Thesis
English
ID: <
10670/1.vku34o>
Abstract
Like other Western European countries, the Netherlands has witnessed an increase in the average age of its working population. Since a few years these changes have incited the Dutch government to review the taxation of private early retirement schemes and to push back the legal retirement age. At the same time companies are asking employees to be ever more employable, so that they can compensate for the loss of lifelong employment security. Although there are many stereotypes about the motivation and capabilities of older workers, these employees will now have to work longer and are more likely to change jobs and to continue developing themselves.The goal of this study was to examine how the contents of the employer-employee relationship, conceptualized through the psychological contract, influence two employability-related career intentions for a sample of employees aged 45-55 and active on the Dutch labor market. A second goal was to study how stereotypes influence this relationship.Our research model was realized through a quantitative study in which almost 1100 employees participated. We found that deficient/excess inducements and the level of fulfilment of specific psychological contract dimensions had different relationships with the career intentions of participants and that the seeing oneself as an older worker had a moderating effect on some of these relationships.