Wie Betriebe heute mit Altersstrukturen (nicht mit Älteren) umgehen: Anforderungen an die Zukunft (How firms deal with age structures (not older employees): future needs)

Annegret Köchling

Mitteilungen aus der Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, 1995, vol. 28, issue 3, 437-453

Abstract: "The study of the future consequence of sociological developments for firms requires knowledge of how firms are currently dealing with the age structures of their workforce. As a rule not just individual groups (e.g. only older workers ) are being observed today, but rather combinations of all age groups. By using various organizational instruments, such as personnel management, job design, corporate culture, workforces with totally different age structures are arising, which are characterized by tendencies towards a concentration of younger workers as well as tendencies towards a concentration of older workers. The use of these instruments does not take place within the context of central and homogenous organizational and personnel strategies in a goal-directed, coordinated and systematic form, but rather within the framework of the firms' patterns of taking action, i.e. as a 'network' of formally and informally interacting forces - with organizational decision-takers as the dominant type of protagonist The composition of the age-structure is only one expression - although a very important one - of the structure of a workforce, along with gender, qualification, nationality, etc. Differentiated patterns of action related to age-structure were found in a non-representative empirical study of 30 business case studies. A distinction could also be made between goal-directed organisational action which preserved or changed existent age structures and non-goal-directed organizational action (manoeuvring with uncertain outcome). Organizational instruments could be attributed to specific age-structure action patterns. 'Personnel recruitment', 'primary innovation' and work-process design were studied as selective impact factors leading to different age-structure action patterns. Reference is made to research deficits in the area of work science and gerontological studies on changes in function resulting from age, because research on ageing and not research on age will be needed in future. Requirements for the work systems of the future and their embedding within the organizational structure are also outlined." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Keywords: Bundesrepublik Deutschland; Beschäftigtenstruktur; Altersstruktur; Personalbeschaffung; Personalpolitik; Arbeitsgestaltung; Unternehmenskultur; 1990-1994 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1995
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