A roadmap for managing an ageing workforce in the manufacturing sector: An Italian case study

CASE STUDY
A oadmap o managing an ageing wo k o ce in he
manu ac u ing sec o : An I alian case s udy
[ e sion 1; pee e iew: 2 app o ed]
Niloo a Ka i aee1, Giulia Cap a i1, Ajay Das2, Da ia Ba ini1
1Uni e si a degli S udi di Pado a Dipa imen o di Tecnica e Ges ione dei Sis emi Indus iali, Vicenza, 36100, I aly
2Ba uch College Zicklin School o Business, New Yo k, USA
Fi s published: 26 Aug 2025, 5:253
h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20511.1
La es published: 26 Aug 2025, 5:253
h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20511.1
1
Abs ac
Backg ound
Managing an aging wo k o ce p esen s inc easing challenges ac oss
indus ies, pa icula ly in physically demanding sec o s such as
manu ac u ing. Key issues include knowledge ans e , wo ke
e en ion, and main aining p oduc i i y in ope a ional en i onmen s
ha s ain olde wo ke s. No he n I aly, a egion wi h a s ong
manu ac u ing base, p o ides a ele an con ex o examining hese
challenges. This s udy applies he "Models and Me hods o an Ac i e
Ageing Wo k o ce" (MAIA) amewo k, which add esses six domains
c i ical o suppo ing olde wo ke s: o ganiza ional cul u e, wo k
design, heal h managemen , knowledge ans e , in e gene a ional
coexis ence and e i emen pa hway.
Me hods and Resul s
A case-based me hodology was employed wi hin a mul ina ional
manu ac u ing company in No he n I aly. Da a we e collec ed
h ough quali a i e and quan i a i e app oaches, including
s akeholde in e iews, wo kplace obse a ions, and a ge ed su eys
assessing physical and men al wo kload. Analysis o his da a,
combined wi h discussions in ol ing manage s, o emen, and HR
ep esen a i es, in o med he de elopmen o a comp ehensi e
oadmap o managing he aging wo k o ce. The oadmap iden i ies
key add essed a eas and c i ical gaps and p oposes a ge ed ools
and ac ions o imp o e wo k condi ions o olde employees. This
app oach demons a es he p ac ical applica ion o he MAIA
amewo k and he ISO 25550:2022 s anda d in an indus ial aging
Open Pee Re iew
App o al S a us
1 2
e sion 1
26 Aug 2025 iew iew
An onella Pe illo, Uni e si y o Naples
“Pa henope”, Napoli, I aly
1.
Lisa Meehan , Auckland Uni e si y o
Technology (AUT), Auckland, New Zealand
2.
Any epo s and esponses o commen s on he
a icle can be ound a he end o he a icle.
Open Resea ch Eu ope
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wo k o ce con ex .
Conclusions
The s udy highligh s he impo ance o a s uc u ed amewo k o
managing aging wo ke s in physically demanding en i onmen s. By
iden i ying speci ic challenges and p oposing ac ionable solu ions, he
de eloped oadmap suppo s e ec i e wo k o ce planning and
managemen . The esul s con ibu e aluable insigh s in o op imizing
o ganiza ional cul u e, heal h managemen , knowledge ans e , and
e i emen planning o p omo e sus ainable employmen o olde
wo ke s in manu ac u ing.
Plain language summa y
As people wo k longe and popula ions age, many indus ies ace
challenges managing olde wo ke s, especially in physically
demanding jobs like manu ac u ing. This s udy looks a a
manu ac u ing company in No he n I aly o unde s and how o
be e suppo olde employees. We used a amewo k called MAIA
ha ocuses on six impo an a eas, including wo kplace cul u e, job
design, heal h, knowledge sha ing, how di e en gene a ions wo k
oge he , and e i emen planning.
We collec ed in o ma ion by alking o wo ke s and manage s,
obse ing he wo kplace, and using su eys o measu e he physical
and men al demands o he job. Based on his in o ma ion, we
de eloped a de ailed oadmap ha no only ou lines ways o imp o e
wo king condi ions and suppo olde wo ke s bu also highligh s
wha ac ions ha e al eady been implemen ed and which key a eas
ha e been add essed wi hin he company. This oadmap iden i ies
gaps and sugges s u he ac ions and s a egies ha can be aken o
be e suppo he aging wo k o ce. While we a e s ill e alua ing i s
ull impac , we belie e his oadmap can se e as a aluable guide o
help companies plan and implemen e ec i e measu es o an aging
wo k o ce.
Keywo ds
Ageing wo k o ce managemen , knowledge ans e , wo ke
e en ion, labou sho age, manu ac u ing sys em, e gonomic
assessmen , case s udy
This a icle is included in he Ho izon 2020
ga eway.
Open Resea ch Eu ope
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Open Resea ch Eu ope 2025, 5:253 Las upda ed: 17 SEP 2025
Co esponding au ho : Niloo a Ka i aee ([email p o ec ed])
Au ho oles: Ka i aee N: Concep ualiza ion, Da a Cu a ion, In es iga ion, Supe ision, Valida ion, Visualiza ion, W i ing – O iginal D a
P epa a ion, W i ing – Re iew & Edi ing; Cap a i G: Concep ualiza ion, Da a Cu a ion, In es iga ion, Valida ion, Visualiza ion, W i ing –
O iginal D a P epa a ion, W i ing – Re iew & Edi ing; Das A: Concep ualiza ion, In es iga ion, Supe ision, Valida ion, W i ing – Re iew
& Edi ing; Ba ini D: Funding Acquisi ion, P ojec Adminis a ion, Supe ision, Valida ion, W i ing – Re iew & Edi ing
Compe ing in e es s: No compe ing in e es s we e disclosed.
G an in o ma ion: This p ojec has ecei ed unding om he Eu opean Union’s Ho izon 2020 esea ch and inno a ion p og amme
unde he Ma ie Sklodowska-Cu ie g an ag eemen No 873077 (MAIAH2020-MSCA-RISE2019).
The unde s had no ole in s udy design, da a collec ion and analysis, decision o publish, o p epa a ion o he manusc ip .
