Lifespan perspectives on job and work design

Abstract

This chapter considers how age-sensitive work design may support workers across the work lifespan in terms of both job performance and wellbeing. this includes not only addressing the issues faced by workers approaching the ends of their careers, but by workers at all life and career stages to advance their productivity and mental and physical health and to extend their working lives. the chapter specifically discusses age-related changes experienced in physical, cognitive, and psychosocial abilities. It addresses how gains and losses in abilities due to aging and our adaptations to these changes are central to the lifespan development perspective and can influence successful aging-related work design. the chapter then discusses how lifespan development theories can be integrated into work design, that is, how age-related lifespan changes may influence people's reactions to various job design characteristics. fitting the job to the person can be challenging, given the dynamism of both people and organizations. employees' age-related changes are part of this dynamism and add to the challenge and complexity of effectively designing work. yet understanding these changes may also increase the effectiveness of job design interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)