How to sustain a competent and committed aging workforce: The age-differential effects of development human resource practices

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to reveal the nonlinear moderating effect of age on the inverted U-shaped relationship between perceived development human resource practices (DHRPs) and work-related learning with affective commitment being the mediator. Design/methodology/approach Regression models combined with the bootstrap method and multigroup analysis, and two-wave survey data from 780 Chinese employees were used to test hypotheses. Findings The results revealed that perceived DHRPs related to affective commitment in an inverted U pattern and affective commitment further related to work-related learning positively, which resulted in an inverted U-shaped relationship between perceived DHRPs and work-related learning. Age moderated the nature of the relationships between perceived DHRPs and both the outcomes, such that they were related negatively among younger employees but inverted U-shaped among older employees. Originality/value This study reveals inverted U-shaped rather than linear relationships between perceived DHRPs and employee outcomes and shows that age moderates the nature instead of the strength of the relationships.

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