Copy igh : © 2025 Ka i aee N e al. This is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion
License, which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
How o ci e his a icle: Ka i aee N, Cap a i G, Das A and Ba ini D. A oadmap o managing an ageing wo k o ce in he
manu ac u ing sec o : An I alian case s udy [ e sion 1; pee e iew: 2 app o ed] Open Resea ch Eu ope 2025, 5:253
h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20511.1
Fi s published: 26 Aug 2025, 5:253 h ps://doi.o g/10.12688/open eseu ope.20511.1
This a icle is included in he Ma ie-Sklodowska-
Cu ie Ac ions (MSCA) ga eway.
Open Resea ch Eu ope

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1. In oduc ion
As popula ions age wo ldwide, he wo k o ce is unde going
a majo demog aphic shi , which is eshaping how socie ies,
economies, and o ganiza ions unc ion (Zhao, 2024). Indus ial
sec o s a e expe iencing a ise in he p opo ion o olde wo k-
e s, b inging bo h challenges and oppo uni ies o companies
(Boenzi e al., 2015). This is pa icula ly e iden in manu ac u -
ing oles, whe e he physical and cogni i e demands a e high,
necessi a ing inno a i e s a egies o ensu e p oduc i i y while
sa egua ding wo ke well-being (Goyal e al., 2014).
Replacing aging wo k o ces o ea ly e i emen is no always
a easible solu ion, as i can lead o he loss o aluable
accumula ed knowledge and expe ise (S eb e al., 2008). Addi-
ionally, a sh inking pool o younge wo ke s is c ea ing labo
sho ages, lea ing companies wi h li le choice bu o de elop
s a egic app oaches o managing an aging wo k o ce
(Leibold & Voelpel, 2007). Thus, o ganiza ions mus c ea e age-
iendly en i onmen s ha p io i ize heal h, enhance mo i a-
ion, and ensu e he engagemen o olde employees o main ain
p oduc i i y and acili a e knowledge ans e o younge gen-
e a ions (Ka i aee e al., 2024; Ranasinghe e al., 2024).
In e gene a ional ha mony is c i ical o he long- e m success
o companies, especially as hey na iga e his demog aphic shi .
The co e challenge o e ec i ely managing aging wo k o ces
lies in a) documen ing and ans e ing hei aluable expe ience
and knowledge along wi h b) inding measu es o decele a e and
cope wi h he g adual decline in hei physical and cogni i e
abili ies. The ‘how’ o doing so cons i u es he subjec o he
cu en s udy.
The objec i e o his s udy is o examine he complexi ies o
knowledge ans e , wo ke e en ion, and p oduc i i y wi hin
an aging wo k o ce in he manu ac u ing sec o loca ed in
no he n I aly.
An empi ical s udy bene i s om a sound concep ual poin
o depa u e. S udies ha e p oposed concep ual amewo ks
o managing he aging wo k o ce (i.e., Ka i aee e al., 2024;
Rasmussen, 1997; Wilckens e al., 2020). One such amewo k
is he Models and Me hods o an Ac i e Ageing Wo k o ce
(MAIA) (Figu e 2), de eloped h ough in e na ional collabo a-
ion and da a collec ion (Ka i aee e al., 2024). While amewo ks
such as Rasmussen’s ocus p ima ily on occupa ional sa e y
and majo acciden s, and Wilckens e al., 2020 add ess aging
wo k o ce challenges wi hou conside ing mul i-le el in e ac-
ions, he MAIA amewo k p o ides a mo e comp ehensi e
app oach. I accoun s o new and e ol ing issues o aging
wo k o ces, such as e gonomics, heal h managemen , knowl-
edge ans e , and e i emen pa hways, and does so ac oss h ee
le els—in e na ional, coun y, and company. Addi ionally, he
MAIA amewo k was de eloped and e ined h ough da a
collec ion and analysis om mul iple p ojec pa ne s, inco -
po a ing insigh s om di e se egions and o ganiza ions. This
i e a i e de elopmen p ocess ensu es he amewo k is ailo ed
o add ess he cu en and eme ging needs o aging wo k o ces.
While he amewo k p o ides aluable concep ual insigh s, i s
p ac ical applicabili y and u ili y in eal-wo ld se ings a e s ill in
an explo a o y s age. Acco dingly, we use he MAIA amewo k o
ope a ionalize and guide ou empi ical in es iga ion.
We applied he MAIA amewo k in a la ge mul ina ional
manu ac u ing company ha was de eloping guidelines o c e-
a ing a mo e age-inclusi e and sus ainable wo k en i onmen .
We u ilized he MAIA amewo k o s uc u e and conduc a
se ies o in e iews wi h depa men heads, manual wo ke s, and
HR pe sonnel o be e unde s and and add ess he complexi-
ies o knowledge ans e , wo ke e en ion, and p oduc i i y in
an ope a ional en i onmen wi h an aging wo k o ce.
The ollowing sec ions p o ide a heo e ical backg ound on he
challenges o managing an aging wo k o ce (Sec ion 2) and he
me hods o add ess hem. Sec ion 3 desc ibes he esea ch me h-
odology, ollowed by obse a ions and an in-dep h analysis o
he esul s in Sec ion 4. Finally, he discussion and conclusion
a e p esen ed in Sec ion 5 and Sec ion 6, espec i ely.
2. Theo e ical backg ound
2.1 Aging wo k o ce challenges
The wo ld is expe iencing a signi ican demog aphic shi ,
wi h he p opo ion o olde wo ke s g owing apidly (Ka i aee
e al., 2020). This change, d i en by low e ili y a es and
inc eased li e expec ancy, is placing p essu e on companies, espe-
cially in manu ac u ing sys ems, whe e physical demands a e
high, such as in manual assembly sys ems o asks in wa ehouses.
Figu e 1 illus a es he upwa d end in he p opo ion o
aging employees ac oss a ious age g oups o e he las decade.
