Stereotype threat and older worker’s attitudes: a mediation model

Author(s):

Eduardo Oliveira, (CEDH – Centro de Estudos em Desenvolvimento Humano, Faculdade de Educação e Psicologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto, Portugal)

Carlos Cabral Cardoso, (Faculty of Economics, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal)

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Abstract:

Purpose

Taking a social identity approach, the purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which age-based stereotype threat mediates the relationships between older workers’ negative age-based metastereotypes and two negative work attitudes: organizational disidentification and work disengagement.

Design/methodology/approach

A two-wave cross-sectional design was adopted to collect data from 423 blue-collar older workers of the Portuguese manufacturing sector. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation model.

Findings

The analyses show that age-based stereotype threat partially mediates the relationship between negative age-based metastereotypes and negative work attitudes. Moreover, findings suggest that older workers respond to negative age-based metastereotypes through threat reactions, and undesirable work attitudes.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature by showing the importance of negative age-based metastereotypes and age-based stereotype threat in workplace dynamics. It also provides evidence that age threats impair the relationship older workers keep with their organization and their work.

Keywords:

Quantitative, Age-based stereotype threat, Negative age-based metastereotypes, Organizational disidentification, Work disengagement

Type:

Research paper

Publisher:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Received:

22 November 2016

Revised:

16 June 2017, 31 August 2017

Accepted:

09 September 2017

Copyright:

© Emerald Publishing Limited 2018
Published by Emerald Publishing Limited
Licensed re-use rights only

Citation:

Eduardo Oliveira, Carlos Cabral Cardoso, (2018) "Stereotype threat and older worker’s attitudes: a mediation model", Personnel Review, Vol. 47 Issue: 1, pp.187-205, https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-11-2016-0306

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