Successful aging and job crafting to sustain at work: Examining relations between job crafting and work ability of healthcare worker

Due to the ageing and dejuvenization of the western workforce, employers in these countries face a challenge to enhance a sustainable working life to maintain older workers (De Lange et al., 2015). As a result, there is accumulating research attention for the question how to effectively retain older workers in the labour market. Likewise, there is an increased practical as well as scientific interest in interventions that facilitate a prolonged working life of employees (Kooij, 2015). One of these research lines focuses on the positive effects of job crafting at work to enhance work ability (e.g., Kooij, Tims, & Kanfer, 2015). According to Tims, Bakker, and Derks (2012), job crafting can be defined as the self-initiated changes that employees make in the demands and resources of their job to attain or maintain a balance with their personal abilities and needs. However, few empirical studies have examined the relations between job crafting at work and indicators of sustainable work ability (measured with the work-ability index; Ilmarinen, Tuomi, Klockars, 1997). This study therefore aims to fill this research gap by examining relations between aging (measured as calendar age and future time perspective), job crafting and sustainable work ability. Based on earlier research, we tested the following hypotheses: 1) Calendar age is negatively related to indicators of sustainable work ability 2) Job crafting is positively related to indicators of sustainable work ability 3) Future time perspective is positively related to indicators of sustainable work ability Design: We will present results of a 2-wave complete panel study (the “Healthy healthcare” project) on the sustainable work ability and employability of 1632 Dutch healthcare workers (mean age= 44.91; SD= 11.62; mean job tenure= 13,2 years; 83.6% is female). Results: Results of our first hierarchical regression analyses using data from Time 1 for the outcome work ability (controlling for job tenure and gender), revealed a negative relation with calendar age (β= -.09; p<.05), a positive relation with future time perspective (β= .14; p<.01), a negative relation with the job crafting subscale “diminishing hindrance task demands” (β= -.19; p<.01), and a positive relation with the subscale “using structural work resources” (β= .09; p<.05). Using the second wave of data, we will further examine the aforementioned relations and test also multiplicative interaction effects between aging, job crafting and sustainable work ability. Conclusions: Our preliminary results indicate significant relations of aging and job crafting with the work ability of healthcare workers, indicating the importance of taking a life-span perspective in relations between job crafting and work ability. Limitations: We only focused on data of healthcare workers and therefore cannot generalize the results to other professions or sectors. Originality/Value Few studies to date have been able to examine relations between aging, job crafting and work ability at work. As a result, the results of our complete panel including 2 waves can bring important new insights to the question how to sustain ageing workers in the labour market. Key words: job crafting, successful aging, work ability, future time perspective References: De Lange, A. H., Kooij, D. T. A. M., & Van der Heijden, B. I. J. M. (2015). Human resource management and sustainability at work across the lifespan: An integrative perspective. In L. M. Finkelstein, D. Truxillo, F. Fraccaroli, & R. Kanfer (Eds.), Facing the challenges of a multi-age workforce. A use-inspired approach (pp. 50-79). London: Routledge. Ilmarinen, J., Tuomi, K., & Klockars, M. (1997). Changes in the work ability of active employees over an 11-year period. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 23, 49-57. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40966691 Kooij, D. T. A. M. (2015). Successful aging at work: The active role of employees. Work, Aging and Retirement, 1(4), 309-319. doi: 10.1093/workar/wav018 Kooij, D. T. A. M., Kanfer, R., Tims, M. (2015). Successful aging at work: The role of job crafting. In P. M. Bal, D. T. A. M. Kooij, & D. M. Rousseau (Eds.), Aging workers and the employee-employer relationship (pp. 145-161). New York: Springer. Tims, M., Bakker, A. B., & Derks, D. (2012). Development and validity of the job crafting scale. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 80 , 173–186.