Common beliefs about older workers include beliefs that they are physically unable to do their job; have a high rate of absenteeism; have a high rate of accidents; are less productive, less motivated, and less receptive to innovations than younger people; and are unable to learn. While these are rather commonly held beliefs, there are few actual data to support these assumptions; in fact, most research studies indicate that these stereotypes are inaccurate.
The available data concerning age and productivity are limited, especially for technology-based jobs. Several extensive reviews of aging and work productivity for both blue collar and white collar jobs have been conducted. The general conclusion of these reviews is that there is little evidence to suggest that productivity declines with age. Instead, it appears that the relationship between age and work productivity is quite complex and is dependent on the type of performance measure, the nature of the job, and other factors such as experience. Furthermore, many jobs do not require performance at full capacity, and there is tremendous variability in performance for both younger and older people. In terms of creative work, the relationship between age and productivity (the quantity of creative work), for both the artistic and scientific fields, is generally one in which productivity increases until around age 40 and then declines slowly with age. However, there are three important caveats to this trend:
(1) the exact age location of the peak of productivity and rate of change in productive performance depends somewhat on the field of endeavor;
(2) there are numerous examples of creative work by people in the later decades; and
(3) there are large individual differences in the change in productivity with age.
With respect to other measures of job behavior, the findings, while limited, are more conclusive. Older workers tend to have lower accident rates than younger workers; however, older workers tend to remain off the job longer if they are injured. Absenteeism and turnover rates are also lower for older adults.
Overall, the relationship between age and work productivity is complex and far from understood. Many studies examining this issue involve small samples or restricted age ranges or are cross-sectional, which may result in age effects being confounded with factors such as experience, education, or exposure to technology. Studies that rely on supervisory ratings of performance may be biased if the rater has negative attitudes about older workers. The results also vary according to the type of task and type of performance. Finally, the number of recent studies conducted in actual employment settings has been limited. It is reasonable to conclude that chronological age is associated with a host of age-related changes in processes and lifestyle patterns that have diverse and indirect effects on work outcomes. It is also important to recognize that many older adults engage in other forms of productive activities outside of the workplace, such as mentoring, volunteerism, or continuing education.
Another important factor to consider when addressing the topic of age and productivity is worker motivation. A number of authors have recently concluded that age-related changes in motivational variables play a key role in work outcomes for middle-aged and older people. Yet there are few empirical studies that have examined the impact of the effects of aging and adult development. A recent review of the literature suggests that work motivation in the later years generally follows the same pattern as work motivation for younger adults, such that the allocation of resources will be given to work behaviors that build on competencies, promote selfefficacy, and result in desired outcomes. The major age-related differences in motivation may relate to differences in competencies, and as such motivation of older workers may be enhanced by employing organizational practices that take into account normative changes in adult development – e.g., practices that capitalize on the domain knowledge and expertise of the older worker.
