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Article

Healthy and Entrepreneurial Work Environment for Older Employees and Its Impact on Work Engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by
Maja Rožman
1,*,
Polona Tominc
1 and
Katja Crnogaj
2
1
Department of Quantitative Economic Analysis, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
2
Department of Entrepreneurship and Business Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4545; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084545
Submission received: 21 February 2022 / Revised: 17 March 2022 / Accepted: 8 April 2022 / Published: 11 April 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Care for Older People in Ageing Societies)
Browse Figure
Versions Notes

Abstract

:
Managing older employees is a major challenge for companies, especially during COVID-19. Therefore, creating a healthy and entrepreneurial work environment as well as an inclusive culture within organizations is crucial for companies to maintain their sustainable advantage. The main objective of this paper is to develop a multidimensional model of a healthy and entrepreneurial work environment for older employees and determine its impact on their work engagement during COVID-19. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. The results show that workplace health promotion, entrepreneurial working conditions, and leadership lead to better well-being of older employees. In addition, entrepreneurial working conditions that promote intergenerational synergy lead to higher work engagement of older employees, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the elderly, the entrepreneurial work environment is therefore particularly important, even though entrepreneurship is mostly attributed to younger men. In addition, older employees’ well-being and the promotion of intergenerational synergy have a positive impact on their work engagement. The results will help companies better manage their older employees, shape their workplace, and increase the sustainable benefits of their businesses during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

1. Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way people work. Due to the uncertainty and ambiguity surrounding the unprecedented global crisis, companies are challenged to enable their employees to work productively and maintain their job engagement [1]. In the EU, the COVID-19 pandemic has an effect on the country’s economy through several channels, including the transport, health, agriculture, and tourism sectors. Moreover, due to rapid urbanization, increasing international travel, and climate change, the outbreak of the epidemic is becoming a global and not just a local phenomenon, indicating the need to take necessary measures to combat this threat in all countries [2]. The pandemic sent shockwaves around the world, and its impact on global society will reverberate for many years to come. Many employees have noticed that their employment is disrupted, and older employees are no exception. Older employees may be affected by the pandemic even more than younger ones, as they are considered vulnerable and at risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic [3]. Therefore, employers need to understand the unique pressures that their older employees and current and future retirees face as a result of the current circumstances [4].
Designing suitable work environments and work tasks for aging employees has become an increasingly widespread area in all countries [5]. For most employees, work ability declines after a certain age unless measures are taken to maintain work ability [6]. Although physical performance and health deteriorate with age, many other functions improve with age. Strategic thinking, holistic perception, considerateness, sharp-wittedness, wisdom, deliberation, life control, rationalization, and language skills improve with age [7]. Seniors are also dedicated, loyal to their employer, and frequently experience less absence from work than other age groups [8].
In fact, the population in Europe is aging. The share of the elderly is growing faster than younger age groups, and according to some forecasts, one third of the European population will be over 65 years old by 2080. [9]. The share of older people in the workplace aged 55 to 64 is increasing [10]. An aging workforce is crucial to the performance and competitiveness of all companies. However, this will increasingly depend on how effectively employers can take advantage of older employees and take care of their health and encouraging work conditions during and after COVID-19 [11]. According to Peráček [12], for example, the employer’s flexibility in managing human resources during the several-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic proved crucial for the survival of a Slovak company. Therefore, the workplace needs to be reinforced with factors that positively influence the work engagement of senior employees, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic [13]. Engaged employees are more productive and less absent from work, which reduces the cost of sick leave and at the same time increases the performance and competitiveness of the company [14].
The key scientific contribution of this paper is the first-ever analysis of the multidimensional model of a healthy and entrepreneurial work environment for older employees and the determination of its impact on their work engagement in companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Structural equation modeling (SEM) proved applicable in examining the linkages between constructs. The multidimensional model includes the following constructs: workplace health promotion for older employees, entrepreneurial working conditions, leadership, the well-being of older employees, and promoting intergenerational synergy. After reviewing the literature, we found that authors mention the importance of certain constructs, but they did not investigate these constructs and their connections in detail. Also, the multidimensional model with all five constructs has not yet been analyzed in the Slovenian area. The main objective is to determine the impact of workplace health promotion, entrepreneurial working conditions, and leadership on the well-being of older employees, the impact of entrepreneurial working conditions on the promotion of intergenerational synergy, as well as to determine the impact of the well-being of older employees and the promotion of intergenerational synergy on the work engagement of older employees in Slovenian companies during COVID-19.

