Suchergebnisse

Purpose– Although a substantial body of research has examined the effects of job characteristics on job attitudes, there is a paucity of work on individual difference moderators of these relationships. Based in selective optimization with compensation theory and socio-emotional selectivity theory, the purpose of this paper is to show that age moderated the relationship between task variety and two key job attitudes, job satisfaction and engagement.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected through self-report questionnaires (n=152), using a time-lagged design with two waves (two to three weeks betweenT1andT2).Findings– The authors found that task variety had a stronger relationship with job satisfaction and work engagement for younger workers compared to older workers.Research limitations/implications– Although there was good age variance in the sample, it had fewer late-career workers and more workers who are in their early and mid-career.Practical implications– To have workers of all ages satisfied and engaged at work, we need to understand which work characteristics are the best for them. For example, it may be a competitive gain for organizations to challenge younger workers with different tasks, and to challenge older workers in ways that utilize their experience.Social implications– The study addresses a societal issue related to profound demographic changes in the age composition of the workforce, gaining a better knowledge of differences between workers of different ages to promote effective interventions and policies.Originality/value– This is the first study to show that task variety differentially affects worker satisfaction and engagement depending on the age of the worker.