comes o de ining “olde employees”, he e is no clea consensus,
and he li e a u e con ains a ious ca ego isa ions o such employees
(see, o example, Ng & Feldman, 2015, p. 66). He ein, an olde employee is
de ined as one 50 yea s old o olde , because a his poin , he e is a declining
end in labou -ma ke pa icipa ion (B ough, Johnson, D ummond, &
Timms, 2011; O ganisa ion o Economic Co-ope a ion and De elopmen
[OECD], 2006). Al hough ageing is uni e sal, he changes ela ed o ageing
di e be ween indi iduals. These changes do no only conce n biological
and physiological changes, bu also psychological and social ones. How
old age and ageing a e pe cei ed and expe ienced a ies socie ally and
indi idually (Kooij, de Lange, Jansen, & Dikke s, 2008; He el & Zache ,
2018; Whi ing on & Kunkel 2013; Uhlenbe g, 2013).
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In he ield o HRM, a g owing numbe o s udies ha e ocused on he
challenges and complexi ies ela ed o e aining olde employees (He el &
Zache , 2018). Fo ins ance, o ganisa ion-le el HRM s udies ha e ocused
on iden i ying so-called age-inclusi e HRM p ac ices (He el & Zache , 2018;
De Vos & an de Heijden, 2017). In gene al, hese p ac ices aim o suppo
he needs and p e e ences o olde employees as well as hose in o he
age g oups in he o ganisa ions. As Mahon and Milla (2014, p. 563) no ed,
“ hough ul ageing policies mus deal wi h he en i e spec um o ageing
and le els in he o ganisa ional hie a chy.” These HRM p ac ices include,
o example, non-disc imina o y ec ui men , selec ion, pe o mance
and ewa ding as well as aining and de elopmen p ac ices (He el &
Zache , 2018). In addi ion, lexible wo k p ac ices ela ing, o example,
o he possibili ies o combine wo k and amily esponsibili ies ha e also
been highligh ed. In p ac ice, lexibili y can mean an indi idual’s abili y o
in luence one’s own wo king hou s o wo king me hods (Bal & De Lange,
2015). The heo e ical backg ound o hese s udies is based equen ly on
he social exchange heo y and he psychological con ac pe spec i e. In
o he wo ds, HRM p ac ices a e seen as a way o main ain and s eng hen
he ecip ocal ela ionship and mu ual us be ween employees and hei
o ganisa ion (A ms ong-S assen, F eeman, Came on, & Rajacic, 2015).
So-called age managemen s udies ha e also iden i ied HRM p ac ices as
impo an o suppo longe wo king ca ee s and abolishing obs acles, such
as ageis p ac ices in o ganisa ions (Ilma inen, 2006; Wallin, 2014). Fo
example, in some cases, olde indi iduals may encoun e ca ee pla eaus
in o ganisa ions o challenges ela ed o job changes and e-employmen
oppo uni ies i hey a e unemployed (Sonne , Olsen, & Man edi, 2014).
The heo e ical backg ound o hese age managemen s udies o en elies
on s udies o wo k abili y. As a concep , wo k abili y illus a es he balance
be ween an employee’s esou ces and his/he job demands (Ilma inen,
2006). While he wo k abili ies o indi iduals ends o decline wi h age, he
a ia ion among indi iduals is g ea (Ilma inen, 2006). Fu he mo e, bo h
he indi idual employee and he o ganisa ion can p omo e wo k abili y
(Ilma inen, 2006; He el & Zache , 2018).
In line wi h he wo k abili y app oach, ecen HRM s udies ha e s essed
he impo ance o con inuous pe son-en i onmen i o main ain wo kabili y

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Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es
Suppo ing Longe Wo king Ca ee s in O ganisa ions: Challenges and Complexi ies
as well as o suppo success ul ageing in he wo k con ex (Kooij, 2015, p.