The co e challenge o aging wo k o ces lies in balancing hei
expe ience and knowledge which ha e accumula ed o e ime
(DeLong, 2004), wi h he decline in hei physical and cogni i e
abili ies (Fishe e al., 2017). These con as ing ac o s c ea e
di icul ies o decision-make s in he wo kplace. Fu he mo e,
in eg a ing new echnologies (e.g., cobo s and digi al ools)
p esen s addi ional challenges. Olde wo ke s may ace di -
icul ies in adap ing o new echnologies, and he p ocess o
lea ning and aining can be ime-consuming and challenging
compa ed o younge employees (Sande s, 2018). Gi en hese
complexi ies, se e al impo an ques ions a ise:
• How can manage s and o ganiza ions e ec i ely add ess hese
challenges?
A common solu ion, as p oposed in he li e a u e, in ol es
de eloping ailo ed s a egies and guidelines speci ic
o each company, depending on he o ganiza ion’s equi e-
men s and he na u e o he ask being pe o med by
employees.
• Can hese s a egies be gene alized o all wo ke s? Should
wo ke s be ea ed equally?
P e ious esea ch, including s udies by Ka i aee e al.
(2019; 2021a) and he ecen ISO s anda d ISO 25550:2022,
emphasizes he impo ance o indi idualiza ion. Wo k-
e s may di e signi ican ly in e ms o age, gende , skills,
and physical o men al capabili ies, sugges ing ha a one-
size- i s-all app oach may no be e ec i e.
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Figu e 1. Olde pe sons in employmen , by age class, EU-27, 2014–2023 (% o o al employmen ). Sou ce: Eu os a (l sa_egan).
• Should ea ly e i emen be conside ed as a solu ion?
While ea ly e i emen migh seem like a s aigh o wa d
solu ion, i o en esul s in losing aluable knowledge
and expe ience. Addi ionally, i can lead o signi ican eco-
nomic cos s ela ed o e i emen pensions and policies,
which can impac bo h companies and go e nmen s.
Fo his eason, managing an aging wo k o ce p esen s signi i-
can challenges o manage s and p ac i ione s. To add ess hese
issues, a ious amewo ks and guidelines ha e been de eloped,
including he Eu opean MAIA p ojec (Ka i aee e al., 2024).
In he nex subsec ion, we will p o ide a b ie in oduc ion o he
MAIA amewo k.
2.2 In oduc ion o he MAIA amewo k
Managing an aging wo k o ce is c ucial o main aining
p oduc i i y, educing heal h isks, and p e en ing knowledge
loss (DeLong, 2004). S a egies such as e gonomic wo kplace
design, lexible wo k a angemen s, and knowledge managemen
sys ems a e essen ial o os e ing an age-inclusi e en i onmen
(Ka i aee e al., 2024; Ranasinghe e al., 2024). The MAIA
amewo k o e s a s uc u ed app oach o add essing hese
challenges ac oss six key domains. Figu e 2 illus a es he MAIA
amewo k. A b ie explana ion o his amewo k is p o ided
in his sec ion, and u he de ails can be ound in Ka i aee e al.
(2024).
As shown in Figu e 2, he MAIA amewo k o e s a oadmap
includes six main ac ion domains and h ee le els o in e en-
ions. The domains a e: 1) O ganiza ional cul u e and leade -
ship, 2) wo k design and e gonomic, 3) heal h managemen ,
4) knowledge managemen , 5) in e gene a ional coexis ence,
and 6) e i emen pa hways. These domains a e s uc u ed ac oss
h ee le els including in e na ional, coun y, and company le el.
Acco ding o his oadmap, se e al key issues ela ed o he
aging wo k o ce need o be add essed, including o ganiza ional
cul u e, wo k design, wo ke ’s heal h, knowledge ans e and
communica ion among di e en g oups o employees, and
e i emen planning. Policies, s a egies, and guidelines applied
o each domain ha e been discussed comple ely ac oss all h ee
le els (in e na ional, coun y, and company) by Ka i aee e al.,
2024. The oadmap has been e ined based on da a ga he ed
om wo ldwide pa ne s in ol ed in his p ojec , ensu ing a
comp ehensi e and globally in o med pe spec i e.
We applied he MAIA oadmap in a eal-wo ld se ing, a
manu ac u ing company specializing in he p oduc ion o
ag icul u al machines / elec onic de ices, o iden i y he com-
plexi ies o knowledge ans e , wo ke e en ion, and p oduc i -
i y in an aging ope a ional en i onmen . In he ollowing sec ion,
we ou line he company desc ip ion and me hodology used o
da a collec ion and analysis.
3. Me hods
3.1 The company case/ case s udy in oduc ion
The company unde s udy is an I alian i m specializing in
ad anced indus ial elec onic componen s wi h o e 1,500
employees globally, ope a ing nume ous p oduc ion si es in
I aly and ab oad, sales o ices, and local ep esen a i e o ices.
The s udied company is guided by co e alues, including sus-
ainabili y, us , people de elopmen , independence, pa ne ship,
and ambi ion. Since 2020, he company has adop ed an “adap i e
o ganiza ion” model whe e Agile Me hodologies such as Sc um
and Kanban a e in eg al o he company’s app oach, p omo ing
collabo a ion, accoun abili y, and con inuous imp o emen .
The company is commi ed o c ea ing a posi i e o ganiza ional
clima e, pa icula ly o i s aging wo k o ce, wi h a speci ic
ocus on conside ing he physical limi a ions o he wo ke s and
imp o ing knowledge ans e p ocesses pos - e i emen . This
s udy ocuses on he I alian wo k o ce, pa icula ly employees
aged 55 and abo e, who make up a signi ican po ion o bo h
blue-colla and whi e-colla oles. To achie e his, he company
u ilized he MAIA oadmap o ga he da a o analysis. The
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Figu e 2. MAIA oadmap o implemen ing an age-inclusi e wo k o ce managemen p ac ice in wo ldwide companies
(Ka i aee e al., 2024).
aim was o iden i y a eas o he wo kplace en i onmen ha
equi e u he imp o emen , hose ha a e al eady well-
managed, and o ou line ac ions ha need o be ini ia ed om
sc a ch.
