Page 235 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

SHORE AND GOLDBERG
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other societal changes that make the study of aging at work particularly im­
portant. Organizations have been laying off employees in record numbers
for the last 15 years (Cascio, 2002), challenging assumptions of job security
for loyalty and hard work (Rousseau, 1995). Such changes may be partic­
ularly likely to adversely affect middle-aged and older workers who may
have significant financial responsibilities, yet many more problems than
younger workers getting re-employed (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2002).
Additionally, with decreasing management layers in organizations, fewer
promotional opportunities are available for employees. Such restructur­
ing may exacerbate career progression problems faced by older workers,
particularly during this period of rapid technological changes when older
workers are assumed to be less trainable (Maurer, 2001), and evidence of
age norms that suggest older workers will be judged less favorably when
compared with their younger counterparts (Lawrence, 1987, 1988). Fur­
thermore, a recent survey of 340 executives showed that 61 % believe that
age discrimination is a greater problem today than it was just one year ago,
and 35% reported encountering age discrimination in their most recent job
search (ExecuNet, 2002).
In this chapter, we first discuss alternative causes of age discrimination,
including stereotyping, relational demography, career timetables, and pro­
totype matching. Second, we present a model of age discrimination. Third,
we present summaries of the research on the effects of age discrimination
on organizational entry, experiences in organizations, and organizational
exit. Finally, we suggest an agenda for future research.

VIEWS OF AGE DISCRIMINATION

Stereotyping

In the early 1950s, Kirchner and his colleagues found that hourly employees
had more positive attitudes toward older workers than did their supervi­
sors (Kirchner & Dunnette, 1954; Kirchner, Lindbom, & Paterson, 1952).
These results were duplicated by Bird and Fisher 30 years later (1986), sug­
gesting the continued importance of exploring reasons for differential atti­
tudes toward older workers. One potential explanation is that of negative
stereotypes of older workers. Stereotypes of older people include views
that they are less productive, less flexible, less creative, less ambitious,
harder to train (Kulik, Perry, & Bourhis, 2000; Ringenbach & Jacobs, 1994;
Sonnenfeld, 1978), and less economically beneficial (Finkelstein & Burke,
1998). Craft, Doctors, Shkop, and Benecki (1979) found that older job candi­
dates were more likely than young candidates to be viewed as opinionated,