2. Literature Review and Hypotheses

In the following, we presented a literature review about the multidimensional model of a healthy and entrepreneurial work environment for older employees with five constructs: workplace health promotion for older employees, entrepreneurial working conditions, leadership, the well-being of older employees, and promoting intergenerational synergy. Also, in this section, we presented the hypothesis, and in Figure 1, we presented the conceptual multidimensional model of a healthy and entrepreneurial work environment for older employees and its impact on work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.1. Workplace Health Promotion for Older Employees

An aging workforce is an issue that requires concrete action to promote the health of older employees [6], especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic [15]. Company examples show that the costs of investing in promoting work ability are outweighed by the benefits [5]. Çankır and Şahin [16] state that targeted programs to promote employee health and improve working conditions have numerous benefits for work organizations related to improved workplace safety, reduced risk of injury at work, improved employee health and well-being, reduced cost of sick leave, increased productivity, satisfaction, and so on [16]. The COVID-19 pandemic suddenly changed usual work routines and it also led to the acceleration of trends that were already underway, including the migration of work to online or virtual environments. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an increased risk of burnout in the workplace. For example, many older employees suffer from exhaustion, chronic stress syndrome, and a detached attitude toward work [17].
COVID-19 has led to physical and mental health challenges faced by aging employees. These challenges have a significant impact on the mental well-being of these employees, thus affecting their job performance [18]. Employees need more health-promoting behaviors, support, and activities to be able to work into old age [19], especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic [18]. Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed:
Hypothesis 1 (H1).
Workplace health promotion for older employees has a positive impact on their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.2. Entrepreneurial Work Environment for Older Employees

An entrepreneurial work environment is one in which people are not afraid to take calculated risks and can take advantage of new opportunities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Kooij [15] argues that unforeseen changes in the work environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., working from home, flexible work arrangements) contribute to new forms of improving the work environment for older employees [15]. Thus, employers need to understand which working conditions are best for employees of all ages to be satisfied and engaged in their work [6]. Some characteristics of work tasks may have a more favorable impact on younger employees, but a less favorable impact on older ones (e.g., task variety). Verworn and Hipp [20] stated that companies tend to invest less in training older employees. Older employees may learn faster in work settings and training situations than their younger ones. Moreover, older employees accept change more easily than younger ones and show a high propensity to participate in such processes. Also, they are more engaged [21,22]. The common stereotype among employers is that older employees are unmotivated [23]. Such beliefs about older employees can develop into age discrimination, which has a number of negative consequences for both employees and companies [24]. Younger employees are considered to be more motivated to work, more ambitious, and more capable of learning than older employees. On the other hand, they are considered less loyal and emotionally less stable [25]. Work organization, work methods and tools, and even workloads are now changing faster than employees can easily adapt. For example, the introduction of new technologies has often caused more problems than positive challenges for aging employees [26]. Also, older employees must have the same opportunities to train, learn new skills, and update their professional competencies, because the learning process changes with age [11].
Appropriate and appealing working conditions for older employees play an important role in employee well-being at work and are also associated with higher productivity during COVID-19 [18]. Therefore, employers need to be aware of the importance of new approaches that enable older employees to have a productive work environment and well-being in the workplace during and after the COVID-19 pandemic [27,28]. According to Lee [27], entrepreneurial conditions support personal initiative, enable flexible work arrangements, and foster collaborative work environments. Hence, it is proposed:
Hypothesis 2a (H2a).
Entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees have a positive impact on their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Intergenerational cooperation is based on intergenerational learning, which ensures the exchange and transfer of knowledge in the field of work and solidarity between generations [29]. The younger generations gain a lot from the transfer of knowledge and experience, while the older generations remain more active for a longer period [30]. Regardless of the company’s industry, employees are those who contribute to the achievement of company goals and business results. Therefore, entrepreneurial working conditions are important in establishing intergenerational synergy in the company [31]. Cooperation between younger and older employees is one of the components for creating good working conditions. This affects the well-being of everyone in their daily work [32]. Human efficiency achieves up to 70% of a company’s business success, where good cooperation between age-diverse employees is a prerequisite [33]. Especially in these difficult times during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to create suitable entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees with an emphasis on intergenerational synergy [30]. This raises the level of a positive organizational climate and creates an attractive working environment for age-diverse employees [34]. Therefore, the following hypothesis is proposed:
Hypothesis 2b (H2b).
Entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees have a positive impact on promoting intergenerational synergy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.3. Good and Suitable Leadership in the Company

