An Empirical Study of Managers’ Intention to Hire Older Workers

Abstract

The study tested a modified Theory of Planned Behaviour model with an added variable of past experience to predict managers' intention to hire older workers. Surveyed locations were the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional data was collected via personal administered questionnaires surveys (n=468). A response rate of 78% (M=59.6%; F=40.4%) was recorded. Models and hypotheses testing were performed using SEM-PLS. Values from internal consistency reliability tests indicated all values were accepted and demonstrated a high level of reliability. Convergent and discriminant validities were well established. Both tolerance and VIF values suggested no potential collinearity problem. The modified model accounted R2=0.377. The findings suggested that the antecedents and intention were related and that the 3 hypotheses (H1, H2, and H3) were supported. The empirical result derived is expected to bring awareness to business organizations on the benefits of a diversified workforce, a better understanding on the effects of attitudes, subjective norms and past experience on managers' intention when hiring older workers. Relevant public policy makers are able to, from the outcome of the study, formulate and implement workplace good practices to help prolong older workers work life, which in turn would greatly relief the Government from financial burden due to unemployed older workers. In addition, the result further encourages more future research to enrich the body of knowledge of Malaysian research literature on ageing workforce.

The Relationships between Attitudes, Subjective Norm and Hiring Intention - Does Age Make a Difference?

“…In this present study, managers from older-age groups had a more positive attitude towards older workers, as opposed to managers from a young-age group, and the influence of such positivity on the intention to hire supported earlier studies (e.g. Hassell & Perrewe, 1995;Lau et al, 2018). In that sense, managers were more likely to hire or retain older workers in their organizations.…”

“…Paswan, Gai, & Jeon, 2015); intention to hire workers (e.g. Ang, Ramayah & Amin, 2015;Fraser, Ajzen, Johnson, Hebert & Chan, 2011;Lau, Choong & Wong, 2018;Lu & Kao, 2010); intention to retain workers (e.g. Salah, & Habtoor, 2015).…”

“…In Lu, Kao & Hsieh (2011), respondents' positive attitudes towards older people were found to be strongly related to the intention to hire older workers. Research indicated that negative attitudes have significance on low hiring intention resulted in hiring managers rated older workers lower as opposed to rating younger workers (Lau et al, 2018;Ng & Feldman, 2013;Karpinska, Henkens & Schippers, 2013). Such being the case, managers' judgments on age-related characteristics without taking into account of older workers' actual knowledge, skills, and abilities, such often created a barrier that prevented these workers' mobility within the labour market (Abrams, Swift & Drury, 2016;Earl, Taylor & McLoughlin, 2017).…”

Intention To Hire Older Workers: A Predictive Model

“…The research findings corroborated with Ang et al (2015) in those managers' attitudes, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control are strong predictors and significant contributors to the prediction of hiring. Additionally, the subjective norm in this present study also supported Lau et al (2018) and Lu et al (2011) where subjective norm was found to be of greatest importance to the intention prediction.…”

“…From the various extensive studies on the causal relationship between attitude and behavioural intention indicated that attitude is the best predictor of a behavioural intention (e.g. Earl et al, 2017;Karpinska et al, 2013;Lau et al, 2018;Lu et al, 2011;Ng & Feldman, 2013). The present study defined attitude as favourable or unfavourable consequences of managers in their hiring of older workers.…”