Leader Lab: Do Older Workers Have Bad Job Attitudes?
My new post at The Leader Lab looks at new evidence about the relationship between age and job attitudes. Contrary to negative age stereotypes, the evidence from 800 previously published studies on 35 different job attitudes shows that in general, older workers have more positive work attitudes than their younger colleagues. Most of the effects were only modest, but they were significant for 27 of the 35 job attitudes examined in this meta-analysis.
Please visit the link above to read the full text of my article, or check out the link below to hear me read the text. And please share your thoughts – I’d love to know what you think!
Do Older Workers Have Bad Attitudes by BretSimmons
About the Author: Bret L. Simmons
Welcome to my blog! Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section of my posts. I publish all constructive, non-anonymous comments. 
Bret,
This is consistent with business and HR articles from various sources I’ve read over the past couple of years. The backdrop has been the ageing population and the growing squeeze on labor force entrants and the participation rate.
My anecdotal experience – of course I’m biased since I’m a mid fifties Boomer
– is that this is generally true. The challenge is to not sterotype, whether it’s ageing Boomers in the workforce or young Gen Y entrants.
For me and of greater interest will be observing how leadership is practicing in the coming years within a four-intergenerational workforce context. Now THAT should produce some interesting studies!
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Bret L. Simmons Reply:
December 21st, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Great observations, Jim. Leading in the next decade will be as challenging as every. Thanks! Bret
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