Attitudes towards Older People and Managers' Intention to Hire Older Workers: A Taiwanese Study

The aim of this research was to examine attitudinal barriers to the managerial intention to hire older workers (aged 60 and above). Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of managers with hiring power (N = 305). We found that (a) positive attitudes towards older people in general, perceived subjective norm, personal experiences with older people, and traditional Chinese cultural values were all related to stronger intentions to hire older workers; (b) among competing structural models, the expanded model adding personal experiences to the theory of reasoned action emerged to be the best one accounting for hiring intention. The associations of positive attitudes and subjective norm with intention were found after controlling for demographics, organizational characteristics, cultural values, and personal contact experiences with older people. Our results highlight the importance and urgency of more concerted research to inform public and organizational policies to better promote and manage the careers of older workers in an ageing developing society. (Contains 3 tables.)