Ageism and Young Workers’ Experiences Regarding the Content and Forms of Learning with Their Managers

Abstract

In recent decades, population aging has emerged as a global phenomenon, making ageism in organizational settings a relevant topic of research. As the workforce ages, learning processes and generational differences have become significant challenges for organizations. Despite growing interest in the subject, intergenerational learning in the workplace remains a relatively recent and underexplored field in the literature. In this context, the main objective of this study is to understand how the perception of ageism may have implications for the content and the ways in which younger workers learn from their managers aged over 35. A qualitative research approach was adopted, based on 13 in-depth interviews with young workers employed in organizations from different sectors and occupational roles. Data analysis followed the six stages proposed by Creswell (2009), from which categories related to age stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination, as well as the content, forms, and preferences of young workers’ learning emerged. The results indicate that ageism partially influenced both the content and the form of learning, as positive and negative stereotypes associated with older workers affected the learning process in the relationship between young employees and their managers. It is concluded that understanding these perceptions may contribute to the development of more effective intergenerational learning practices in organizational contexts