334). Indi idual-le el HRM s udies ha e also highligh ed he impo ance
o examining how olde employees pe cei e HRM p ac ices as well as hei
own ac i e ole in managing la e ca ee (Tempes & Coupland, 2016; Kooij,
2015). A en ion has been paid, o example, o he changing li e goals o
olde employees, he use o a ious s a egies o compensa e o changes
ela ed o aging and he signi icance o bo h o hese o la e-ca ee choices
(Bal & De Lange, 2015). In o he wo ds, olde employees a e no longe
seen me ely as he passi e objec s o HRM p ac ices and policies. Ins ead,
hey a e conside ed ac o s which can ake pa in he p ocess o c ea ing
an a mosphe e and HRM p ac ices ha a e mo e age- iendly (He el &
Zache , 2018; Kooij, 2015).
Suppo ing longe wo king ca ee s in o ganisa ions can be conside ed as
a complex p oblem gi en ha he la e-ca ee choices o olde employees
a e in luenced by a numbe o ac o s ha may o may no be ela ed
o wo k. Fo example, he e is e idence ha he e i emen plans o
emale employees a e o en mo e s ongly in luenced by ma i al s a us,
educa ion and income han hose o male employees (Riekho & Jä ne el ,
2017). Besides he di e si y o olde wo king popula ions, he e a e also
di e ences be ween indus y sec o s and o ganisa ions in e ms o
willingness and eadiness o suppo longe wo king ca ee s (Wallin, 2014).
All he a o emen ioned makes i di icul o iden i y “bes HRM p ac ices”
o e aining olde employees and suppo ing longe wo king ca ee s.
Olde Nu sing P o essionals’ Pe cep ions
Towa ds Wo k and HRM P ac ices
This sec ion ocuses on he challenges ela ed o e en ion o olde nu sing
p o essionals in a public heal h ca e ield. An indi idual-le el pe spec i e is
used o demons a e how olde nu sing p o essionals pe cei e hei wo k
and HRM p ac ices in he con ex o e en ion. This empi ical example is
based on a quali a i e s udy conduc ed in a Finnish uni e si y hospi al. In
all, 22 olde nu sing p o essionals we e in e iewed in Decembe 2016. The
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Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es
Suppo ing Longe Wo king Ca ee s in O ganisa ions: Challenges and Complexi ies
nu sing p o essionals in e iewed wo ked in ou di e en loca ions and
ep esen ed se e al wa ds. All he in e iewees had long wo king enu es
a he hospi al. The oldes was 64 yea s old. Fi e in e iewees we e male,
and he es we e emale.
The pa icipan s we e asked o desc ibe and e lec on hei ca ee
ajec o ies, cu en jobs and u u e p ospec s a wo k. This chap e
ocuses on he pe cep ions among nu sing p o essionals o he ypes o
o ganisa ional p ac ices ha would suppo hei abili ies o con inue
wo king un il e i emen . Acco dingly, he ollowing hemes we e iden i ied
om he empi ical da a: he con en o he wo k, suppo o wo kabili y,
lea ning and de elopmen , lexibili y and supe iso y suppo . These
hemes a e discussed in mo e de ail below.
The posi i e aspec s o wo k played a cen al ole in la e-ca ee
in en ions, including mo i a ion and willingness o con inue wo king. In
gene al, wo k was pe cei ed as meaning ul and p o iding a sense o pu pose
and a eeling o sa is ac ion. In addi ion, social ela ionships wi h pa ien s
and colleagues we e see as posi i e aspec s o he job. The wo kload and
he as pace we e pe cei ed as nega i e ac o s.
…in e ac ion wi h people, in o he wo ds, wo k wi h pa ien s is he bes � And
seeing people eco e ing… N10
Well, his is a good wo kplace and good, big, compe en wo k communi y, which
has all kinds o human capi al…and unc ional ela ionships wi h e e yone, i is
an asse � In addi ion, his job is mainly meaning ul and kind o empowe ing, bu
he wo kload is big om ime o ime, and he amoun o pa ien s is eno mous…
and some o he people (employees) a e a he edge o hei endu ance� N14
Psychia ic nu sing p o essionals speci ically highligh ed men ally
challenging wo k si ua ions, whe eas o he nu sing p o essionals
s essed he physically demanding na u e o hei wo k on hei la e-
ca ee choices. In pa icula , changes in physical capabili ies cons ained
hei la e-ca ee choices. Howe e , hey also s essed hei own ac i e
oles in ensu ing hei own wo k abili y and in compensa ing o changes
in hei physical abili ies.