The company should choose the most appropriate leadership style according to the organizational culture and maturity of the employees [35]. Leadership focuses on people and social interaction and the process of influencing people to achieve organizational goals [36]. By using suitable leadership styles, managers can influence employee work satisfaction, work engagement, and productivity [35]. The manager or employer needs to know how to select the right leadership style for their employees that will inspire and encourage employees to work better and more productively, which will lead to a better performance of the organizations as well as a greater competitive advantage in the market [27,35,37]. For the successful adaptation of the changing environment and cultivation of productivity, the active role of employees during COVID-19 is as important as the efforts of companies to cope with it. In particular, employees’ active knowledge-sharing behaviors have great potential to help companies make quick and effective decisions and be resilient in a crisis, as such behaviors promote the free flow of useful and new information within a company [15,35]. Furthermore, Lee et al. [5] found that good leadership had a positive impact on employee engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in the work environment during COVID-19 affect employees’ emotional responses [27]. Lack of employer support and autonomy at work lead to low psychological security and negative emotions among older employees during the COVID-19 pandemic [5]. Accordingly, the following hypothesis is proposed:
Hypothesis 3 (H3).
Leadership has a positive impact on the well-being of older employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

2.4. Work Engagement of Older Employees

The well-being of older employees is considered an important aspect of successful aging during the COVID-19 pandemic [27]. The well-being in the workplace of age-diverse employees is crucial for organizational efficiency [38]. Employees under stress cannot achieve the same level of work engagement and productivity as employees under low stress [39]. In addition, consideration of age affects the ability and willingness of employees to work. Successful employees and a successful company form a combination that improves the quality of life and the good future of employees [40]. Therefore, employee well-being plays a major role in ensuring successful results of a company during COVID-19 and after the COVID-19 crisis [27,28]. Work engagement is described as a mental state in which personnel works vividly, with focus, and with feelings of commitment [41]. Garg and Singh [41] found that there is a significant and positive correlation between employees’ well-being and their work engagement. Chanana and Sangeeta [42] also emphasized that employee well-being has a positive impact on their work engagement during COVID-19. It is therefore suggested:
Hypothesis 4 (H4).
Well-being of older employees has a positive impact on their work engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each generation brings different skills to the table. Therefore, companies that are aware of the importance of the age diversity of their employees are more competitive and successful than others [43]. Moreover, different generations bring different knowledge, values, opinions, experiences, and lifestyles to such companies [44]. Establishing intergenerational synergy in the company contributes significantly to creativity, innovation, satisfaction, engagement, productivity, competitiveness, and easier adaptation of changes [5], which is especially important during and after the COVID-19 pandemic [45]. Due to demographic changes and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, employers will need to pay more attention to generational differences and create intergenerational synergy [5]. Companies with a mixed-age workforce have a major advantage in that they can best respond to the increasingly rapid changes in the global environment during the COVID-19 pandemic [46]. By fostering intergenerational synergy in the workplace, employees’ work outcomes are improved, their work performance is enhanced, knowledge and experience sharing is implemented, and employees’ work engagement is strengthened [43]. Therefore, it is hypothesized that:
Hypothesis 5 (H5).
Promoting intergenerational synergy has a positive impact on the work engagement of older employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the above hypothesis, the conceptual multidimensional model presented in Figure 1 was proposed.

