Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University
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Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University

Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University

jacobs.university.de
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11.03.2014 Views

Firm PL-14 Man. of Transport Equipment 510 n.s. (43% aged 40+) Firm PL-15 Man. of Transport Equipment 521 21.1% at age 51+ 40.7 years – women, Firm PL-16 Man. of Food Products and Beverages 42 years (2004) Limited liab. comp.; private ownership* 38.2 years - men Limited liability company, private ownership* 215 22.8% at age 51+ n.s. Stock corporation; private ownership Firm PL-17 Electricity, Gas a. Water Supply 783 26.5% at age 51+ ca. 45 years (2004) Stock corporation, mixed private/public* Source: corporate data; GUS 2005, 2007 * = less than -1% employment decline, resp. below +1% employment growth positive No (but in 2002-03) HRM, factory tour; TU refused slightly positive* Yes (seasonal adjustments HRM/TU slightly negative* No (only till 2002) HRM/TU negative Yes HRM/TU 167

4.3.2. Overall human resource management strategy In this section, I will describe the general direction of personnel policies with regard to older workers in Polish firms. I will describe how Polish companies react to demographic ageing, whether some of them have a strategic orientation in HRM and how the transition of the Polish economy and subsequent privatisation has changed personnel policy. I will start with the definition of ´older workers´ applied by the interviewees in company practice, and report which faults or virtues the interviewees associated with that group of workers. Most firm experts define older workers by their calendar age; the age thresholds ranges from 40, through 45, 50, and 55 to 60. Other definitions centred on the tenure of workers, ranging from 15 years – which is in line with the legislative requirement when applying for early retirement pension available to persons who have worked on health-harming workplaces – to 30 years. Several persons understood older workers as carriers of firmspecific know-how. Quite often, the interviewees defined older workers in relation to requirements at the workplaces in their firm – in terms of job-specific productivity of which they observe older workers to fall short, or in terms of harmful working conditions which cause early wear and tear and make a worker age quicker. The interviewees argued in terms of declining productivity of older workers and their shortened period of ´usability´. That was most evidently expressed by the personnel manager from a metal- and machine-manufacturing company: “If one takes into account the conditions in which he works, and the effort connected with his work, possibly harmful factors at those workplaces, then that age limit is lower, it is lower – I mean here the chances of deploying a manufacturing worker” (Firm PL-6_HRM). In this argument, two points deserve more attention. Firstly, the deterioration of health and the declining usefulness for the firm is seen at the same time as an process internal to the firm (as happening at certain harmful workplaces) and external to it (as seemingly inevitable and which cannot be prevented by the firm). Secondly, it was an argument starkly in line with the labelling approach which states that older workers are assigned generalised opinions about their declining performance (Kohli et al. 1983: 27-8) and with the neo-classical labour market theory based on the deficit thesis of old age (Soltwedel/Spinanger 1976: 276). The negative opinions about older workers were more pronounced than in the case of Germany (see section 4.2.2.), and age-related problems were placed in the opinion of Polish interviewees to a greater extent beyond the sphere of influence of the company. 168

Firm PL-14 Man. of Transport Equipment 510 n.s.<br />

(43% aged 40+)<br />

Firm PL-15 Man. of Transport Equipment 521 21.1% at age 51+ 40.7 years –<br />

women,<br />

Firm PL-16 Man. of Food Products and<br />

Beverages<br />

42 years (2004) Limited liab. comp.;<br />

private ownership*<br />

38.2 years - men<br />

Limited liability<br />

company, private<br />

ownership*<br />

215 22.8% at age 51+ n.s. Stock corporation;<br />

private ownership<br />

Firm PL-17 Electricity, Gas a. Water Supply 783 26.5% at age 51+ ca. 45 years (2004) Stock corporation, mixed<br />

private/public*<br />

Source: corporate data; GUS 2005, 2007<br />

* = less than -1% employment decline, resp. below +1% employment growth<br />

positive No (but in 2002-03) HRM, factory tour;<br />

TU refused<br />

slightly positive* Yes (seasonal<br />

adjustments<br />

HRM/TU<br />

slightly negative* No (only till 2002) HRM/TU<br />

negative Yes HRM/TU<br />

167

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