Project funded under the
Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities
 

Scientific details

The aim of the project Activating Senior Potential in Ageing Europe (ASPA) is threefold.

  1. The first aim is to get insight on the influence of organisational behaviour, organisational and public policies on the use of senior potential (men and women) over fifty.
  2. The second aim is to get insight into activity rates of people between 50 and 70, both in paid labour and unpaid activities (in particular care and volunteer work), related to policies with respect to human capital investments over the life course.
  3. To identify policy strategies for organisations (firms and civil society organisations) and governments to stimulate the participation of older adults and secure human capital investments over the life course based on a comparison of different national strategies and good practices at the organisational level.

The consortium underlying this research project includes research groups from different European countries: The United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands. Together the partners involved in the consortium cover different types of welfare state regimes as distinguished by Esping Andersen (1990): Sweden and Denmark stand for the social-democratic welfare state, the United Kingdom stands for the liberal welfare state, the Netherlands, Germany and France stand for the continental/conservative welfare state. As several authors – including

Esping Andersen in his later work – also distinguishes a fourth category, the Mediterranean type of welfare state, we also included a partner from Italy in our consortium. Finally, Poland represents the ‘new’ EU-member States that have accessed the European Union after the break down of the communist regimes from Eastern Europe. Having countries belonging to different types of welfare states is relevant from the point of view that we analyse government policies and the relation between government policies and organisational policies.

Over the years many studies have focused on different aspects on the ageing processes in Europe. These studies have resulted in a number of important insights. Yet there are still many gaps left in our knowledge. ASPA tries to fill this void on these issues. We elaborate on these issues below.

We know governments across Europe aim at higher labour market participation of older workers. From some country studies we know that there is a gap between macro level aims and everyday practice within organizations. Employers in Europe differ widely in the perception of the sense of urgency regarding the ageing of the workforce and making use of older workers. We do not know what lies behind the country differences in this respect and why employers within countries differ so strongly in their perceptions of the demographic challenges ahead. ASPA will provide a detailed picture of the diversity of Employers opinions on the urgency and the consequences of the ageing process and an understanding of the main determinants of this diversity.

We know that there is a huge diversity within and between European countries in the way employers deal with an aging workforce. Where in some countries the emphasis is on policies that spare older workers (more rights less duties), in other countries older workers are not given a special position and have to compete on equal term with younger generation. We also know that protection make older workers more expensive and for many employers less attractive, while on the other side without protection older workers are at risk to end up in marginal jobs (low income, low security, low opportunity for development and maintaining skills). We don’t know how successful there policies are? We even don’t know why organisation put emphasis on more protective or more competitive measures. Though incidentally best practices are being identified it is unclear whether and if so, how other organisations learn form these practices. And if they do not, why not? ASPA will compare the different position of older adults’ labour market participation and social inclusion in society and relate this to the mix of social protection and competition chosen in different member states, resulting in a guide that can be used by governments and organisations developing an optimal mix.

We know that rapid technological development is the most important factor in productivity growth in developed economies. Technological developments increase the demand for continuous human capital investment to counter increasing depreciation rates. We also know that employers and trade unions underscore the importance of employability and that it is generally assumed that training provided by employers is the key to maintaining employability. We do not know what how import this kind of training actually is for different age categories and jobs. Recent research from the Netherlands suggests that employer provided training is only a small part of the story. Workers update their skills in multiple ways in which self management (learning by doing) is the key. We do not know either how these skills are being and can be used (after retirement) outside the labour market in different domains of life. Moreover, we do not know how activities in unpaid labour contribute to the maintenance and development of skills and competencies. ASPA will study how important different ways of development of skills are, in particular for older adults and how governments and organisations can facilitate human capital accumulation throughout the life course and the use of these skills.

We know that globalisation and European integration offer great opportunities for European competitiveness. The forces of globalisation and integration affect European countries differently. As a result one can expect a constant reallocation of production and labour within organisations but also within and between countries. This requires a greater flexibility of organisations and the workforce and it confronts all participants involved with greater uncertainty. We don’t know what the influence of these developments is for the position of older workers in the different countries is, in particular in countries where older adults show low job mobility. In some countries, sectors or organisations they may be the backbone of an economy witnessing labour emigration. Elsewhere older workers may be much more at risk because of increasing labour immigration. ASPA will investigate the differential impact of these developments for the European labour market. In particular when, where and under what circumstances globalisation and European integration is an opportunity or a barrier for older adults inclusion in the workforce and society.

We know that as a result of recent reforms workers in both Eastern and Western European expect to withdraw from the labour market at a higher age than the effective retirement age currently is. This may be interpreted as an evidence for the awareness of the impacts of pension reforms. We also know that increasing numbers of older adults experience becoming a member of a four generation family. It is no longer an exception that adults around their retirement age are involved in care for their own parents as well in care for their grandchildren. We don’t know how this demographic change and the increasing participation in the paid labour market affects the participation of older adults in unpaid labour, especially in societies where female participation rates increase sharply at higher ages. We also do not know how this will affect the different types of activities (e.g. informal care less than voluntary work). ASPA will provide insights into the nexus between participation in the paid labour market and participation in care responsibilities and voluntary work in different European settings, by gender and for different educational categories.

We know that within European labour markets and within organisations there are still many differences between male and female workers, for instance with respect to pay, career and the jobs they hold (segregation). We also know that the burden of additional need for care in four generation families will primarily be on the shoulders of women who also have ambitions in the formal labour market. We don’t know how gender differences will develop as the ageing process will unfold and will increasingly affect the female workforce. ASPA will address the gender dimension in each of the before mentioned issues, including the – relatively new - problem of a double burden (the combination of work and care tasks) and being confronted with possible double discrimination (as a female and as an older person).

Multiple methods are used and combined: survey studies, organisational case-studies, desk research, interviews, expert meetings, focus group meetings, comparative research, scenario analysis and policy

analyses.