Abstract
As South Korea transitions into a super-aged society, ensuring the continued employment of older workers has become increasingly critical. However, the country’s seniority-based hierarchical structure often exacerbates intergenerational conflicts in the workplace, underscoring the need for age-inclusive work environments. Despite its growing significance, research on this issue remains limited in the Korean context. This study examines age-inclusive workplaces through the lens of ERG motivation theory, focusing on which organizational policies, systems, and cultural factors can support employees’ needs for existence, relatedness, and growth, irrespective of age. A three-round Delphi study was conducted with nine scholars specializing in aging workforce research and seven HR experts. In the first round, open-ended questions identified key concepts and relevant policies, systems, and cultural aspects, yielding 25 existence-, 20 relatedness-, and 22 growth-related items. In the second round, participants rated each item’s importance and relevance on a five-point scale, refining the list to 12, 14, and 11 items, respectively, based on mean scores, consensus levels, convergence, and content validity. The third round further evaluated the importance and effectiveness of these items, finalizing six existence-, 12 relatedness-, and eight growth-related items. The highest-rated items included age- and health-sensitive job reassignment (existence), knowledge transfer programs (relatedness), and opportunities for older workers to share expertise (growth). This study contributes to the literature by applying ERG theory to age-inclusive workplaces and provides practical insights for organizations striving to foster inclusive and sustainable work environments.
Presenters
Mi Sun ChoiAssistant Professor, Social Welfare, Silla University, Busan Gwang'yeogsi [Pusan-Kwangyokshi], South Korea
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Economic and Demographic Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Age inclusion, Older workers, Intergenerational relations, Delphi study