Table 1 p o ides an analysis o he aging wo k o ce in he case
s udied ac oss a ious oles o bo h blue- and whi e-colla
wo ke s, de ailing he p opo ion o wo ke s aged 55 o olde ,
he a e age wo k o ce age in each ole, and ea ly e i emen
p e e ences. The da a includes he o al wo k o ce o bo h
ca ego ies, encompassing bo h pe manen and empo a y
employees. The inclusion o empo a y wo ke s e lec s he
company’s p ac ice o hi ing seasonal s a du ing peak demand
pe iods, highligh ing he dynamic na u e o i s wo k o ce.
No ably, physically demanding blue-colla oles, such as assem-
bly line and wa ehousing, ha e a signi ican p opo ion o aging
wo ke s, wi h app oxima ely 90% indica ing in e es in ea ly
e i emen based on a pe o med su ey (de ail in Sec ion 4).
The able also highligh s he implica ions o hese ends. Fo
ins ance, in he wa ehousing ole, he ela i ely high a e age age
o 50.4 sugges s ha , wi hin a decade, a conside able po ion
o he wo k o ce may e i e, assuming all wo ke s e i e a he
s anda d age o 66–67, po en ially leading o a wo k o ce gap.
I p e- e i emen ends a e ac o ed in, his sho age could
become e en mo e se e e, p esen ing challenges ela ed o he
loss o wo k o ce knowledge, skills, and expe ience, and
in ensi ying eplacemen issues.
In con as , whi e-colla oles exhibi a lowe p opo ion o
aging wo ke s and a younge a e age age o e all. Howe e ,
oles like R&D and ope a ions s ill ha e a conside able numbe
o wo ke s aged 55 o olde , unde lining he need o s a egic
wo k o ce planning ac oss all le els o he o ganiza ion.
To ensu e ope a ional excellence, he company iden i ies c i i-
cal oles wi hin he o ganiza ion based on h ee c i e ia: unique
expe ise equi ed, limi ed a ailabili y o skills in he labou ma -
ke , and s a egic impo ance o he company. Table 2 p esen s
hese oles, which we e iden i ied h ough in e iews.
• Roles a e cu en ly held by wo ke s aged o e 55.
• Roles a e illed by younge wo ke s.
• Roles emain un illed due o a lack o sui able
eplacemen s.
Using he in o ma ion abou he company, we selec ed a
ep esen a i e sample o ou su ey and dis ibu ed he
ques ionnai e, as ou lined in Sec ion 3.2.
3.2 The In e iew sample and da a analysis p ocess
In his s udy, we adop ed a case-based esea ch app oach (Yin,
2009) and used uns uc u ed and semi-s uc u ed in e iews
o da a collec ion (Podsako e al., 2016). This me hodology
is pa icula ly e ec i e o cap u ing esponden s’ expe iences
and pe cep ions o pe o ming asks wi hin he company.
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Table 1. Wo k o ce age dis ibu ion in he s udied company o each ole.
Colla Role
To al wo ke s
(pe manen and
empo a y)
To al wo ke s
aged 55 and
abo e
%o he
wo k o ce aged
55 o mo e
A e age
wo k o ce
age
The expec ed
eques o
ea ly e i emen
Blue
Colla
Assembly line 170 27 15.88% 46.1
Pick and place 53 13 24.53% 47.7
Wa ehouse 26 12 46.15% 50.4
To al 249 52 20.88% 48.06 90%
Whi e
colla
R&D 96 18 18.75% 43.7
Ope a ions 139 17 12.23% 41.6
Ma ke ing and
sales 77 11 14.29% 42.1
Finance and
Legal 30 4 13.33% 38.32
HR 31 3 9.68% 36.5
IT 15 2 13.33% 36.7
To al 388 55 14.18%39.8
Table 2. C i ical oles.
Func ion Role C i ical asks
R&D Plas ic injec ion molding
expe
How o design a piece in o de o se up a easible indus ializa ion
R&D Elec onic enginee Elec onic design and es ing expe ience
R&D Ha dwa e enginee Ha dwa e es ing se up
R&D Mechanical designe How o design a piece able o sol e speci ic p oblems
R&D Pa en s expe Documen managemen abou pa en s eleases
R&D P oduc encoding expe BOM knowledge abou p oduc s
R&D Fluid-dynamic
simula ions enginee
Vi ual p oduc es ing
Ope a ions Elec onic p ocess
enginee
Elec onic pa s p oduc ion p ocesses
Ope a ions P ess o eman Shee me al o ming - deep d awing: codesign wi h he supplie o de ine
he mold speci ica ions and how o do he machines se up
Ope a ions Plan manage Managemen skills o manage wo ke s in he ac o y
Ope a ions Main enance coo dina o
(un illed)
Elec ical and mechanical main enance in p oduc ion lines
Ma ke ing &
Sales
Sales manage His o ical knowledge abou p oduc and cus ome (especially he human
aspec )
Ma ke ing &
Sales
Sales manage His o ical knowledge abou p oduc and cus ome (especially he human
aspec )
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Ou ocus was on employees aged 55 and olde in a la ge
mul ina ional manu ac u ing company ha was implemen ing
age-inclusi e guidelines. The sample comp ised 103 in e iews
wi h employees om a ious depa men s. Da a was ga he ed
om wo dis inc g oups o pe manen wo ke s: blue-colla
and whi e-colla . Tempo a y wo ke s we e excluded om he
su ey due o limi ed access o in o ma ion and cons ain s in
conduc ing in e iews.
Blue-colla wo ke s we e in ol ed in manual and physically
demanding asks, such as assembly and wa ehouse ope a ions,
while whi e-colla wo ke s we e engaged in adminis a i e
asks, such as R&D and IT. Table 3 p esen s a b eakdown o he
in e iew sample ac oss bo h blue-colla and whi e-colla oles,
along wi h hei espec i e depa men s, p o iding a clea e
unde s anding o he sample examined in his s udy.
