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A sustainable career perspective of work ability : the importance of resources across the lifespan

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Abstract
In this study, we examine employees' perceptions of their work ability from a sustainable career perspective. Specifically, we investigate the role of a person's perceived current fit (i.e., autonomy, strengths use and needs-supply fit), and future fit with their job as resources that affect perceived work ability, defined as the extent to which employees feel capable of continuing their current work over a longer time period. In addition, we test whether meaningfulness of one's work mediates this relationship, and we address the moderating role of age. Our hypotheses were tested using a sample of 5205 employees working in diverse sectors in Belgium. The results of multi-group Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) provide mixed evidence for our hypotheses. While all four resources were significantly and positively related to perceived meaningfulness, only needs-supply fit was positively related to perceived work ability. Strengths use, on the other hand, was also significantly related to perceived work ability, yet in a negative way. These findings underscore the importance of distinguishing between several types of resources to understand their impact upon perceived work ability. Interestingly, the relationship between future-orientedness of the job and perceived work ability was moderated by age, with the relationship only being significant and positive for middle-aged and senior workers. This suggests an increasingly important role of having a perspective of future fit with one's job as employees grow older. Contrary to our expectations, meaningfulness did not mediate the relationships between resources and perceived work ability. We discuss these findings and their implications from the perspective of sustainable career development.
Keywords
perceived work ability, meaningfulness of work, perceived fit with current job, future-orientedness of the job, sustainable careers, age, MEANINGFUL WORK, OCCUPATIONAL-HEALTH, SELF-DETERMINATION, OLDER WORKERS, JOB DEMANDS, EMPLOYEES, AGE, EMPLOYABILITY, COMPENSATION, OPTIMIZATION

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MLA
Stuer, David, et al. “A Sustainable Career Perspective of Work Ability : The Importance of Resources across the Lifespan.” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, vol. 16, no. 14, 2019, doi:10.3390/ijerph16142572.
APA
Stuer, D., De Vos, A., van der Heijden, B., & Akkermans, J. (2019). A sustainable career perspective of work ability : the importance of resources across the lifespan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, 16(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142572
Chicago author-date
Stuer, David, Ans De Vos, Beatrice van der Heijden, and Jos Akkermans. 2019. “A Sustainable Career Perspective of Work Ability : The Importance of Resources across the Lifespan.” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 16 (14). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142572.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Stuer, David, Ans De Vos, Beatrice van der Heijden, and Jos Akkermans. 2019. “A Sustainable Career Perspective of Work Ability : The Importance of Resources across the Lifespan.” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 16 (14). doi:10.3390/ijerph16142572.
Vancouver
1.
Stuer D, De Vos A, van der Heijden B, Akkermans J. A sustainable career perspective of work ability : the importance of resources across the lifespan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH. 2019;16(14).
IEEE
[1]
D. Stuer, A. De Vos, B. van der Heijden, and J. Akkermans, “A sustainable career perspective of work ability : the importance of resources across the lifespan,” INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, vol. 16, no. 14, 2019.
@article{8650997,
  abstract     = {{In this study, we examine employees' perceptions of their work ability from a sustainable career perspective. Specifically, we investigate the role of a person's perceived current fit (i.e., autonomy, strengths use and needs-supply fit), and future fit with their job as resources that affect perceived work ability, defined as the extent to which employees feel capable of continuing their current work over a longer time period. In addition, we test whether meaningfulness of one's work mediates this relationship, and we address the moderating role of age. Our hypotheses were tested using a sample of 5205 employees working in diverse sectors in Belgium. The results of multi-group Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) provide mixed evidence for our hypotheses. While all four resources were significantly and positively related to perceived meaningfulness, only needs-supply fit was positively related to perceived work ability. Strengths use, on the other hand, was also significantly related to perceived work ability, yet in a negative way. These findings underscore the importance of distinguishing between several types of resources to understand their impact upon perceived work ability. Interestingly, the relationship between future-orientedness of the job and perceived work ability was moderated by age, with the relationship only being significant and positive for middle-aged and senior workers. This suggests an increasingly important role of having a perspective of future fit with one's job as employees grow older. Contrary to our expectations, meaningfulness did not mediate the relationships between resources and perceived work ability. We discuss these findings and their implications from the perspective of sustainable career development.}},
  articleno    = {{2572}},
  author       = {{Stuer, David and De Vos, Ans and van der Heijden, Beatrice and Akkermans, Jos}},
  issn         = {{1661-7827}},
  journal      = {{INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH}},
  keywords     = {{perceived work ability,meaningfulness of work,perceived fit with current job,future-orientedness of the job,sustainable careers,age,MEANINGFUL WORK,OCCUPATIONAL-HEALTH,SELF-DETERMINATION,OLDER WORKERS,JOB DEMANDS,EMPLOYEES,AGE,EMPLOYABILITY,COMPENSATION,OPTIMIZATION}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{14}},
  pages        = {{19}},
  title        = {{A sustainable career perspective of work ability : the importance of resources across the lifespan}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16142572}},
  volume       = {{16}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}

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