Wie junge Kohorten individualisiert alternsgerecht führen

Demographic change and digitalization have had far-reaching effects on personnel management and human resources development. In particular, young managers will have more influence on the working capacity of older employees in the future. This situation raises a number of questions, including: How can the tools for individualized, age-appropriate management (IAM) adapt to an aging workforce and the changing work capacity of employees?

Based on the concept of IAM, perception, attitudes and behavior of young managers in public administration in Switzerland were examined in a both qualitative (n = 11) and a quantitative (n = 189) survey. Within the qualitative substudy, subjective theories of age stereotyping were additionally reconstructed. On the basis of qualitative guided interviews and a quantitative measurement of the countable characteristics, the results section of the survey provides information on the attitudes and leadership behavior of young managers, their perceptions of older employees (age stereotypes) and their abilities as well as their perception of their own aging process (own ability development).

The results show that the attitudes and conduct of the younger managers towards older employees is predominantly positive and benevolent. A systematic connection between ability perception and management behavior or attitude cannot not be proved. Regarding individualized, age-appropriate management, the attitude of the young managers is more positive than their actual behavior. The respondents support the retention of older employees in the work force, yet they hardly ever hire older persons. The younger managers feel responsible for their employees’ health, but here, too, they show little individualized management behavior. Young managers view their own aging process in a more positive light than that of their older employees. On the other hand, a positive perception of both their own skill development as well as that of the employees they manage can be confirmed. The young managers ascribe both positive and negative age stereotypes to their older employees, with the negative ones predominating over the positive ones. Despite a stereotyped judgment of older employees, no negative influence of IAM could be established in this context. Possibly discriminating behavior remains equally unverified.

With the transfer of the results into practice, a greater individualization of management and an even more positive perception of one’s own aging process can be obtained with the young managers. The empirical results provide possibilities for interpretation and points of reference for stereotype research, which can be referred to for further studies.