Career and Lifetime Development Revisited Jo G.L. Thijssen professor of Strategic Human Resource Management Utrecht University, Utrecht (The Netherlands) Tonette S. Rocco associate professor of Adult Education and Human Resource Development Florida International University, Miami, Florida (U.S.A.)

Purpose  is to provide an overview of issues at the macro, meso, and micro levels from both European and USA perspectives.

Introduction - Traditions  Retirement age – 65  early or on time retirement  downsizing and restructuring as cost savings measures  Deficiency hypothesis  Traditions are fixed in managers’ and workers’ minds  Ageism

Trends  Early retirement incentives to create openings for lower paid younger workers  Restructuring and lay offs  Gov’t and policy experts warn of worker shortages  Inconsistent national policies  Mixed messages at all levels  Older workers living longer active aging choose second careers become entrepreneurs

Macro Policy  In USA Federal policy weak, States vary  Legislation based on anti discrimination (individual rights issue)  Little national support mostly rhetoric  Increasing eligibility age for social security

Macro policy  In EU & US empirical studies verify continuous development of skills, older workers reliable and effective but with decreased speed  EU countries vary in measures to encourage working longer;

Issues  Demographic shifts  Legal and illegal immigration of younger workers

Meso Policy  Downsizing – early retirement encouraged  Ageism – deficiency hypothesis strong  Flexible work arrangements - Older workers with high levels of education and status within the organization

Employability Solutions  Deficient hypothesis encourages: Replacement strategy Support Strategy  Worker shortage/capability hypothesis Blocking strategy Development strategy

Micro Level  Line managers Can work against retention policies Biased evaluations of older worker performance Discourage training and education

 Older workers Disengagement theory Activity theory Pull Factors Push Factors Remain working

Employability  Cognition declines occur in 60s or later  Lifelong learning improves health  Reductions in flexibility Discouraged or excluded from training  Experience concentration theory