Ageism in the workplace: a focus on the software industry

Abstract

The recent demographic changes, such as longevity and low birth rates, make it inevitable for diverse generations to work together as older adults are extending their working lives. In fact, over the past 30 years, the proportion of workers aged 55 or over has more than doubled, which resulted in them accounting for more than 30% of the entire working population. In a similar vein, different kinds of intergenerational conflicts have emerged due to the widening age spectrum in the workplace led by the retirement extension and influx of more older workers. Therefore, particular attention to age-based discrimination, which further amplifies the conflicts between different age groups, is needed in the workplace, and particular attention should be given to the software industry as it is known for its youth-oriented ageism culture. While prior studies have not given much attention to workplace ageism compared to gender-based discrimination, this dissertation explores ageism in the workplace with a focus on the software industry in order to recommend interventions to foster non-discriminatory intergenerational workplaces. Firstly, the interrelations between workers’ ageist attitudes and their chronological age were explored in Chapter 2 by statistically synthesizing prior studies. The results revealed that younger workers have the most severe workplace ageist attitudes. Secondly, with an extended viewpoint on other discriminatory attitudes, Chapter 3 examined the relationships of workplace ageism with non-workplace ageism and workplace sexism. The results indicated that prejudice and stereotypes towards different age and gender groups are intertwined across the contexts of workplace and non-workplace. Lastly, with a focus on the software industry, Chapter 4 examined the interrelationship of age-friendly attitudes with factors observed at industrial, organizational, and individual levels. The results found that while workers’ industrial affiliation and their voluntariness to participate in ageism intervention programs were not associated with workplace ageism, the workforce age diversity and age-inclusive human resource practices at the organizational level and individual’s positive contacts with workers from different age groups have significant effects on creating positive intergenerational atmosphere in the software industry. The findings of this doctoral research have contributed to the literature on age-based discrimination in the workplace while providing implications on developing evidence-based ageism interventions in the workplaces of the software industry. The implications of these findings might need some additional considerations given the changes that the workplace dynamics have experienced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.