The in e iew ques ions we e designed in alignmen wi h he
six domains o he MAIA amewo k, ailo ed o add ess he
esea ch aim, and cus omized o bo h blue-colla and whi e-
colla wo ke s. Fo ce ain domains, such as Domain 2: Wo k
Design and E gonomics, he ques ions we e de eloped
using he simpli ied NASA-TLX o assess men al and physical
wo kload (Noyes & B uneau, 2007). Addi ionally, o alida e
he quali a i e da a o his domain, quan i a i e e gonomic
ools like RULA (Rapid Uppe Limb Assessmen ) (McA amney
& Co le , 1993) and REBA (Rapid En i e Body Assessmen )
(Higne & McA amney, 2000) we e used o measu e he physi-
cal s ain expe ienced du ing c i ical asks. Fo o he domains,
pa icula ly Domain 1 (o ganiza ional cul u e and leade ship)
and Domain 6 ( e i emen pa hway), he open-ended ques ions
we e c a ed o e lec he speci ic cha ac e is ics and ope a ional
needs o he company. These ques ions we e designed o be lex-
ible, allowing he in e iew o na u ally expand in o mo e de ailed
discussions, enabling deepe insigh s in o he issues a hand.
Domain 5, conce ning ‘In e gene a ional Coexis ence,’ was no
conside ed in he analysis due o he di icul y in ob aining he
necessa y da a o cons uc a consis en pic u e o he compa-
ny’s cu en si ua ion ega ding his opic, as well as i s signi i-
can o e lap wi h aspec s al eady co e ed unde he Knowledge
Managemen domain.
To ensu e eliabili y and alidi y, each in e iew was conduc ed
by wo esea che s. Following he in e iews, he esea che s
engaged in a ho ough discussion and analysis o consolida e
hei indings. Fo he blue-colla , he ob ained in o ma ion
was also e iewed and analyzed by he HR specialis , who man-
aged ela ions wi h unions, and he o eman, who p o ided
ope a ional insigh s. Meanwhile, o he whi e-colla , he analy-
sis was discussed wi h HR specialis s and manage s o ensu e
ha he da a e lec ed he pe spec i es and needs o each dis-
inc g oup. These indings we e hen p esen ed o he p ojec
manage and he designa ed company ep esen a i e o ali-
da ion. This collabo a i e app oach ensu ed ha he da a we e
bo h comp ehensi e and aligned wi h he p ac ical eali ies o
he o ganiza ion.
A e analysing he esponses o each domain, we de elop a
oadmap ha inco po a es he sugges ed ac ions and ools, as
well as hose al eady applied by he company (Figu e 5). The
sugges ed ac ion o each domain is de i ed om he MAIA
amewo k and suppo ed by he new ISO 25550:2022. This ISO
s anda d aims o help o ganiza ions de elop, implemen , main-
ain and suppo an age-inclusi e wo k o ce (ISO 25550:
2022). These ac ions a e e alua ed using he ma u i y model
p oposed by Kh aiwesh (2020) (depic ed in Figu e 3), which
ca ego izes he company’s eadiness and p og ess ac oss i e
le els, om ‘Ini ial’ o ‘Op imized’. This model helps he com-
pany ack i s e olu ion, p io i ize imp o emen s, and implemen
con inuous enhancemen s. By aligning each domain’s ac ions wi h
i s ma u i y le el, he company can s a egically ad ance om
eac i e solu ions o p oac i e, sus ainable p ac ices, os e ing
an inclusi e, age- iendly wo k en i onmen .
Table 3. A b eakdown o he in e iew sample ac oss blue-colla and
whi e-colla oles.
Colla s (Blue
& Whi e)
To al
pe manen
wo ke s
To al
wo ke s
aged 55 and
abo e
Roles
#Numbe o 55+
wo ke s
198 52 • Assembly line (#27)
• Pick and place (#13)
• Wa ehouse (#12)
385 55 • R&D (#18)
• Ope a ions (#17)
• Ma ke ing and sales
(#11)
• Finance and legal (#4)
• HR (#3)
• IT(# 2)
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Figu e 3. The ma u i y le el (Kh aiwesh, 2020).
All de ailed ques ions and hei co esponding esul s a e
p o ided in Sec ion 4. The esul s o he in e iews we e
analysed wi hin he con ex o he MAIA amewo k, exis ing
li e a u e, and ISO, ul ima ely leading o he de elopmen o a
ailo ed oadmap o he company unde s udy (Figu e 5).
4. Findings
Combining quali a i e in e iews wi h e gonomic assess-
men s enabled a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he company’s
cu en aging wo ke ini ia i es and iden i ied a eas ha equi e
u he de elopmen o c ea e a mo e inclusi e wo k en i onmen
o an aging wo k o ce. The MAIA amewo k was deployed as
a s uc u al guide in da a collec ion and analysis. The
ecommenda ions we e based on he amewo k as well as ela ed
ISO 25550:2022
The company’s eadiness o add ess he challenges posed
by an aging wo k o ce was analyzed ac oss i e key domains o
he MAIA oadmap: O ganiza ional Cul u e and Leade ship,
Wo k Design and E gonomics, Heal h Managemen , Knowledge
Managemen , and Re i emen Pa hways. This sec ion p esen s
he indings o each domain, ou lining he cu en issues and
sugges ing ac ions based on in e iews, e gonomic assessmen s,
and o he da a collec ion me hods. In he ollowing sec ions, we
del e in o each domain, discussing he company’s p io i ies and
highligh ing a eas ha a e ei he less conside ed o o e looked,
based on he assessed ma u i y le el.
4.1. Domain 1: O ganiza ional cul u e and leade ship
This domain ocuses on he company’s cul u e and leade -
ship p ac ices, pa icula ly hei impac on aging wo ke s.
Uns uc u ed ques ions we e posed o 24 heads o unc ions
esponsible o bo h blue-colla and whi e-colla oles. The anal-
ysis o in e iews wi h 24 heads o unc ions highligh ed se e al
issues ela ed o aging wo ke s wi hin he company, ocusing
on job i , hi ing p ac ices, aining oppo uni ies, and
e i emen pe spec i es (See in Table 4). Cu en challenges
include bias in hi ing aging wo ke s, lack o p ocesses o
assessing job i , limi ed oppo uni ies o con inuous lea ning,
insu icien knowledge sha ing, eluc ance o engage in job
o a ion, and aboo abou e i emen . This aboo is mo e e i-
den among whi e-colla employees, whose oles a e less
physically demanding. Unlike blue-colla wo ke s, who o en
exp ess a willingness o e i e, whi e-colla employees may
hesi a e o openly discuss hei desi e o ea ly e i emen .
