Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mentoring and the Older Worker in Contemporary Organisations: The Australian Case

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Inequality and Organizational Practice

Part of the book series: Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma ((PAEWS))

Abstract

Older Australians and other older workers around the western world are being encouraged to re-enter the workforce and work later into their lives. As the workforce ages, organisations will need to develop strategies to encourage commitment and engagement of their older workers. Mentoring is a proven learning and development intervention that can be utilised to achieve this strategic objective. Mentoring is an interpersonal relationship between a more experienced individual (the mentor) and a less experienced one (the mentee). Older workers may need mentoring to enhance their learning and development. Mentoring practice, however, is synonymous with older workers mentoring younger ones. Thus, older workers as mentees may be viewed as a dysfunctional relationship. In addition, age discrimination pervasive in today’s contemporary organisations presents hidden inequalities that face older workers requiring mentoring. Focusing on Australia but with a wider international application, this chapter explores obstacles to older workers participating in mentoring relationships. Challenges presented by age discrimination which results in negative stereotypes, including societal norms, implications of matching mentoring pairs and generational differences are explored. The chapter concludes with theoretical and practical implications and recommendations. As the workforce continues to age, mentoring the older worker is a timely issue that needs urgent attention and intervention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allen, T.D., and L.T. Eby. 2003. Relationship effectiveness for mentors: Factors associated with learning and quality. Journal of Management 29: 469–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, T.D., and L.M. Finkelstein. 2003. Beyond mentoring: Alternative sources and functions of developmental support. The Career Development Quarterly 51: 346–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, T.D., M.L. Poteet, J.E.A. Russell, and G.H. Dobbins. 1997. A field study of factors related to supervisors’ willingness to mentor others. Journal of Vocational Behavior 50: 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen, T.D., L.T. Eby, M.L. Poteet, E. Lentz, and L. Lima. 2004. Career benefits associated with mentoring for protégés: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology 89: 127–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong-Stassen, M., and F. Schlosser. 2011. Perceived organisational membership and the retention of older workers. Journal of Organisational Behavior 32: 319–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong-Stassen, M., and N.D. Ursel. 2009. Perceived organisational support, career satisfaction, and the retention of older workers. Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology 82: 201–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 2010. Australian social trends – Older people and the labour market. http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30Sep+2010. Accessed 12 Feb 2018.

  • Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). 2015. National prevalence survey of age discrimination in the workplace. https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/AgePrevalenceReport2015.pdf. Accessed 12 Feb 2018.

  • Bayl-Smith, P.H., and B. Griffin. 2014. Age discrimination in the workplace: Identifying as a late-career worker and its relationship with engagement and intended retirement age. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 44: 588–599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Callahan, J.S., D.S. Kiker, and T. Cross. 2003. Does method matter? A meta-analysis of the effects of training method on older learner training performance. Journal of Management 29: 663–680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Callanan, G.A., and J.H. Greenhaus. 2008. The baby boom generation and career management: A call to action. Advances in Developing Human Resources 10: 70–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhuri, S., and R. Ghosh. 2012. Reverse mentoring: A social exchange tool for keeping the boomers engaged and millennials committed. Human Resource Development Review 11: 55–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chun, J.U., J.J. Sosik, and N.Y. Yun. 2012. A longitudinal study of mentor and protégé outcomes in formal mentoring relationships. Journal of Organisational Behavior 33: 1071–1094.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finkelstein, L.M., T.D. Allen, and L.A. Rhoton. 2003. An examination of the role of age in mentoring relationships. Group and Organisation Management 28: 249–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finkelstein, L.M., T.D. Allen, T.D. Ritchie, J.E. Lynch, and M.S. Montei. 2012. A dyadic examination of the role of relationship characteristics and age on relationship satisfaction in a formal mentoring programme. European Journal of Work and Organisational Psychology 21: 803–827.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghosh, R., and T.G. Reio Jr. 2013. Career benefits associated with mentoring for mentors: A meta-analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior 83: 106–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenhaus, J.H., G.A. Callanan, and V.M. Godshalk. 2010. Career management. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grima, F., P.H. Paillé, J. Mejia, and L. Prud’Homme. 2014. Exploring the benefits of mentoring activities for the mentor. Career Development International 19: 469–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gringart, E., E. Helmes, and C. Speelman. 2008. Harnessing cognitive dissonance to promote positive attitudes toward older workers in Australia. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 38: 751–778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haggard, D.L., T.W. Dougherty, D.B. Turban, and J.E. Wilbanks. 2011. Who is a mentor? A review of evolving definitions and implications for research. Journal of Management 37: 280–304.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hedge, J.W., W.C. Borman, and S.E. Lammlein. 2006. The aging workforce: Realities, myths, and implications for organisations. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Hershatter, A., and M. Epstein. 2010. Millennials and the world of work: An organisation and management perspective. Journal of Business and Psychology 25: 211–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanfer, R., and P.L. Ackerman. 2004. Aging, adult development, and work motivation. Academy of Management Review 29: 440–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kooij, D.T., A.H. De Lange, P.G. Jansen, R. Kanfer, and J.S. Dikkers. 2011. Age and work-related motives: Results of a meta-analysis. Journal of Organisational Behavior 32: 197–225.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kram, K.E. 1988. Mentoring at work: Developmental relationships in organisational life. Lanham: University Press of America.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kram, K.E., and B.R. Ragins. 2007. The landscape of mentoring in the 21st century. In The handbook of mentoring at work: Theory, research, and practice, 659–692. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kulik, C.T., S. Perera, and C. Cregan. 2016. Engage me: The mature-age worker and stereotype threat. Academy of Management Journal 59: 2132–2156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lancaster, L.C., and D. Stillman. 2002. When generations collide: Who they are, why they clash, how to solve the generational puzzle at work. New York: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lankau, M.J., and T.A. Scandura. 2002. An investigation of personal learning in mentoring relationships: Content, antecedents, and consequences. Academy of Management Journal 45: 779–790.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lawrence, B.S. 1988. New wrinkles in the theory of age: Demography, norms, and performance ratings. Academy of Management Journal 31: 309–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, D., C. Carrow, E. Klein, M. Levinson, and B. McKee. 1978. The seasons of a man’s life. New York: Ballantine.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLeod, Ch. 2014. Coming of age: The impacts of an ageing workforce on Australian business. https://www.chandlermacleod.com/blog/ageing-workforce/. Accessed 18 Mar 2018.