3. Methodology

After reviewing the literature, we continue with the Methodology Section, followed by the section related to the results of our research.

3.1. Data and Sample

Data were collected from October 2021 to the end of December 2021. The online questionnaire was addressed to the company’s owner, and the request for data collection was sent by e-mail. The entrepreneur (company owner) was asked to distribute the questionnaire to the older employees. The response rate of companies willing to participate in the study was 76%. A total of 836 older employees participated in the survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Definitions of older employees differ in the literature. Most often, the lower age limit for defining older employees is 45 years [47] or 50 years [40]. In this paper, employees ≥45 years of age were defined as older employees. The survey included 34.0% employees aged 45–50, 30.9% employees aged 51–56, 22.1% employees aged 57–62, 10.5% employees aged 63–68, and 2.5% employees aged 69+. The largest share of companies that employed older employees were large companies (44.9%). Medium-sized companies present 35.4% employees and small companies 19.7%. The companies employing older employees were from manufacturing (17.2%); trade, maintenance, and repair of motor vehicles (15.7%); financial and insurance activities (14.3%); professional, scientific, and technical activities (10.8%); information and communication activities (9.8%); real estate business (8.8%); health and social care (8.3%); other diversified business activities (7.1%); catering (6.7%); other activities (1.3%).

3.2. Research Instrument

Respondents indicated their agreement to the listed statements on a 5-point Likert-type scale, where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = completely agree. Items for the workplace health promotion for older employees were adopted from Dickson-Swift et al. [48], items for entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees were adopted from Shacklock and Brunetto [47], items for leadership were adopted from Amagoh [49], items for the well-being of older employees were adopted from Honkaniemi et al. [50], items for promoting intergenerational synergy were adopted from Wok and Hashim [51], and items for work engagement were adopted from Robinson et al. [52].

3.3. Statistical Analysis

Based on Bartlett’s test of sphericity and KMO ≥ 0.5 [53], we established the justification for using factor analysis. The fulfillment of the criteria regarding the communalities of variables (h > 0.4), factor loadings (ƞ ≥ 0.5), and eigenvalues of factors (λ ≥ 1.0) was analyzed [54]. In the context of convergent validity, we examined the average variance extracted (AVE) and the composite reliability coefficients (CR), considering the criteria AVE > 0.5 and CR > 0.7 (CR > AVE) [47]. The variance inflation factor (VIF) was used to verify the multicollinearity with criteria VIF < 5.0 [55]. The quality of the structural model was measured by the R-squared and adjusted R-squared coefficients, which reflect the percentage of explained variance of latent variables in the structural model and the Stone–Geisser Q-squared coefficient. Acceptable predictive validity in connection with an endogenous latent variable is suggested by Q-squared > 0. To test the model, we also used the criterion of quality indicators listed in Table 1 [54].
To test the hypotheses, we used the path coefficient associated with a causal link in the model (γ) and the Cohen effect indicator (f2), with 0.02, 0.15, and 0.35 indicating small, medium, and large effect sizes, respectively [47].

