Essays on the integration and implementation of a demographically oriented human resource management

Abstract

The current demographic developments in the Western world lead to a shrinking labor supply and an aging workforce. In order to cope with these changes, organizations need to find ways to maintain the motivation, commitment and productivity of older workers. Accordingly, there is an increasing body of literature that shows that organizations can address the challenges associated with demographic change through the use of age-appropriate human resource (HR) practices. However, even though research in the realm of strategic human resource management (SHRM) suggests that the effectiveness of these practices is significantly influenced by their integration into wider HR systems and implementation on the operational level, few studies have explored drivers of and barriers to a demographically oriented HRM. The aim of this dissertation is to address this gap and explore if and how HR-practices associated with demographic change are integrated and implemented. It consists of three individual research articles. The first article, a conceptual paper, builds on the concept of the psychological contract to develop a typology regarding the influence of SHRM on employees’ perceptions and reactions. It thereby contributes to a more holistic understanding of the way the integration, implementation and communication of HR-practices influence their effectiveness. The remaining two papers draw on a multiple case study conducted in four German organizations to provide deeper insights into the implementation and integration of demographically orientated HR-practices. Specifically, the second paper explores how the physical, social and task contexts influence the implementation effectiveness of these practices. Finally, the third paper explores how internal dynamics influence the fit and adaption of HR systems to demographic change. Together, these findings contribute to a more holistic and nuanced understanding of the way in which practices relating to demographic change are implemented and integrated. In addition, this dissertation helps to connect findings regarding demographically oriented HRM to the SHRM literature.