  • Murphy, W. 2012. Reverse mentoring at work: Fostering cross-generational learning and developing millennial leaders. Human Resource Management 51: 549–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noe, R.A. 1988. An investigation of the determinants of successful assigned mentoring relationships. Personnel Psychology 41: 457–479.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry, E.L., and L.M. Finkelstein. 1999. Toward a broader view of age discrimination in employment-related decisions: A joint consideration of organisational factors and cognitive processes. Human Resource Management Review 9: 21–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, S.J. and Spiker, B.K. 2005. “Establishing the positive contributory value of older workers: A positive psychology perspective.” Organisational Dynamics (Pembroke, OT) 34: 153–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Posthuma, R.A., and M.A. Campion. 2009. Age stereotypes in the workplace: Common stereotypes, moderators, and future research directions. Journal of Management 35: 158–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ragins, B.R., and J.L. Cotton. 1993. Gender and willingness to mentor in organisations. Journal of Management 19: 97–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ragins, B.R., and D.B. McFarlin. 1990. Perceptions of mentor roles in cross-gender mentoring relationships. Journal of Vocational Behavior 37: 321–339.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saks, A.M., and D.A. Waldman. 1998. The relationship between age and job performance evaluations for entry-level professionals. Journal of Organisational Behavior 19: 409–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savickas, M.L., L. Nota, J. Rossier, J.P. Dauwalder, M.E. Duarte, J. Guichard, and A.E. Van Vianen. 2009. Life designing: A paradigm for career construction in the 21st century. Journal of Vocational Behavior 75: 239–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shacklock, K., L. Fulop, and L. Hort. 2007. Managing older worker exit and re-entry practices: A ‘revolving door. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources 45: 151–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tajfel, H. 1978. Social categorization, social identity and social comparison. In Differentiation between social groups: Studies in the social psychology of intergroup Relations, ed. H. Tajfel, 61–76. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, P., and P. Urwin. 2001. Age and participation in vocational education and training. Work, Employment and Society 15: 763–779.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tong, C., and K.E. Kram. 2013. The efficacy of mentoring–The benefits for mentees, mentors, and organisations. In The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of the psychology of coaching and mentoring, ed. J. Passmore, D.B. Peterson, and T. Freire, 217–242. Oxford: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations. 2017. World population ageing: 1950–2050. New York: United Nations.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitely, W., T.W. Dougherty, and G.F. Dreher. 1992. Correlates of career-oriented mentoring for early career managers and professionals. Journal of Organisational Behavior 13: 141–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Edith Cowan University, South West Campus, Bunbury, WA, Australia

    Julie Nyanjom

Authors
  1. Julie Nyanjom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julie Nyanjom .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    Stefanos Nachmias  & Valerie Caven  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Nyanjom, J. (2019). Mentoring and the Older Worker in Contemporary Organisations: The Australian Case. In: Nachmias, S., Caven, V. (eds) Inequality and Organizational Practice. Palgrave Explorations in Workplace Stigma. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11644-6_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation