Welcome Research Project
Matt Flynn talked with a representative from the Federation of Small Businesses on BBC Radio 4 s lunchtime programme "You and Yours". The subject was the abolition of the UK default retirement age. You can hear the show by clicking here:
New item- Information for employers
We are looking for employers to help us as we develop Capabilities Approach based management tools which can enable organisations to make better use of their older workers’ skills and talents. For more information on the project, CLICK HERE
Age diversity and the Capabilities Approach
Welcome to our website, dedicated to exchanging information, views and news on workplace age diversity. Because of changing age demographics and pressures on pension systems, employers and governments around the world are looking for ways to encourage older workers to delay retirement. While much of the media focus has been on the ways in which workers are being compelled to work longer (e.g. reduced pension entitlements), this website is dedicated to discussing ways in which work in later life could be made more attractive. What would encourage older workers to delay retirement? Interesting worker, flexible hours, good social networks, the chance to learn new things, and healthy working conditions are examples of what older workers (and in fact all workers) are looking for.
This website is particularly focused on a new collaborative project between Middlesex University (UK) and Lingnan University (Hong Kong) which is testing the applicability of Martha Nussbaum and Amartya Sen s Capabilities Approach to workplace age diversity. In this research, we will be investigating how Nussbaum and Sen’s Capabilities Approach (CA) can be used by employers, employees and unions to develop quality work which can enable older workers to delay retirement. CA has been used as the framework for the UN Human Development Index in assessing the extent to which national social, economic and political context facilitates and or constrains individuals in achieving the “good life”.
The research will be conducted in the UK and Hong Kong. In addition to assessing the applicability of CA to managing work and retirement, the research will also compare older workers’ work orientation and employers’ age management practices within these two contrasting institutional and cultural contexts.
The research is conducted in collaboration with the UK Employers’ Forum on Age and Hong Kong Community Business which will assist in the development and dissemination of the research.
Work and retirement survey
We have asked some of our partner organisations to ask their members and associates to participate in our questionnaire survey. We are particularly interested in gathering responses from people who are 65 and over who are still in work. Thank you in advance for completing our questionnaire!
In addition to the Middlesex-Lingnan project, this website also discusses two cross-comparative research projects on age diversity: the ESRC-funded project "Age Diversity at the Workplace: A Comparative Study on the Influence of National Institutions on Employers´ Age Management Practices" which compares management practices in the UK and Germany; and the British Council funded project "Older Workers in the UK and Japan: how employment institutions and work histories impact on decisions over work and retirement." The website will provide information about the projects, the project teams, the research outcomes as well as further information on the topic "age management."
If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We would like to thank the Economic and Social Research Council; Universities Grant Council; British Council; Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and Center for Aging and Work for their support.
If you have enquiries about the project,
would like to receive further information
or have any comments,
please feel free to contact us:
Matthew Flynn
Middlesex University Business School
Department of Human Resource Management
The Burroughs
London, NW4 4BT
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8411 4350
E-Mail: m.flynn@agediversity.org
Skype: agediversity
QQ: 1497071016