In this study, the dynamic mindset refers to a thinking style, a way of looking at life and a habit of approaching work, which are rooted in eight key factors. Problem solving in this study refers to the process of analyzing challenges and seeking solutions to difficult or complex problems related to work.
Introduction
- Aging
- Singapore: A Nation State, Progress and Policies
- Aging: A Social Process
- Economy of Aging
- Older Workers and Employability
- Rationale and Significance
- Thesis Overview
Another challenge that older workers in Singapore face regarding employment is competition from an influx of foreign professionals (Paramartha et al., 2015). In addition to the re-education and training of older workers, several other established initiatives are helping Singapore's older workers to extend their working lives and reduce labor shortages (Fung et al., 2021).
Literature Review
Introduction
The key search terms include age health, character strengths and motivations of older workers, lifelong learning and employability in relation to older workers, the mental health of older workers, active aging and employment policies involving older workers. The databases accessed include: ERIC (ProQuest), ERIC (US Department of Education) Elsevier (CrossRef), Goggle Scholar, Informa—Taylor & Francis (CrossRef), JSTOR Archive Journals, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses: Global Taylor & Francis Online—Journals , and Wiley Online Library found in the digital libraries of the University of Adelaide as well as Google Scholar, including an extensive search of the bibliographies and reference lists identified in the literature retrieved, published between 2000 and 2021.
Definition of an Older Worker
A quantitative study in the USA that examined workplace discrimination defined older workers as workers over the age of 50 (Choi et al., 2018). In addition to physical and cognitive transformations, older workers may experience changes in personalities and perspectives on life (Hussenoeder et al., 2019).
Employability of Older Workers and Lifelong Learning
These include how different agencies, such as workplaces, professional institutes and governments, can contribute to improving the employability of older workers. Yet, these studies focus on understanding and establishing the relationship between older workers' employability and lifelong learning, as well as other factors that influence employability.
Employment Policies for Older Workers
Researchers, labor representatives and policy makers are concerned about employment participation, age discrimination, qualification levels and training needs (Lopina et al., 2019; Stypińska & Nikander, 2018). Providing education and competency training for older workers can provide governments with both a successful generational transition and sustainable economic income (Rouzet, et al., 2019; Vilčiauskaitė, et al., 2020).
Role of Work in Older Workers’ Mental Health and Wellbeing
It is possible to argue that the findings from these studies are consistent with the idea that extending retirement and sustained employment is beneficial for older workers and can help preserve their mental health (Gao et al., 2021). Considering the role of work in the well-being of older workers is complex.
Employers’ and Societal Attitudes Towards an Aging Workforce
Therefore, older workers are often caught between state policies and unsupportive work environments (Lain et al., 2019; Zhan et al., 2019). Worryingly, aging is a major barrier preventing older workers from becoming valuable members of the workforce (Stypińska & Nikander, 2018) and is prevalent in many organizations (Naegele et al., 2018).
Ageist Attitudes in Workplaces
Additional isolated sources include the negative media portrayal of older people, even in children's programs (Rovner-Lev & Elias, 2020) and the general trends in research studies and human resource policies that present older workers in hostile terms (Zaniboni et al., 2019). Older workers are thus hindered from the outset, drastically reducing their chances of job interviews, formal consideration for a position or promotion, and skills and training opportunities (Harris et al., 2018; Nachmias, 2019).
Motivations of Older Workers
2021) suggest that age-related factors are important for understanding older workers' motivation to continue working. According to Yeung and Ho (2020), older employees with a proactive personality are more motivated and focused on their professional goals (Bertolino et al., 2011; Parker & Andrei, 2020).
Character Strengths in Organisations
Recognition and use of character strengths can predict well-being and optimal functioning (Botha, 2020; Niemiec, 2018; Silton et al., 2020; Peterson. White, 2019; X. Cheng et al., 2020) consistently indicate a complex and interconnected relationship between well-being and character strengths.
Wellbeing Concepts and Definitions
As such, flourishing is an outcome within the concept of well-being (Dahl et al., 2020) and is important for individuals to live life well. Thus, flourishing is an important outcome of well-being (Przybylko et al., 2021) and fundamental to the well-being of older workers.
Conclusion
2019) also recommend further research on successful aging from the perspective of older workers in Singapore (Owens et al., 2019). This chapter showed the plight and precarious situation of older workers in many parts of the world, including Singapore.
Theoretical Framework
- Introduction
- Theoretical Framework
- Critical gerontology theory
- Wellbeing theories
- Significance of Theoretical Framework
- Conclusion
First, Huppert and So's (2011) thriving theory facilitates the understanding of the factors that enable older workers to thrive (Hone et al., 2015; Huppert & So, 2011) across different workplaces and industries. Furthermore, Caines et al. 2020) and Sharit (2020) propose age-friendly workplaces from a critical gerontological perspective (Zacher &. The S-BIT work theory is a theory in organizational psychology that underlines the experience of satisfying work (Owens et al. , 2019) .
There are four main theoretical propositions in the S-BIT work theory (Owens et al., 2019). As already stated, workers with better contextual support and fewer contextual barriers are likely to enjoy job fulfillment (Allan et al., 2019b).
Methodology and Methods
Introduction
Qualitative Perspective
Researchers have highlighted the suitability of qualitative research supported by an appreciative inquiry philosophy (Jakubik, 2017; McSherry et al., 2018; Naidoo et al., 2018; Ravalier et al., 2019). Given this difference in approaches, it was necessary to have a set of guidelines and targeted criteria for assessing the qualitative research (Ben, 2019; Pratt et al., 2019). Overarching principles of rigor were also adopted, including effectiveness, credibility, trustworthiness, transferability and reflexivity (Hanson et al., 2019).