Fu he mo e, wo ke s’ hesi a ion o pa icipa e in job o a ion
s ems om se e al unde lying ac o s. Some employees lack
con idence in hei abili ies and eel uncom o able aking on
new asks due o conce ns abou making mis akes o he e o
equi ed o lea ning new p ocesses and new echnologies.
These conce ns can lead o a sense o s agna ion and hinde
o ganiza ional lexibili y.
Based on MAIA amewo k guidelines and ou analysis o g ound
eali ies, we sugges he company conside a mul i-p onged
app oach:
Wo kshops and Awa eness P og ams: O ganize wo kshops
o educe age- ela ed biases in hi ing p ac ices and o aise
awa eness among wo ke s abou hei capabili ies and s eng hs.
Job Assessmen Plans: Es ablish p ocesses o job i
assessmen using app op ia e ools, ensu ing wo ke pa icipa ion
and inpu .
Con inuous Lea ning Oppo uni ies: Design con inuous
lea ning pa hs, including skill de elopmen p og ams ailo ed o
olde employees, o os e a g ow h mindse .
Recogni ion P og ams: Implemen ewa d-based sys ems
o acknowledge he con ibu ions o aging wo ke s, he eby
boos ing mo i a ion and engagemen .
Re i emen Awa eness Ini ia i es: Facili a e open discussions
abou e i emen o b eak he aboo and c ea e plans ha balance
wo ke s’ aspi a ions and o ganiza ional needs.
4.2. Domain 2: Wo k design and e gonomics
This domain conside s bo h cogni i e and physical
e gonomics. Hence, his domain e alua es he physical and
men al wo kload associa ed wi h aging wo ke s’ asks using a
semi-s uc u ed ques ionnai e based on he simpli ied NASA-
TLX amewo k (Noyes & B uneau, 2007) (Table 5).
The simpli ied NASA-TLX ques ionnai e, wi h sco es anging
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Addi ionally, encou aging physical ac i i y and p o-
mo ing heal h h ough low-cos ini ia i es, such as i -
ness p og ams o s ess educ ion wo kshops, could
imp o e wo ke s' physical well-being wi hou equi ing
subs an ial inancial in es men .
5.2.6 Fo malizing knowledge ans e and men o ing
p og ams
Es ablishing s uc u ed men o ing and knowledge
ans e p og ams is essen ial o mi iga ing he isks
o knowledge loss. This could in ol e pai ing olde
wo ke s wi h younge employees in o mal men o ship
oles, as well as le e aging digi al ools, such as aug-
men ed eali y (AR), o acili a e knowledge sha ing.
Addi ionally, he de elopmen o knowledge-mapping
ools o iden i y c i ical oles and expe ise wi hin he
company would ensu e ha i al skills a e no los
when olde wo ke s e i e.
5.2.7 Flexible e i emen pa hways and succession planning
G adual e i emen pa hways, including op ions o
phased e i emen and lexible wo k a angemen s, would
allow olde wo ke s o ansi ion ou o he wo k o ce
a a pace ha bene i s bo h hem and he company.
De eloping succession plans in ad ance, coupled wi h
men o ing p og ams, would also ensu e con inui y and
smoo h ansi ions o c i ical oles.
5.4 B oade implica ions o manu ac u ing indus ies
The indings o his case s udy o e b oade insigh s o o he
companies wi hin he manu ac u ing sec o acing simila
challenges. The MAIA amewo k, while comp ehensi e, needs
o be adap ed o each company’s unique con ex , balancing
esou ce cons ain s wi h s a egic p io i ies. Manu ac u -
ing indus ies, in pa icula , need o conside he high physical
demands o many oles and in es in e gonomic solu ions
and heal h managemen p og ams o sa egua d hei aging
wo k o ce. Addi ionally, os e ing an o ganiza ional cul u e ha
alues in e gene a ional collabo a ion and knowledge ans e is
c i ical o sus aining long- e m p oduc i i y and inno a ion.
6. Conclusion
This esea ch aimed o in es iga e aging wo k o ce issues in a
manu ac u ing se ing, applying he MAIA amewo k. The
new ISO: 25550 s anda ds on aging socie ies we e also con-
sul ed. The s udy began by assessing c i ical issues ac oss each
MAIA amewo k domain h ough in o ma ion ga he ed om
ope a ional p ac ices, ools p esen in he company, and insigh s
in o he company’s wo king cul u e. This included in o mal
beha iou s and a i udes among employees ha in luence he
wo kplace bu a e no o mally documen ed.
Once he company’s cu en challenges we e iden i ied, he
MAIA amewo k and ISO: 25550 guidelines helped p io i-
ize u gen ac ions, and app op ia e ools we e ecommended o
os e an ac i e aging wo k o ce. The esul was a cus omized
oadmap, designed o guide he company in implemen ing age-
iendly policies ac oss a ious depa men s, ensu ing ha he
sugges ed ac ions and ools a e applied o mee he o ganiza ion’s
needs.
One key inding was he cen al ole o he “O ganiza ional
Cul u e and Leade ship” domain, which eme ged as a
ounda ional pilla o implemen ing age- iendly s a egies.
O ganiza ional cul u e shapes eam cohesion, wo kplace cli-
ma e, and o e all e ec i eness, making i a c ucial s a ing poin
o os e ing age-inclusi e policies ha enable he success o
o he s a egic domains. Two o he domains ha held pa icula
impo ance we e “Wo k Design and E gonomics” and “Knowledge
Managemen ”.
E gonomics ook cen e s age o blue-colla wo ke s. The
NASA-TLX ques ionnai e and e gonomic assessmen s, including
RULA and REBA, e ealed he need o g ea e job o a ion
and indi idualized job assignmen s, essen ial o p omo ing
heal h and well-being in he wo kplace.
“Knowledge Managemen ” eme ged as c i ical issue o whi e-
colla employees, pa icula ly in p ese ing he expe ise and
compe encies o aging wo ke s. Fo mal knowledge map-
ping p ocesses and he c ea ion o in e gene a ional knowl-
edge ans e mechanisms, no ably h ough he in oduc ion o
“ aine /men o ” oles we e ecommended emedies.
