Finding ways to enhance job performance. Are age and job involvement influential factors?

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/HRMID-03-2023-0063
• Published date: 05 May 2023
• Date: 05 May 2023
• Pages: 40-42
• Subject Matter: HR & organizational behaviour,Human resource policy,Employee welfare

Finding ways to enhance job performance

Are age and job involvement influential factors?

Job satisfaction and its effects

Considerable importance is attached to job satisfaction (JS) by practitioners and academics

alike. JS is deemed to broadly reflect an employee’s general attitude towards his or her job.

When high levels prevail, a variety of desirable outcomes become more attainable. Positive

impact on work quality, output and overall performance are among those commonly reported.

On the downside, those who are dissatisfied with their jobs are typically lethargic and have

issues with punctuality and absence. Such individuals are also likelier to leave the organization.

Many companies view JS as a key performance indicator. The rationale here is that a

positive attitude towards work helps to increase commitment and performance levels.

Another argument is that performance influences satisfaction. This can occur when an

employee receives intrinsic and/or extrinsic rewards for performing well. Recognition and

financial rewards are respective examples.

The task would appear to be fairly straightforward. Create a positive work environment in

which employees feel appreciated and content. Production is boostedaccordingly. If only it

was that simple though. Overall evidence about the direct relationship between JS and

performance remains somewhatmixed.

Does age matter?

Age and job involvement are among other factors with scope to influence how an individual

employee performs at work. But studies exploring the impact of these variables have

proved similarly inconclusive. For instance, different scholars have found no link between

age and job performance. This adds weight to the aging workforce model which contends

that older workers are equally productiveas younger ones.

Some go further and believethat older employees actually perform better than their younger

counterparts. Research shows that contrasts in performance can occur when employees

engage in intrapreneurial activities. Emotional intelligence is also cited in support of this

claim. Specifically, higher levels of emotional stability typical in older workers could mean

they expend more effort to perform better. Generational differences in such as motivation

and work ethic might have some bearing too.

However, other theorists beg to differ. The crux of their argument is that certain capabilities

decline with age and performance is negatively affected. Some suggest an age exists

where output reaches its optimumlevel before starting to wane.

Several studies show that JS increases with age. In certain cases, this applied to both

intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction. It is possible that other variables might contribute to the

age-JS relationship. Personal growth, job security, work-life balance and the working

environment are among “happinessfactors” found to be influenced by age.

PAGE 40 jHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL DIGEST jVOL. 31 NO. 4 2023, pp. 40-42, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 0967-0734 DOI 10.1108/HRMID-03-2023-0063