Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University

I made out some forms of irrational behaviour of firms in view of the ageing workforce.
By releasing older workers via the early retirement scheme before the raising of retirement
ages (at the end of 2003), some firm experts admitted that they lost valuable potential and
firm-specific knowledge. That shows that firms respond not only to structural factors
(changes on the market and labour market) but that also institutions (e.g. the institution of
ATZ) shape there behaviour even if it does not serve utility maximisation (Meyer/Rowan
1977: 350ff). The change in older workers´ capabilities (Lehr 2000; Naegele 1992) did not
play a role in this case as both the management and the works council members saw the
released older workers as know-how carriers.
Another interesting result from my German firm case studies is the continuing divide
between blue-collar and white-collar workers with regard to the opportunities to prolong
working life. On the one hand, that is due to the differing accentuation in the interviews of
the problems and chances of blue-collar workers by the works council, and of white-collar
workers by the management. But on the other hand, representative data proves different
burdens of those two occupational groups on average, resulting in earlier retirement and a
higher take-up rate of disability pensions by blue-collar workers (Henke 2000: 205; Ebert
2007: 139).
On the basis of evidence from previous sub-sections, the 14 German firms in the sample
can be arranged into types along the two dimensions ´muddling through´ vs. ´age
management strategy´ and ´externalisation vs. internalisation´ (Table 19). For information
on the allocation criteria to each of these categories, see Annex C.
Table 19: German firm typology
degree of integration of older
workers
stage of
development of HRM
strategy
age management strategy
internalisation
medium-internalising
position
Firm DE-13, Firm DE-10 Firm DE-7
rather strategic orientation Firm DE-12* Firm DE-3
rather reactive orientation
´muddling through´
Firm DE-1, Firm DE-2,
Firm DE-4
medium-externalising
position
Firm DE-14
Firm DE-6, Firm DE-9,
Firm DE-11
externalisation
* = based on one interview only
Firm DE-5 and Firm DE-8 were not included in the analysis due to scarce material.
The cells in grey denote ´good practice´ companies.
Pearson Correlation between the variables ´degree of integration of older workers´ and ´stage of
development of HRM strategy´– 0,130, p = 0,687.
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