Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T19:02:46.476Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Every coin has two sides: the case of thriving at work

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2021

Eduardo André da Silva Oliveira*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Economics, Center for Economics and Finance at UPorto (cef.up), University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-464 Porto, Portugal
*
Author for correspondence: Eduardo André da Silva Oliveira, E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Drawing upon the thriving at work and agism literature, we added unexplored thriving antecedents (i.e., negative age-based metastereotypes and associated reactions) to the thriving nomological network. Additionally, we investigated the thriving-turnover intentions link throughout the lifespan. Parallel multiple mediator models were used to analyze the role played by threat and challenge in the relationship between negative age-based metastereotypes and overall thriving. Survey results (n = 326 employees) showed that threat and challenge mediated this relationship, yet differential relationships between antecedents and thriving appeared when analyzing thriving dimensions (i.e., learning and vitality) separately. Relatedly, turnover intentions were negatively predicted by overall thriving, but learning and vitality effects on turnover intentions were distinct across age groups. Findings recommend a clearer distinction between thriving dimensions role in the thriving experience throughout the lifespan. Overall, this study contends that the combination of thriving and agism literature contributes to further understand employee growth.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alikaj, A., Ning, W., & Wu, B. (2021). Proactive personality and creative behavior: Examining the role of thriving at work and high-involvement HR practices. Journal of Business and Psychology, 36, 857869. doi:10.1007/s10869-020-09704-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anjum, M., Marri, S., & Khan, H. (2016). Thriving at work: Evidences from telecom companies in Balochistan. Gomal University Journal of Research, 32(2), 3646.Google Scholar
Antonakis, J., Bendahan, S., Jacquart, P., & Lalive, R. (2010). On making causal claims: A review and recommendations. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(6), 10861120. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.10.010CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boehm, S., Kunze, F., & Bruch, H. (2014). Spotlight on age-diversity climate: The impact of age-inclusive HR practices on firm-level outcomes. Personnel Psychology, 67(3), 667704. doi:10.1111/peps.12047Google Scholar
Bohlmann, C., Rudolph, C., & Zacher, H. (2018). Methodological recommendations to move research on work and aging forward. Work, Aging and Retirement, 4(3), 225237. doi:10.1093/workar/wax023CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler, R. (1969). Age-ism: Another form of bigotry. The Gerontologist, 9(4), 243246. doi:10.1093/geront/9.4_part_1.243CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carlson, K., & Wu, J. (2012). The illusion of statistical control: Control variable practice in management research. Organizational Research Methods, 15(3), 413435. doi:10.1177/1094428111428817CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carmeli, A., Brueller, D., & Dutton, J. E. (2009). Learning behaviours in the workplace: The role of high-quality interpersonal relationships and psychological safety. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 26, 8198. doi:10.1002/sres.932CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carmeli, A., & Spreitzer, G. M. (2009). Trust, connectivity, and thriving: Implications for innovative behaviors at work. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 43(3), 169191. doi:10.1002/j.2162-6057.2009.tb01313.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Casad, B., & Bryant, W. (2016). Addressing stereotype threat is critical to diversity and inclusion in organizational psychology. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(8), 118. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00008CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cavanaugh, M., Boswell, W., Roehling, M., & Boudreau, J. (2000). An empirical examination of self-reported work stress among U.S. Managers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(1), 6574. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.85.1.65CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chang, W.-J., Wang, Y.-S., & Huang, T.-C. (2013). Work design-related antecedents of turnover intention: A multilevel approach. Human Resource Management, 52(1), 126. doi:10.1002/hrm.21515CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chiaburu, D., & Harrison, D. (2008). Do peers make the place? Conceptual synthesis and meta-analysis of coworker effects on perceptions, attitudes, OCBs, and performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(5), 10821103. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.93.5.1082CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cho, S., Johanson, M., & Guchait, P. (2009). Employees intent to leave: A comparison of determinants of intent to leave versus intent to stay. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(3), 374381. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2008.10.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cropanzano, R., & Mitchell, M. (2005). Social exchange theory: An interdisciplinary review. Journal of Management, 31(6), 874900. doi:10.1177/0149206305279602CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Damman, M., Henkens, K., & Kalmijn, M. (2013). Late-career work disengagement: The role of proximity to retirement and career experiences. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 68(3), 455463. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbt001CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duncan, C., & Loretto, W. (2004). Never the right age? Gender and age-based discrimination in employment. Gender, Work & Organization, 11(1), 95115. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0432.2004.00222.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eraut, M. (2004). Informal learning in the workplace. Studies in Continuing Education, 26(2), 247273. doi:10.1080/158037042000225245CrossRefGoogle Scholar
European Commission (2012). Discrimination in the EU in 2012. Brussels: European Commission.Google Scholar
FFMS (2021). População empregada do sexo feminino: total e por grandes sectores de actividade económica. PORDATA, Portugal, Emprego e Mercado de Trabalho, População Empregada. Retrieved from https://www.pordata.pt/DB/Portugal/Ambiente+de+Consulta/Tabela/5823389.Google Scholar
Finkelstein, L., King, E., & Voyles, E. (2015). Age metastereotyping and cross-age workplace interactions: A meta view of age stereotypes at work. Work, Aging and Retirement, 1(1), 2640. doi:10.1093/workar/wau002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finkelstein, L., Ryan, K., & King, E. (2013). What do the young (old) people think of me? Content and accuracy of age-based metastereotypes. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 22(6), 633657. doi:10.1080/1359432X.2012.673279CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finkelstein, L., Voyles, E., Thomas, C., & Zacher, H. (2019). A daily diary study of responses to age meta-stereotypes. Work, Aging and Retirement, 6(1), 2845. doi:10.1093/workar/waz005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haslam, S., Eggins, R., & Reynolds, K. (2003). The ASPIRe model: Actualizing social and personal identity resources to enhance organizational outcomes. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 76(1), 83113. doi:10.1348/096317903321208907CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hayes, A. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Hennekam, S. (2017). Thriving of older workers. Personnel Review, 46(2), 297313. doi:10.1108/PR-07-2015-0195CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Judd, C., Park, B., Yzerbyt, V., Gordijn, E., & Muller, D. (2005). Attributions of intergroup bias and outgroup homogeneity to ingroup and outgroup others. European Journal of Social Psychology, 35(6), 677704. doi:10.1002/ejsp.281CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kanfer, R., & Ackerman, P. L. (2004). Aging, adult development, and work motivation. Academy of Management Review, 29(3), 440458. doi:10.2307/20159053CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kleine, A.-K., Rudolph, C., & Zacher, H. (2019). Thriving at work: A meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40(9-10), 973999. doi:10.1002/job.2375CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kulik, C., Perera, S., & Cregan, C. (2016). Engage me: The mature-age worker and stereotype threat. Academy of Management Journal, 59(6), 21322156. doi:10.5465/amj.2015.0564CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. New York, NY: Springer.Google Scholar
LePine, J., LePine, M., & Jackson, C. (2004). Challenge and hindrance stress: Relationships with exhaustion, motivation to learn, and learning performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 883891. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.89.5.883CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
LePine, J., Podsakoff, N., & LePine, M. (2005). A meta-analytic test of the challenge stressor-hindrance stressor framework: An explanation for inconsistent relationships among stressors and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 48(5), 764775. doi:10.5465/AMJ.2005.18803921CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindell, M., & Whitney, D. (2001). Accounting for common method variance in cross-sectional research designs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(1), 114121. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.86.1.114CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacKinnon, D., Coxe, S., & Baraldi, A. (2012). Guidelines for the investigation of mediating variables in business research. Journal of Business and Psychology, 27(1), 114. doi:10.1007/s10869-011-9248-zCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mendes, W., & Jamieson, J. (2012). Embodied stereotype threat: Exploring the brain and body mechanisms underlying performance impairments. In Inzlicht, M., & Schmader, T. (Eds.), Stereotype threat: Theory, process, and application (pp. 5168). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Neal, A., & Griffin, M. (2006). A study of the lagged relationships among safety climate, safety motivation, safety behavior, and accidents at the individual and group levels. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(4), 946953. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.91.4.946CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ng, T., & Feldman, D. (2012). Evaluating six common stereotypes about older workers with meta-analytical data. Personnel Psychology, 65(4), 821858. doi:10.1111/peps.12003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Niessen, C., Sonnentag, S., & Sach, F. (2012). Thriving at work – A diary study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(4), 468487. doi:10.1002/job.763CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nissly, J., Mor Barak, M., & Levin, A. (2005). Stress, social support, and workers’ intentions to leave their jobs in public child welfare. Administration in Social Work, 29(1), 79100. doi:10.1300/J147v29n01_06CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliveira, E. (2021). Age-inclusive HR practices and the thriving of older workers: The mediating role of occupational future time perspective. Career Development International, 26(3), 348362. doi:10.1108/CDI-01-2021-0026CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliveira, E., & Cabral-Cardoso, C. (2017). Older workers’ representation and age-based stereotype threats in the workplace. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 32(3), 254268. doi:10.1108/JMP-03-2016-0085CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oliveira, E., & Cabral-Cardoso, C. (2018). Stereotype threat and older workers attitudes: A mediation model. Personnel Review, 47(1), 187205. doi:10.1108/PR-11-2016-0306CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paterson, T., Luthans, F., & Jeung, W. (2014). Thriving at work: Impact of psychological capital and supervisor support. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 35(3), 434446. doi:10.1002/job.1907CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peters, P., Van der Heijden, B., Spurk, D., De Vos, A., & Klaassen, R. (2019). Please don't look at me that way. An empirical study into the effects of age-based (meta-)stereotyping on employability enhancement among older supermarket workers. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 249. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00249CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879903. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., & Podsakoff, N. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 539569. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100452CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Porath, C., Spreitzer, G., Gibson, C., & Garnett, F. G. (2012). Thriving at work: Toward its measurement, construct validation, and theoretical refinement. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(2), 250275. doi:10.1002/job.756CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Posthuma, R., & Campion, M. (2009). Age stereotypes in the workplace: Common stereotypes, moderators, and future research directions. Journal of Management, 35(1), 158188. doi:10.1177/0149206308318617CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prem, R., Ohly, S., Kubicek, B., & Korunka, C. (2017). Thriving on challenge stressors? Exploring time pressure and learning demands as antecedents of thriving at work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(1), 108123. doi:10.1002/job.2115CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raemdonck, I., Beausaert, S., Fröhlich, D., Kochoian, N., & Meurant, C. (2014). Aging workers’ learning and employability. In Bal, P., Kooij, D., & Rousseau, D. (Eds.), Aging workers and the employee-employer relationship (pp. 163184). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.Google Scholar
Rego, A., Cavazotte, F., Cunha, M., Valverde, C., Meyer, M., & Giustiniano, L. (2020). Gritty leaders promoting employees’ thriving at work. Journal of Management, 47(5), 11551184. doi:10.1177/0149206320904765CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rudolph, C., Kooij, D., Rauvola, R., & Zacher, H. (2018). Occupational future time perspective: A meta-analysis of antecedents and outcomes. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(2), 229248. doi:10.1002/job.2264CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaller, T., Patil, A., & Malhotra, N. (2015). Alternative techniques for assessing common method variance: An analysis of the theory of planned behavior research. Organizational Research Methods, 18(2), 177206. doi:10.1177/1094428114554398CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scheuer, C.-L., & Loughlin, C. (2020). Could the aging workforce reduce the agency penalty for female leaders? Re-examining the think manager-think male stereotype. Journal of Management & Organization, 26(1), 2951. doi:10.1017/jmo.2018.41CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searle, B., & Auton, J. (2015). The merits of measuring challenge and hindrance appraisals. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 28(2), 121143. doi:10.1080/10615806.2014.931378CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shanock, L., Baran, B., Gentry, W., Pattison, S., & Heggestad, E. (2010). Polynomial regression with response surface analysis: A powerful approach for examining moderation and overcoming limitations of difference scores. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(4), 543554. doi:10.1007/s10869-010-9183-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shapiro, J. (2011). Different groups, different threats: A multi-threat approach to the experience of stereotype threats. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(4), 464480. doi:10.1177/0146167211398140CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shaughnessy, J., Zechmeister, E., & Zechmeister, J. (2014). Research methods in psychology (10th edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Shiu, E., Hassan, L., & Parry, S. (2015). The moderating effects of national age stereotyping on the relationships between job satisfaction and its determinants: A study of older workers across 26 countries. British Journal of Management, 26(2), 255272. doi:10.1111/1467-8551.12091CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spreitzer, G., Porath, C., & Gibson, C. (2012). Toward human sustainability: How to enable more thriving at work. Organizational Dynamics, 41, 155162. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2012.01.009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spreitzer, G., Sutcliffe, K., Dutton, J., Sonenshein, S., & Grant, A. M. (2005). A socially embedded model of thriving at work. Organization Science, 16(5), 537549. doi:10.1287/orsc.1050.0153CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steele, C., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797811. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.69.5.797CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In Austin, W., & Worchel, S. (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 3347). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.Google Scholar
Takeuchi, R., Yun, S., & Wong, K. (2011). Social influence of a coworker: A test of the effect of employee and coworker exchange ideologies on employees’ exchange qualities. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 115(2), 226237. doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.02.004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taneva, S., & Arnold, J. (2018). Thriving, surviving and performing in late career: A mixed-method study of pathways to successful aging in organizations. Work, Aging and Retirement, 4(2), 189212. doi:10.1093/workar/wax027CrossRefGoogle Scholar
von Hippel, C., Kalokerinos, E., Haanterä, K., & Zacher, H. (2019). Age-based stereotype threat and work outcomes: Stress appraisals and rumination as mediators. Psychology and Aging, 34(1), 6884. doi:10.1037/pag0000308CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
von Hippel, C., Kalokerinos, E., & Henry, J. (2013). Stereotype threat among older employees: Relationship with job attitudes and turnover intentions. Psychology and Aging, 28(1), 1727. doi:10.1037/a0029825CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Voyles, E., Finkelstein, L., & King, E. (2014). A tale of two theories: Stereotype threat and metastereotypes. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 7(3), 419422. doi:10.1111/iops.12171CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walumbwa, F., Christensen-Salem, A., Perrmann-Graham, J., & Kasimu, P. (2020). An identification based framework examining how and when salient social exchange resources facilitate and shape thriving at work. Human Resource Development Review, 19(4), 339361. doi:10.1177/1534484320946208CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walumbwa, F., Muchiri, M., Misati, E., Wu, C., & Meiliani, M. (2018). Inspired to perform: A multilevel investigation of antecedents and consequences of thriving at work. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(3), 249261. doi:10.1002/job.2216CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, M., Burlacu, G., Truxillo, D., James, K., & Yao, X. (2015). Age differences in feedback reactions: The roles of employee feedback orientation on social awareness and utility. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(4), 12961308. doi:10.1037/a0038334CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, D., & Lang, F. R. (2012). ‘They’ are old but ‘I’ feel younger: Age-group dissociation as a self-protective strategy in old age. Psychology and Aging, 27(1), 153163. doi:10.1037/a0024887CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wong, K., & Cheng, C. (2020). The turnover intention–behaviour link: A culture-moderated meta-analysis. Journal of Management Studies, 57(6), 11741216. doi:10.1111/joms.12520CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, Y., & Li, X. (2021). The impact of challenge and hindrance stressors on thriving at work double mediation based on affect and motivation. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 108120. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.613871Google ScholarPubMed
Zhai, Q., Wang, S., & Weadon, H. (2020). Thriving at work as a mediator of the relationship between workplace support and life satisfaction. Journal of Management & Organization, 26(2), 168184. doi:10.1017/jmo.2017.62CrossRefGoogle Scholar