Um estudo sobre o etarismo nas organizações

Abstract

The aging workforce is an inexorable social phenomenon that emerges in the organizational setting, suggesting expand opportunities for older professionals. International studies show that few organizations consider professionals over 45 years old as targets either for selection or career development purposes. In Brazil there are still few studies focused on age diversity. The objective of this study was to understand the phenomenon of ageism at work from the over 45 years old unemployed manager standpoint. A qualitative study was made having as sample eighteen professionals over 45 years old, who used to work at managerial level who were seeking placement in a timeframe from two months to one year. The semi-structured interviews were analyzed with a qualitative content analysis approach based on significant open issues categorization. Data analysis generated five categories that allowed us to understand how the ageism appeared for the respondents, in a professional context: (1) Career Path; (2) Facing the reality of the selection process; (3) Training and Development; (4) Is there an adequate age?; (5) Effects of ageism in personal life. The phenomenon of ageism, while providing profound consequences, is not always clear for the ones subjected to it. The results direct to the need for specific interventions because, contrary to what occurs with racial or gender diversity, initiatives to increase the age diversity in organizations are rarely undertaken.