Investigating the links between resilience, perceived HRM practices, and retirement intentions
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-02-2018-0011 |
| Published date | 01 April 2019 |
| Date | 01 April 2019 |
| Pages | 75-92 |
| Author | Hanna Salminen,Mikaela von Bonsdorff,Monika von Bonsdorff |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
Investigating the links
between resilience,
perceived HRM practices, and
retirement intentions
Hanna Salminen
Faculty of Management, Tampereen yliopisto Johtamistieteiden laitos,
Tampere, Finland, and
Mikaela von Bonsdorff and Monika von Bonsdorff
Gerontology Research Centre, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
Abstract
Purpose –Human resource management (HRM) scholars’interest in older employees’resilience has only
recently started to emerge. Little is known about how resilience and perceived HRM are linked to different
retirement intentions. Drawing on the conservation of resources and social exchange theories, the purpose of
this paper is to investigate the links between perceived HRM practices, resilience and retirement intentions.
Additionally, the paper examines the possible mediating role of resilience in the relationship between
perceived HRM practices and retirement intentions.
Design/methodology/approach –In 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted among older (50+)
nursing professionals working in a Finnish university hospital. Statistical methods, including mean
comparisons and linear and logistic regression analyses, were used to analyze the data.
Findings –The results indicate d that resilience part ly mediated the relat ionship between perc eived
HRM practices and early re tirement intentions, and fully med iated the association between perc eived HRM
practices and intenti ons to continue working after retirement age.
Originality/value –This study produces new knowledge regarding the links between resilience, perceived
High involvement work practices and retirement intentions.
Keywords Finland, Resilience, Healthcare, HRM, Older employees, Retirement intentions
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Dynamic and turbulent working environments require resilience not only from individual
employees, but also from groups and organizations (Britt et al., 2016; King et al., 2016).
Resilience describes an individual’s ability to recover from life’s hardships (Bardoel et al.,
2014, p. 280). In a work context, this can mean an individual’s ability to adapt to changes
and bear uncertainties (Shin et al., 2012). Organizations, on the other hand, may encounter
environmental challenges, terrorist attacks and financial setbacks (Linnenluecke, 2017, p. 4).
One of the current megatrends influencing working life is population aging (Sonnet et al.,
2014). In many countries, there is continuing pressure to increase the official retirement age
and prevent individuals from exiting working life early (Sonnet et al., 2014). In Finland, the
pension reform act enacted at the beginning of 2017 aims to gradually increase the
retirement age of employees due to increasing life expectancy (www.tyoelake.fi/en/).
Context of the study
Evidence indicates that older employees continue to worklonger in many countries (Pensions
at a Glance, 2017). In Finland, more employees than ever are considering working after the
official retirement age (Tenhunen, 2017). However, the increasing official retirement age,
together withchallenges faced in workingand private life, can be burdensome(Brandan et al.,
2013/2014). In working life, age discrimination can negatively influence older employees’
Evidence-based HRM: a Global
Forum for Empirical Scholarship
Vol. 7 No. 1, 2019
pp. 75-92
© Emerald PublishingLimited
2049-3983
DOI 10.1108/EBHRM-02-2018-0011
Received 12 February 2018
Revised 18 June 2018
13 September 2018
30 October 2018
Accepted 8 November 2018
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2049-3983.htm
75
Investigating
the links
willingness to continue working, “pushing”them into early retirement (Bayl-Smith and
Griffin, 2014, p. 589), as can changing workdemands (Sterns and Dawson, 2012).Adversities
faced outsideworking life may includeillness or injury (Sterns andDawson, 2012) or the death
of a loved one (Smith and Hayslip, 2012). Resilience is an important attribute that enables
individuals to cope with adversities (Britt et al., 2016), including uncertainties related to
contemporary careers (Lyons et al., 2015) and the current turbulent working environment
(Bardoel et al., 2014;Luthans et al., 2006). Consequently, itcan be posited that resilience could
enhance older employees’abilities to cope with the challenges faced in later life (Sterns and
Dawson, 2012; Brandan et al., 2013/2014).
Research objectives and expected contribution
The global scarcity of nursing professionals and the growing need for healthcare services
because of the greying society highlight the need to retain older nursing professionals in the
workforce as long as possible (Armstrong-Stassen et al., 2015). Relying on a resource
approach regarding retirement (see Wang, 2007), this study investigates how perceived
human resource management (HRM) practices and resilience, as organizational and
individual resources, are associated with different retirement intentions among older (50+)
nursing professionals. The contribution of this study is threefold. First, it investigates the
linkage between perceived HRM practices and employee resilience, thereby contributing to
the HRM field, where studies focusing on employees’resilience have just started to emerge
(Bardoel et al., 2014; Cooke et al., 2016). Second, this study investigates the association of
resilience with older employees’retirement intentions. Although several positive issues are
associated with employee resilience, such as emotional stability (Bonanno et al., 2007) and
performance (see Luthans et al., 2005, 2006), few studies focus on the significance of
resilience for older employees’retirement intentions. Consequently, this study contributes to
the growing academic inquiry into the attitudinal and behavioral outcomes of employee
resilience (King et al., 2016). Third, this study investigates the possible mediating role of
employee resilience in the relationship between perceived HRM practices and retirement
intentions. Thus far, only a few HRM studies have investigated this matter (Cooke et al.,
2016; Shin et al., 2012).
Concepts of the study
The definitions and operationalizations of resilience vary (Linnenluecke, 2017; Britt et al.,
2016). In general, resilience is described as an individual’s ability to “bounce back”under
difficult circumstances (Smith and Hayslip, 2012, p. 5). In practice, this may mean an
individual’sability to avoid burnout or depression during an adverselife situation (Chen et al.,
2015, p. 96). In other words, resilience describes an individual’s ability to maintain one’s
functioning as well as recover from adverse life events (Hardy et al., 2004).
Resilience has two components: psychological and behavioral (Chen et al., 2015).
The former refers to mental well-being, whereas the latter relates to how an individual
functions in adverse situations (Chen et al., 2015). Similarly, Britt et al. (2016, p. 378)
distinguishbetween the capacity and the demonstration of resilience. The former refersto the
ability to adapt to adverse situations positively. As an individual-level ability, resilience is a
part of an individual’s psychological capital (PsyCap) and is a resource that can be further
developed (Britt et al., 2016). For example, personal, familial, community and organizational
factors can provide an individual with resources for resilience (Britt et al., 2016, p. 380).
The demonstration of resilience,on the other hand, describes how an individual has been able
to adapt to an adverse situation (Britt et al., 2016). The demonstration of resilience has been
measured in empirical studies by investigating an individual’s mental health afteran adverse
event (Britt et al., 2016; Bonanno et al., 2007). Yet, different researchers hold diverse views
regardingwhether resilience means only theability to recover from difficultevents or if it also
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