4. Research Results

The results in Table A1 (in the Appendix A) indicate that the values of the measure of sampling adequacy and the results of Bartlett’s test of sphericity for each construct suggest that the use of factor analysis is warranted. The values of all communalities for all six constructs are higher than 0.40; therefore, we did not eliminate any measured variable. In addition, all factor loadings are higher than 0.70 and significant at the 0.001 level. All measurement scales have demonstrated high reliability (all Cronbach’s alpha > 0.80). In addition to the results in Table A1, the total variance explained for workplace health promotion for older employees is 80.572%, for entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees it is 66.830%, for leadership it is 80.752%, for well-being of older employees it is 73.812%, for promoting intergenerational synergy it is 82.542%, and for work engagement of older employees it is 84.763%.
Table 1 shows that the indicators APC (average path coefficient), ARS (average R-squared), and AARS (average adjusted R-squared) are statistically significant (p < 0.001). The indicators AVIF (average block variance inflation factor) and AFVIF (average full collinearity) are lower than 5.0 and are also suitable. The values of the indicators SPR (Sympson’s paradox ratio), RSCR (the R-squared contribution ratio), SSR (statistical suppression ratio), and NLBCD (nonlinear causality direction ratio) are higher than the prescribed minimum values and are suitable. The results of the GoF (goodness-of-fit) indicator show that the model is highly appropriate.
Table 2 shows that the values of the latent variables’ R2, adjusted R2, and Q2 coefficients are greater than zero. The CR for all six constructs is greater than 0.7 and the values of AVE are greater than 0.5. All CR values are higher than the AVE values, so we confirmed convergent validity for all constructs. The VIF values ranged from 2.214 to 2.847 (VIF < 5.0), suggesting that collinearity did not affect the results of the structural model.
Table 3 shows the results of the SEM and the structural coefficients of the compounds of the basic structural model. The results indicate that workplace health promotion of older employees in Slovenian companies has a positive impact on the well-being of older employees during COVID-19 (γ = 0.692, p < 0.001). The value of Cohen’s coefficient (ƒ2 = 0.394) is higher than 0.15, indicating that the impact of predictive latent variables is of high strength. In addition, entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees have a positive impact on the well-being of older employees during COVID-19 (γ = 0.786, p < 0.001). The value of Cohen’s coefficient (ƒ2 = 0.539) shows that the impact of predictive latent variables is of high strength. The results also show that entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees have a positive impact on promoting intergenerational synergy during the COVID-19 pandemic (γ = 0.878, p < 0.001). The value of the Cohen coefficient (ƒ2 = 0.761) shows that the impact of predictive latent variables is of high strength. Furthermore, leadership has a positive impact on the well-being of older employees during COVID-19 (γ = 0.753, p < 0.001). The value of Cohen’s coefficient (ƒ2 = 0.459) shows that the effect of predictive latent variables is of high strength. The results in Table 3 show that the well-being of older employees has a positive impact on their work engagement during COVID-19 (γ = 0.772, p < 0.001). The value of Cohen’s coefficient (ƒ2 = 0.473) shows that the effect of predictive latent variables is of high strength. In addition, promoting intergenerational synergy has a positive impact on the work engagement of older employees during COVID-19 (γ = 0.684, p < 0.001). The value of Cohen’s coefficient (ƒ2 = 0.422) shows that the impact of the predictive latent variables is of high strength.
According to the research results, we have verified and confirmed all research hypotheses (H1–H5).