Second, it was credible as it generated reasonable and well-reasoned arguments based on stakeholder responses (Xu et al., 2020). The study maintained clarity and coherence throughout the 4-D cycle in appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987, Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whiteney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010), making the research design transferable and reflective.
Appreciative Inquiry
- Principles of appreciative inquiry
From its earliest articulation, appreciative inquiry took a metaphorical stance that human systems are not inert machines or mechanistic problems (Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987; Cooperrider et al., 2008). Appreciative inquiry is a strengths-based approach that seeks to initiate change through a positive and transformative revolution (Cooperrider et al., 2018). The use of the 4-D cycle, as illustrated in Figure 4.1, is the main intervention model in appreciative research (Bushe & Kassam, 2005; Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987; Cooperrider et al., 2008).
The discovery phase (Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987; Cooperrider et al., 2008) evaluated the appraisal factors of older workers in Singapore and analyzed the perspectives of adult education and industry experts on older workers. The dream phase synthesized the participants' dialogues (Cooperrider et al., 2008) and used them to inform policy makers.
Research Design and Procedure
- Affirmative topic
- Phase 1 (Discovery phase)
- Phase 2 (Dream phase)
- Research procedure
Finally, the narrative principle allowed participants to reflect and share their life stories through the narrative interviews (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010). The first step in applying the appreciative inquiry framework was to identify the confirmatory topic (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010). The cornerstone of the Discovery phase in the 4D cycle for this study was the appreciative interviews (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010).
For the Dream Phase (Cooperrider et al., 2008), participants attended one focus group session after completing their narrative interviews. During this focus group session, participants worked together and developed their dreams based on a central topic (Cooperrider et al., 2013).
Ethics, Participant Recruitment and Sampling
- Ethics
- Participant recruitment and sampling
Due care was taken to ensure that participants were clear about the aims and benefits of the research project and that their participation was voluntary. Participants were given the opportunity to seek redress with the University ethics committee if they were concerned about the information or confidentiality of the interview process. Interviews were recorded using an audio recording device or the Zoom App after consent was obtained from the participants.
Care was taken to ensure that the participants recruited were representative of the four main ethnic groups in Singapore (i.e. Malay, Chinese, Indian and others). Due care was taken to ensure that the participants were clear about the aims and benefits of the research project and that their participation was voluntary.
Data Collection
- Pilot interviews
- Narrative interviews
- Focus group discussions
Data collection from multiple sources in this study served to increase the validity of the data collected (Holmbeck et al., 2002; Sechelski & Onwuegbuzie, 2019). In addition to increasing the study's construct validity (Gundry & Deterding, 2018), it increased the likelihood of reaching data saturation (Sechelski & Onwuegbuzie, 2019). Piloting the narrative interview itself is an integral and valuable aspect of the process of conducting qualitative research, as it facilitates the improvisation of the narrative interview protocol (Malmqvist et al., 2019).
In this study, narratives provided a window into participants' identity development and construction as part of a process of appreciative inquiry (Mildorf, 2019). Cooperrider (2017) describes appreciative questions as dialogues that create new worlds—an apt description of the hopes captured in this study for older workers in Singapore.
Data Analysis
Subsequently, the main findings of this analysis formed a “positive core” for the dream phase (Cooperrider et al., 2013). This positive core of strengths, experiences, and career highlights was used during the dream phase to facilitate focus group sessions (Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010). Using transcriptions from audio recordings, focus group discussions were analyzed using NVivo 12 software (Bazeley, 2013).
The event maps were analyzed, and themes extracted from these maps were integrated with the themes from the focus group discussions. Government policies involving the employment and training of older workers were also criticized as part of the data analysis, as illustrated in Figure 4.5.
Conclusion
Results
Introduction
Participant Demographics
The breakdown of older workers, adult education teachers and industry experts by age, gender, ethnicity, qualifications and their respective sectors is shown in Tables 5.1–. The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) examination is an annual national examination taken by school and private candidates to facilitate entry into tertiary studies. The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Level) examination is an annual national examination taken by school and private candidates to facilitate entry into university.
Coding Process
Implications for ageist attitudes in society and the employment market. Contextual support and barriers. Differences between the older and younger generations.
Main Themes
- Systemic inequities
- Older workers and wellbeing
- Work culture and management
I teach them today, tomorrow they have forgotten." The older workers are frustrated because they are not being taught properly. The dynamic-grit mindset is indicative of the flourishing of older workers in this study. The quotes summarize the components of the concept of grit observed in the older workers in this study.
One way the older workers in this study developed resilience was through their work experiences.
Conclusion
Discussion
- Introduction
- Systemic Inequities
- Ageism in human resource policies
- Ageism in work contexts
- Ageism in government policies
- Ageism and contextual barriers
- Older Workers and Wellbeing
- Grit in the dynamic-grit mindset
- Five factors from Huppert and So’s (2011) theory of flourishing
- Problem-solving and emotional intelligence
- Work Culture and Management
- Positive work culture
- Management support
- Conclusion
Additional research (Straussner et al., 2020; Vasconcelos, 2018) found no cognitive decline in older workers and found that they were as productive at work as their younger colleagues. Age-related attitudes dominate many workplaces in Singapore (Xu et al., 2021), although fewer cases of discrimination against older workers are expected. The flourishing of the older workers in this study can be attributed to their dynamic mindset.
The first key component in the dynamic-grit mindset is the dynamism observed in the older workers in this study. To date, no research studies have explored the concept of flourishing and grit in older workers in Singapore.
Conclusion
Introduction
Summary of the Research
Significance of Research Study
Recommendations
Limitations
Concluding Remarks