The inal oadmap e ealed a syne gis ic e ec ac oss all
domains, wi h ce ain ac ions—such as implemen ing job o a-
ion and c ea ing aine /men o oles—p o ing bene icial ac oss
mul iple a eas o he o ganiza ion. This highligh s no only he
in e connec ion be ween di e en domains bu also he sub-
s an ial imp o emen po en ial ha can a ise om e en a ew
a ge ed ac ions. The de eloped oadmap is hus ins umen al
in helping he company s a egically na iga e wo k o ce aging,
o e ing p ac ical s eps o imp o ing p oduc i i y, wo ke
well-being, and in e gene a ional collabo a ion.
6.1 S udy limi a ions
The e we e ce ain limi a ions encoun e ed in he s udy. I
was no possible o sugges comp ehensi e ac ions o he
“In e gene a ional Coexis ence” domain o he MAIA amewo k
due o di icul ies in collec ing consis en in o ma ion ac oss
he company’s a ious depa men s. This opic equi es u he
in es iga ion o gain a comple e unde s anding o he cu en
si ua ion in his dimension o he wo kplace en i onmen .
In he “Wo k Design and E gonomics” domain, while
e gonomic isks we e assessed using RULA and REBA, ad anced
echnologies like mo ion cap u e sys ems could be employed
in u u e esea ch o p o ide mo e p ecise esul s and analyze
mo e wo ks a ions. Addi ionally, in ol ing a la ge sample o
wo ke s in e gonomic assessmen s, conside ing ac o s such as
gende , age, and body ype, would o e a mo e comp ehensi e
analysis.
Conside ing all domains, he s udy could be ex ended o
implemen he p oposed ools and e alua e hei e ec i eness
and adap abili y in he wo kplace.
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O e all, he MAIA amewo k should be applied o a b oade
ange o indus ial companies, allowing o he de elopmen
o oadmaps ailo ed o speci ic needs. This would suppo
businesses in add essing he demog aphic changes a ec ing
oday’s wo k o ce. The expansion o hese ac ions would help
companies build esilience in esponse o u u e wo k o ce
sho ages. Fu he esea ch is needed o deeply in es iga e he
implica ions o his end and how i will a ec he u u e o
o ganiza ions.
E hics and consen
Fo mal e hical app o al was no ob ained om an Ins i u ional
Re iew Boa d (IRB), as he s udy was conduc ed in e nally
wi h o ganiza ional app o al om he pa icipa ing company.
The company e iewed and app o ed he esea ch p oce-
du es be o e he s a o he s udy. A he ime o he esea ch,
he s udy was assessed o in ol e no isk and did no include
sensi i e o medical pe sonal da a equi ing IRB o e sigh .
All esea ch p ocedu es complied wi h he p inciples o he
Decla a ion o Helsinki.
All pa icipan s p o ided w i en in o med consen be o e
aking pa in he s udy. They we e in o med abou he pu pose
o he esea ch, he olun a y na u e o hei pa icipa ion, hei
igh o wi hd aw a any ime, and he con iden iali y o hei
esponses
Da a consen
The da a gene a ed and/o analyzed du ing he cu en s udy
a e no publicly a ailable due o con iden iali y ag eemen s
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a [email p o ec ed]], ou lining he pu pose o hei eques .
Access may be g an ed a he disc e ion o he au ho s and by
e hical and legal conside a ions.
Da a a ailabili y
The in e iew da a gene a ed du ing he cu en s udy a e no
publicly a ailable due o con iden iali y ag eemen s wi h he
pa icipa ing company and he na u e o he o ganiza ional case
s udy. The da a con ains con ex -speci ic insigh s ha canno
be ully anonymized wi hou comp omising pa icipan p i acy
and o ganiza ional con iden iali y.
Howe e , access o edac ed da a may be g an ed upon ea-
sonable eques . In e es ed esea che s may con ac he co e-
sponding au ho a niloo a [email p o ec ed], ou lining he
pu pose o hei eques . Access will be conside ed a he
disc e ion o he au ho s and subjec o e hical and legal
equi emen s.
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Open Pee Re iew
Cu en Pee Re iew S a us:
Ve sion 1
Re iewe Repo 17 Sep embe 2025
h ps://doi.o g/10.21956/open eseu ope.22195. 59240
© 2025 Meehan L. This is an open access pee e iew epo dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e
Commons A ibu ion License, which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium,
p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
Lisa Meehan
Auckland Uni e si y o Technology (AUT), Auckland, New Zealand
This is a hough ul and p ac ice-o ien ed pape on a p essing opic. The au ho s apply he MAIA
amewo k and ISO 25550:2022 o a eal-wo ld manu ac u ing case in No he n I aly. The s udy
d aws on in e iews wi h olde blue- and whi e-colla employees, inpu om manage s and HR,
and e gonomic assessmen s (NASA-TLX, RULA, REBA). The esul ing oadmap is bo h imely and
ele an , and he mixed-me hods app oach is a pa icula s eng h.
Majo commen s
1. Cla i y he main con ibu ion:The pape would bene i om s a ing mo e clea ly whe he i s
cen al s eng h lies in he empi ical case s udy, he concep ual use o MAIA, he p ac ical
oadmap, o in he combina ion o hese elemen s.
2. In e gene a ional coexis ence domain:Domain 5 was omi ed, ye i is cen al o knowledge
ans e . E en i da a we e limi ed, he pape could sugges how his migh be explo ed in he
u u e (e.g. h ough wo kshops o a ge ed su eys).
3. Roadmap and ma u i y model: The oadmap is use ul, bu he ma u i y model esul s a e no
ully shown. A able o cha indica ing he company's cu en le el in each domain could be
help ul.
4. Con ex and ans e abili y:The discussion could mo e explici ly dis inguish be ween wha is
speci ic o No he n I aly (e.g. union s uc u es, demog aphics) and wha is mo e gene ally
applicable. This would help eade s gauge he wide ele ance o he oadmap.
5. Succession planning and knowledge ans e : The pape iden i ies hese as issues bu i i is
easible, i could poin o conc e e ools (e.g. digi al knowledge eposi o ies o succession plan
empla es) o gi e p ac i ione s mo e p ac ical guidance.