5. Discussion

We can confirm that health promotion and mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic for older employees lead to better employee well-being. Thus, Lydell et al. [19] and Ilmarinen [56] explain that the aging workforce is a growing concern and that keeping older employees healthy and productive should be an important goal of a suitable work environment for older employees. In the workplace, several promotional strategies can be used to create opportunities for behavior change. In addition, workplace health promotion can reduce the risk of early retirement, absenteeism, and illness and lead to the improved well-being of older employees. Health promotion activities are perceived as positive by older employees, but it is important to ensure equal access to such promotions for all employees. Therefore, we recommend that to promote a healthy workplace for older employees, companies should organize more health promotion programs (workshops, seminars), stress management and well-being programs for older employees, free sports activities for employees outside working hours, measures related to the design of a safe and healthy working environment, annual health checks, and complimentary flu vaccinations. In addition, employers must take a number of actions to support employees who have poor mental health due to COVID-19. These measures must range from helping workers reestablish an effective work–life balance, to managing anxiety about returning to work, to providing support for serious mental health conditions. For example, health education and health promotion strategies will help employees stay healthy (mentally and physically fit) through the COVID-19 crisis.
The results also show that a suitable work environment for older employees with appropriate and encouraging working conditions for older employees also has a positive impact on their well-being in the workplace. The results are consistent with the findings of Lydell et al. [19] and Bal and Jansen [26]. On this basis, we recommend that working conditions for seniors must be designed to allow flexibility in the workplace and maintain the health and well-being of older people in the workplace. Companies should take care to reduce the workload of older employees in the workplace by redesigning their tasks and offering flexible working hours to older employees. With a flexible schedule that allows employees to work at hours that differ from the company’s traditional start and end times and with flexible work arrangements that include part-time work, job sharing, job rotation (or group work to reduce or balance workload), and workplace flexibility (working from home), designing training programs for older employees, knowledge transfer and collaboration, and also age diversity must be linked to the company’s equality and diversity strategy. During COVID-19, and even after the pandemic, entrepreneurial mindset within organizations will play a crucial role to overcome the crisis and successfully seize new opportunities.
Furthermore, entrepreneurial work conditions lead to higher intergenerational synergy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the elderly, the entrepreneurial work environment is particularly important, although entrepreneurship is mostly attributed to younger men [57]. Fostering entrepreneurial thinking in this scenario can help promote intergenerational synergy if working conditions allow employees to be unafraid to take risks and to take advantage of new opportunities. According to Hertel et al. [32] and Scheuer and Loughlin [31], intergenerational synergy plays a crucial role in reducing workplace conflicts and is also essential for active aging, career development, individual development, and knowledge transfer.
Moreover, the results show that older employee well-being and job satisfaction depend on the leadership style of the employer during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenian companies, which is consistent with the thoughts of Lee [27], Ahern and Loh [37], and Chua et al. [35]. Therefore, we recommend that employers or managers should choose the best leadership style according to the organizational culture and organizational maturity of employees. According to Ahern and Loh [37], leaders need to maximize trust among employees and minimize stress during the current pandemic. Our suggestion for better and positive leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond is that employers should take time to listen to their employees and keep them informed about their decisions concerning the company. Managers should schedule regular staff meetings to communicate the company’s immediate and long-term goals. These meetings ensure an equitable distribution of tasks and create a more transparent, psychologically safe atmosphere. Linking team tasks and goals is an important step in creating an engaging work environment. Managers are perceived by their employees as better leaders when they encourage older employees to produce better work results and involve them in the decision-making process. In addition, leaders are perceived as trustworthy when they trust employees, strive to build good relationships with them, and value their work.
