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Creating an age-inclusive workplace: The impact of HR practices on employee work engagement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2023

Peng Fan
Affiliation:
School of Economics and Management, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China
Yixiao Song*
Affiliation:
School of Human Resources, Guangdong University of Finance & Economics, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China
Miaoying Fang
Affiliation:
School of Economics and Management, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China
Xilin Chen
Affiliation:
School of Economics and Management, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, China
*
Corresponding author: Yixiao Song, E-mail: songyixiao@gdufe.edu.cn

Abstract

Drawing on social exchange theory, our study aims to examine how age-inclusive human resource (HR) practices affect work engagement by shaping the age-diversity climate and perceived organizational support (POS). We hypothesize that diversity beliefs play a moderating role in the relationship between age-inclusive HR practices and POS. Our analysis of a sample of 983 employees from 48 organizations in China highlights the direct impact of age-inclusive HR practices on work engagement. Moreover, age-diversity climate and POS mediate the association between age-inclusive HR practices and work engagement. We further demonstrate that diversity beliefs play a moderating role in the association between age-inclusive HR practices and POS. Our findings not only contribute to the literature but also provide practical implications for managing an aging workforce.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press in association with Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management

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