Mino sugges ions
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- Use "ageing" o "aging" consis en ly
- Conside simpli ying some longe sen ences o eadabili y
- Conside eplacing he e m o emenwi h a mo e gende -neu al al e na i e, such assupe iso
o shi supe iso
Is he backg ound o he case’s his o y and p og ession desc ibed in su icien de ail?
Yes
Is he wo k clea ly and accu a ely p esen ed and does i ci e he cu en li e a u e?
Yes
I applicable, is he s a is ical analysis and i s in e p e a ion app op ia e?
Yes
A e all he sou ce da a unde lying he esul s a ailable o ensu e ull ep oducibili y?
Yes
A e he conclusions d awn adequa ely suppo ed by he esul s?
Yes
Is he case p esen ed wi h su icien de ail o be use ul o eaching o o he p ac i ione s?
Yes
Compe ing In e es s: No compe ing in e es s we e disclosed.
Re iewe Expe ise: Economics
I con i m ha I ha e ead his submission and belie e ha I ha e an app op ia e le el o
expe ise o con i m ha i is o an accep able scien i ic s anda d.
Re iewe Repo 09 Sep embe 2025
h ps://doi.o g/10.21956/open eseu ope.22195. 59555
© 2025 Pe illo A. This is an open access pee e iew epo dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e
Commons A ibu ion License, which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium,
p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed.
An onella Pe illo
Uni e si y o Naples “Pa henope”, Napoli, I aly
The a icle "A oadmap o managing an aging wo k o ce in he manu ac u ing sec o : An I alian
case s udy" p esen s an analysis o he challenges associa ed wi h managing an aging wo k o ce
in a mul ina ional manu ac u ing company in No he n I aly. The au ho s apply he MAIA (Models
and Me hods o an Ac i e Aging Wo k o ce) amewo k, in eg a ed wi h he ISO 25550:2022
s anda d, o assess i e key domains: o ganiza ional cul u e and leade ship, e gonomics and wo k
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design, heal h managemen , knowledge managemen , and e i emen pa hways.
Th ough in e iews (103 pa icipan s), ield obse a ions, and e gonomic assessmen s (NASA-TLX,
RULA, REBA), he au ho s de elop a oadmap o a ge ed ac ions ha includes ools al eady
implemen ed and u u e p oposals. The esul s highligh s eng hs (use o e gonomic ools,
o ganiza ional lexibili y, skill ma ix) and weaknesses (lack o succession planning, cul u al
esis ance, lack o s uc u ed men o ing p og ams). The main con ibu ion is he p ac ical
demons a ion o how he MAIA amewo k can guide age-inclusi e policies in he manu ac u ing
sec o .
The pape add esses a eal and u gen challenge, wi h s ong p ac ical and policy in e es .
Howe e , he a icle p esen s some c i ical issues and weaknesses, as de ailed below.
1. The "In e gene a ional coexis ence" domain has been omi ed. Add de ails. Cla i y and p opose
a me hodology o he missing domain.
2. I is s a ed ha i was no possible o collec consis en da a. Howe e , in e gene a ionali y is
cen al o knowledge ansmission. Cla i y mo e sys ema ically why da a we e no a ailable and
p opose a u u e me hodology (e.g., mixed young/old ocus g oups, compa a i e su ey) o ill his
gap.
3. The s udy is based on a single case s udy, which limi s ex e nal alidi y. Include a mo e de ailed
sec ion on me hodological limi a ions and indica e how he esul s could be e i ied in o he
con ex s (e.g., compa ison wi h manu ac u ing SMEs o companies in o he sec o s).
4. Succession planning and knowledge ans e . Al hough iden i ied as a c i ical issue, a conc e e
p oposal o digi al o p ocess-based ools (beyond AR and men o ing) is lacking. P o ide p ac ical
examples o al eady alida ed sys ems (e.g., knowledge managemen pla o ms, skills da abases)
and assess hei applicabili y o he company s udied.
5. RULA/REBA e alua ions we e conduc ed only on a limi ed subse o ac i i ies. Fu he speci y he
selec ion c i e ia and discuss he me hodological implica ions (possible bias). Recommend u u e
s udies wi h a la ge sample size and he use o ad anced echnologies (e.g., mo ion cap u e).
6. The a icle acknowledges cul u al esis ance bu does no del e in o how his in luences
indus ial ela ions (e.g., he ole o unions). Expand he discussion o include union dynamics o
I alian egula ions, which could impac phasing-ou p ocesses o job o a ion.
7. Fo mal IRB app o al is s a ed o be lacking. While no manda o y in a co po a e con ex , i
would be help ul o speci y wha speci ic p i acy p o ec ion measu es we e applied (beyond
w i en consen ).
8. S eng hen he discussion on he gene alizabili y o he indings beyond he indi idual company
case.
9. Fu he de ail he sampling and c i e ia in e gonomic analyses.
10. Speci y how cul u al and union esis ance can hinde / acili a e he implemen a ion o he
oadmap.
The a icle p o ides an impo an and o iginal con ibu ion o he applica ion o he MAIA
amewo k in a eal-wo ld con ex . Wi h mino e ision he s udy will become an e en mo e solid
and use ul e e ence o bo h he scien i ic communi y and companies dealing wi h he challenges
o an aging wo k o ce.
Is he backg ound o he case’s his o y and p og ession desc ibed in su icien de ail?
Yes
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Is he wo k clea ly and accu a ely p esen ed and does i ci e he cu en li e a u e?
Yes
I applicable, is he s a is ical analysis and i s in e p e a ion app op ia e?
Yes
A e all he sou ce da a unde lying he esul s a ailable o ensu e ull ep oducibili y?
Yes
A e he conclusions d awn adequa ely suppo ed by he esul s?
Yes
Is he case p esen ed wi h su icien de ail o be use ul o eaching o o he p ac i ione s?
Yes
Compe ing In e es s: No compe ing in e es s we e disclosed.
Re iewe Expe ise: Indus ial Plan
I con i m ha I ha e ead his submission and belie e ha I ha e an app op ia e le el o
expe ise o con i m ha i is o an accep able scien i ic s anda d.
Open Resea ch Eu ope
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