We can also confirm that the well-being of older employees has a positive impact on their work engagement during COVID-19 in Slovenian companies. This is consistent with the findings of Chanana and Sangeeta [42], in which the authors emphasize that most employees feel stressed due to the increasing cases of COVID-19 worldwide. They are not sure about their salary or job security. Because of these issues, employees are unable to concentrate or focus on their work, so there is a need for employee engagement. The company’s primary responsibility is to look after the well-being of employees and ensure that they are properly engaged. Authors Çankır and Şahin [16] and Garg and Singh [41] explain that poor employee engagement can be harmful to companies as it leads to a decline in employee well-being and productivity. Moreover, the authors emphasize that there is a positive relationship between employee well-being and employee work engagement. Companies should take a strategic and coordinated approach to promoting employee well-being, foster an entrepreneurial culture that supports flexible and initiative work assignments, and promote a supportive and participative leadership style and a healthy workplace. Further, employers should provide some motivational talk lectures, boost employee morale, and create a safe and open environment where employees can speak up when they have problems. There should be a transparent policy so that employees do not feel stressed and can engage in their jobs well mannered. Engaged employees are the key to success in these difficult times, so it is also important that employers implement these measures during and even after the COVID-19 crisis.
Finally, the results show that promoting intergenerational synergy leads to greater work engagement of older employees during COVID-19 in Slovenian companies. The finding is in line with Sanyal et al. [43], who confirm a positive relationship between the promotion of intergenerational synergy and the work engagement of older employees. Authors Tinsley-Fix [46] and Urick [58] explain that a lack of intergenerational interactions during COVID-19 leads to a breakdown in knowledge transfer and less efficient and productive jobs. This also leads to lower employee work engagement during COVID-19. Companies that understand how to manage the age diversity of their employees have a competitive advantage and are far ahead of those companies that are unaware of the importance of intergenerational collaboration among their employees [44]. Therefore, we recommend that companies should pay more attention to intergenerational synergy and solidarity, learning from both generations (older and younger employees), intergenerational teams, and mentoring during COVID-19. In the company, age diversity must be linked to the company’s strategy for equality and diversity, which will lead to higher employee work engagement. According to Urick [58], in an intergenerational workforce, it is likely that members of different age groups can help each other learn. This is crucial to the survival of companies as they respond to COVID-19 and potential future crisis situations. Our recommendation for how the government could improve a healthy and entrepreneurial work environment for older employees is that employment opportunities for seniors also need to be improved by employers removing disincentives and barriers to retaining and hiring older employees and promoting good management practices for age-diverse workplaces. The employability of older employees should be strengthened through better working conditions and training opportunities throughout their careers and policies to encourage higher labor force participation among older employees to depend on the generosity and availability of retirement plans, the health and support available to workers, and the industry structure and types of jobs available. Our study is limited to older employees in Slovenian companies during COVID-19, and the limitation of the work is reflected in the analysis of which generational groups of employees appear on the labor market. The limitation of the research refers to the examination of the multidimensional model on older employees and not on all employees or younger employees. In addition, we limited our measurement of the healthy and entrepreneurial work environment for older employees to six constructs: workplace health promotion for older employees, entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees, leadership, the well-being of older employees, promoting intergenerational synergy, and the work engagement of older employees. As a possibility for future research, we recommend upgrading the measurement instrument with new constructs in the area of specific vulnerable groups of employees during or after the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. Conclusions

