A study of inclusive supervisory behaviors, workplace social inclusion and turnover intention in the context of employee age
| Date | 13 February 2025 |
| Pages | 1-23 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-04-2024-0252 |
| Published date | 13 February 2025 |
| Author | Muhammad Ali,Marzena Baker,Mirit K. Grabarski,Ranjita Islam |
A study of inclusive supervisory
behaviors, workplace social inclusion
and turnover intention in the context
of employee age
Muhammad Ali
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Marzena Baker
Peter Faber Business School, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia
Mirit K. Grabarski
Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Canada, and
Ranjita Islam
Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Abstract
Purpose –The Australian retail industry is facing skills shortages while mature and old-age workers are
experiencing high unemployment rates. This study focuses on understanding organizational inclusion and
turnover intentions in the context of employee age.
Design/methodology/approach –Survey data were collected from 502 retail supervisors and employees.
Findings –Drawing on socioemotional selectivity theory and social exchange theory, the findings indicate: no
difference in inclusive supervisory behaviors perceptions for different age groups; a significantly higher
workplace social inclusion perceptions among employees aged 55 plus than among employees aged 35–44; a
significantly lower turnover intention among employees aged 55 plus and 45–54 years than other age groups; a
positive relationship between inclusive supervisory behaviors and workplace social inclusion and a negative
relationship between workplace social inclusion and turnover intention which was stronger for older employees
than for younger employees.
Practical implications –The findings present a business case for hiring older employees and indicate that
managers need to prioritize inclusion.
Originality/value –This study addresses the underexplored area of employee age differences in inclusion and
turnover perceptions among retail employees. It links inclusive supervisory behaviors, social inclusion and
turnover intention.
Keywords Inclusive supervisory behaviors, Social inclusion, Turnover intention, Employee age, Retail
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The Australian retail industry is one of the largest employers in the country, providing 9% of
the overall jobs, with 33% of its employees aged between 15 and 24 (National Careers
Institute, 2023). The industry is suffering from high turnover and worker shortages (Linchpin,
2021). In addition to older employees being more loyal and less likely to turnover (Ali and
French, 2019;Ng and Feldman, 2010), they can provide unique insights into the preferences of
Employee
Relations: The
International
Journal
1
© Muhammad Ali, Marzena Baker, Mirit K. Grabarski and Ranjita Islam. Published by Emerald
Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0)
licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both
commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and
authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/
legalcode
The authors thank the Australian Retailers Association for funding this research.
Ethics declaration: Human Ethics approval number 4437 was received from Queensland University
of Technology Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0142-5455.htm
Received 29 April 2024
Revised 6 October 2024
22 December 2024
Accepted 7 January 2025
EmployeeRelations: The International
Journal
Vol.47 No. 9, 2025
pp.1-23
EmeraldPublishing Limited
e-ISSN:1758-7069
p-ISSN:0142-5455
DOI10.1108/ER-04-2024-0252
the aged customer segment and improve customer satisfaction (Emsley, 2020). However,
discrimination based on age or ageism, while officially prohibited, still exists (Drazic and
Schermuly, 2023).Although the term “aged” is usually used for people above the age of 60, in
the labor market, people aged 45 or above are considered mature-aged. Given the changes in
the workforce, it is important to understand that the younger segment (under the age of 45) is
shrinking. Thus, mature-aged workers are key to economic productivity (Dunsby, 2021).
Past studies on employee age focused mostly on stereotypes and discrimination (e.g.
Cebola et al., 2021;Lyons and Kuron, 2014), organizational age-related human resource
practices (e.g. Ali and French, 2019) and outcomes of age diversity for organizations (e.g. Ali
et al., 2014;Kooij et al., 2010) and individuals (e.g. Hamouche and Parent-Lamarche, 2023;
Matagi et al., 2022;Rabl and del Carmen Triana, 2014). Specifically,in the context of the retail
industry, only a few studies focused on older employees. For example, James et al. (2011)
reported that older employees demonstrate higher workplace engagement compared to
younger employees. Johnson et al. (2013) argued older employees have advantages in the
retail industry, as they experience less customer-related stress and subsequent burnout.
Schr€
oder et al.’s (2014) qualitative findings indicate retail organizational in the UK and
Germany are realizing the benefits of older employees and thus are hiring candidates from
these age groups.
Inclusion is an essential component that enables employees to fully participate in the work
process and harness the advantages of workforce diversity (Dhanani et al., 2024;Mor Barak,
2015;Shore et al., 2018). It is particularly important for employee groups that face a high risk
of negative experiences at the workplace, such as older employees, who may feel less safe and
less respected by their younger co-workers (Teo et al., 2022). Emphasizing inclusion, we aim
to shed light on inclusive supervisory behaviors, workplace social inclusion and turnover
intention in the context of employee age. To achieve this, we conducted a quantitative study
that focuses on understanding the employee perspective on inclusion and its consequences.
Specifically, we integrate socioemotional selectivity theory (Carstensen, 1992,1998) and
social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) to study how inclusive supervisory behaviors lead to
workplace social inclusion, which results in decreased turnover intentions in the context of age
diversity (see Figure 1).
Australian context and insights into the retail industry
In Australia, the Age Discrimination Act 2004, in conjunction with the Fair Work Act 2009,
plays a critical role in prohibiting age discrimination in employment, promoting equal
opportunities and ensuring equitable treatment across all age groups by establishing
comprehensive employment terms and delineating the rights and responsibilities of employees
Employee Age
Inclusive Supervisory
Behaviors Turnover Intention
Workplace Social
Inclusion
Source(s): Created by authors
Figure 1. Research framework
ER
47,9
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