Abstract:
The aging of the European population is a demographic trend
reflected in the ever-growing number of older employees. This paper introduces the
importance of motivation and satisfaction in the workplace among age diverse
employees in Slovenian companies. Objectives: The goal is to investigate the
differences between the motivation and satisfaction of employees from different
age groups in the workplace. Methods/Approach: The paper is based on research
including a survey of two age groups of employees in Slovenia. We employed the
Mann-Whitney U test to verify differences in the motivation and satisfaction in the
workplace between the two groups. Results: Older employees are more motivated
by flexibility in the workplace; autonomy at work; good interpersonal relationships in
the workplace; the possibility of working at their own pace; respect among
employees; equal treatment of employees regardless of their age. They are more
satisfied with interpersonal relationships in the company; their work; working hours
and the distribution of work obligations; and facilitation of the self-regulation of the
speed of work performed. Conclusions: Motivation and satisfaction change as
individuals age. Using this information, managers and employers can apply
appropriate measures to contribute to employees’ well-being and better workplace
performance, better working relationships with colleagues, higher productivity, and
greater creativity.