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I hope I will be able o con inue (wo king) un il e i emen age, bu his
(de e io a ing heal h) ells me I am ageing� N13
I also g ea ly depends on you sel , how you manage and de elop along wi h
you job, and how you ake ca e o you own i ness� N21
…well, I ha e always said, ha wha I lose physically, I win in in elligence� I can
o ganise my daily job in a way ha I will no un all o e he place and ush… N7
Con inuous lea ning and de elopmen we e closely ela ed o
discussions o he meaning ulness o he wo k and la e ca ee . The
lea ning and de elopmen oppo uni ies p o ided by he o ganisa ion
we e seen as playing an impo an ole in ho izon al ca ee ad ancemen ,
which p e en ed eelings o ca ee pla eauing. Con inuous lea ning and
de elopmen and he compe encies gained a wo k we e also closely
ela ed o he pe cep ions o hei own wo k abili y. Howe e , con inuous
lea ning was also seen as demanding and i esome when i was unclea how
i ela ed o indi idual p o essional de elopmen .
… I ha e always ecei ed new (ca ee ) changes (in his o ganisa ion) and a new
s a , and possibili ies o lea n new hings� N4
Well, pe sonally, I eel all kinds o p ojec s a e a lo on op o all he o he s� …and
hen all he IT p og ammes a e upda ed� Tha is qui e us a ing� N5
P o essional compe ence also ela ed o he discussion o indi idual oles
in he wo k communi y. Fi s , compe ence was pe cei ed as ein o cing
eelings o asse i eness and sel -wo h in he wo k communi y. Second,
p o essional compe ence was pe cei ed as con ibu ing widely o he wo k
communi y. Some emphasised hei oles as men o s o new employees.
They also ended o wo y abou he in eg a ion o hese new employees
and how hey would adap o hei wo k communi y.
I helps o cope wi h he job i you eel ha you a e a espec ed pe son in he
wo k communi y and you ha e some hing o gi e� N10
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The u no e among pe sonnel is high, so one big challenge a he momen is
how o p ope ly ake ca e o he in eg a ion (o new employees) in o his wo k
communi y… N14
While hey emphasised hei own ac i e ole in main aining wo kabili y,
he ac i e in ol emen was also expec ed om he o ganisa ion and
supe iso s. Howe e , i was no always clea how he employe p omo es
he balance be ween indi idual esou ces and job demands.
Fo ins ance, in his house [hospi al], I eel hey [manage s] ha e no igu ed
ou wha hey a e doing wi h us, olde nu ses� I ha en’ seen…any de elopmen
p og amme o p ojec ega ding wha will happen o us, gi en ha ou
exhaus ion is physical in na u e� N2
When i was asked abou speci ic HRM p ac ices and policies ha would
p omo e he olde nu sing p o essionals’ abili ies o con inue wo king,
hose p ac ices we e ela ed mainly o lexibili y in wo king hou s,
including he educ ion o shi wo k. Some s essed hei own ac i e ole
in educing hei wo kloads by, o example, e using o do ex a wo k. Bu ,
mos o hem expec ed he o ganisa ion o implemen lexible p ac ices.
In addi ion, mo ing om shi wo k o day wo k was no seen as p oblem-
ee, gi en ha i dec eased hei mon hly sala ies and he eby hei u u e
e i emen allowances.
I happens a lo , when i is a ush si ua ion and i is di icul o ge employees…
ha ( hey) call du ing days o o go back o wo k� So, I ha e e used o be
eached (by phone), I had o…when I wen h ough ha exhaus ion� A e ha ,
I lea ned o lis en o mysel � The e is no use o me being he e a wo k i I ha e
no es ed and cha ged my ba e ies� N8
Well, when I hink abou wha would p omo e my abili ies o con inuing wo king,
lexibili y, conce ning, o example, wo k shi s, in luences i … N3
… pa o hem (olde nu sing p o essionals) wan o con inue wo king in shi s
due o he ex a wages…I don’ do nigh shi s any mo e, a ely weekends� I does