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries were forced to take various measures and make adaptations. Thus, people had to adapt their lives and habits to the measures and recommendations taken to prevent the spread of the disease. Our study is the first study in Slovenia that analyzes older employees and their work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our research identifies actions employers can take to create a healthy and entrepreneurial work environment for older employees, thereby increasing their engagement at work. Successful work requires the creation of an organizational culture based on trust, empathy, and transparency that considers different motivational factors and age profiles of employees. Rather than considering the multigenerational workplace as a liability or challenge, managers would do better to see it as an opportunity where people of different generations can learn from each other. Addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and new business times will therefore require new approaches and ways of managing and dealing with all age-diverse employees. Both employers and policymakers are trying to utilize entrepreneurial thinking as a way of responding to the crisis. Encouraging entrepreneurial working conditions within companies will be central to multiple successful businesses around the world for the foreseeable future, especially considering the significant negative impact on business performance due to the pandemic. The desire for greater efficiency is the main reason to implement appropriate working conditions for all age-diverse employees, which will allow companies to increase their competitiveness and performance in the international market during and after COVID-19.

Author Contributions

Introduction: M.R., P.T. and K.C.; literature review and hypotheses: M.R., P.T. and K.C.; methodology: M.R. and P.T.; results: M.R., P.T. and K.C.; discussion: M.R., P.T. and K.C.; writing—original draft preparation, M.R., P.T. and K.C.; writing—review and editing, M.R., P.T. and K.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

Authors acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian Research Agency (research core funding No. P5–0023, ‘Entrepreneurship for Innovative Society’).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Appendix A

Table
Table A1. Factor analysis.
Table A1. Factor analysis.
ItemFactor LabelCronbach’s
Alpha		CommunalitiesFactor Loadings
The company owner/manager organizes programs in the context of work-life balance during the COVID-19.Workplace health promotion for older employees during COVID-190.9120.8490.921
The company owner/manager organizes seminars in the context of a healthy lifestyle during the COVID-19.0.8550.967
The company owner/manager organizes programs for health promotion (workshops, seminars) during the COVID-19.0.8290.910
The company owner/manager enables the implementation of programs for managing stress and programs for well-being during the COVID-19.0.8620.930
The company owner/manager promotes a healthy lifestyle during the COVID-19.0.7450.861
KMO = 0.869; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: Approximate Chi-Square = 7511.256, p < 0.01
The company owner/manager is concerned about reducing the workload and bureaucracy of an older employee in the workplace through work conversion during the COVID-19.Entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees during COVID-190.8860.5840.772
The company owner/manager encourages changes and personal initiative in connection with older employees during the COVID-19.0.7460.865
The company owner/manager offers older employees the choice of workspace (work from home or from a remote location) during the COVID-19.0.5210.728
The company owner/manager offers older employees a flexible workday (it is up to the employees to choose their own start and end time within the given framework) during the COVID-19.0.6870.829
The company owner/manager enables older employees to job share (two or more employees share the duties and responsibilities of a full-time position) during the COVID-19.0.6400.812
The company owner/manager enables older employees to work part-time during the COVID-19.0.6570.773
The employees have the chance to participate in different work groups (intergenerational collaboration) during the COVID-19.0.6930.832
In the company, age diversity must be linked to the company strategy for equality and diversity.0.7510.867
KMO = 0.879; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: Approximate Chi-Square = 6107.644, p < 0.01
I have all the necessary information to do my job during the COVID-19.Leadership during COVID-190.9230.7590.877
I have everything I need to complete my work tasks during the COVID-19.0.7630.899
I have the ability to think for myself and make decisions at work during the COVID-19.0.7510.872
The owner/manager of the company promotes good relations between employees during the COVID-19.0.8860.941
The owner/manager of the company promotes good relations between employees and superiors during the COVID-19.0.8640.939
The owner/manager of the company emphasizes and promotes employee motivation in the workplace during the COVID-19.0.8390.917
The owner/manager of the company takes care that older employees do not experience age discrimination during the COVID-19.0.8210.911
The owner/manager of the company takes care that older employees do not feel the age stereotypes in the company.0.8530.922
The owner/manager of the company provides for work satisfaction and well-being of the employees during the COVID-19.0.8420.918
The owner/manager of the company promotes intergenerational cooperation in the company.0.7940.897
In the company we have the opportunity of training and education during the COVID-19.0.7880.896
KMO = 0.923; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: Approximate Chi-Square = 17,631.101, p < 0.01
I do not feel stress in the workplace during the COVID-19. Well-being of older employees during COVID-190.9120.7580.872
I feel positive emotions at work during the COVID-19.0.6930.835
The owner/manager of the company takes care for appropriate positive solutions when I tell him about my problems in the workplace during the COVID-19. 0.8070.899
The owner/manager of the company takes care for well-being of older employees during the COVID-19.0.6950.835
Because of my work, most of the day I experience the feelings of performance.0.7150.848
In the company I feel capable and efficient which makes me happy.0.6420.801
KMO = 0.876; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: Approximate Chi-Square = 4812.069, p <0.01
In the company we emphasize the intergenerational synergy during the COVID-19. Promoting intergenerational synergy during COVID-190.9720.9210.957
By working together across generations, we increase the innovation and creativity of our employees at work during the COVID-19.0.9460.971
By working together across generations, we ensure that employees make faster solutions and decisions during the COVID-19.0.9360.964
By working together across generations, we enable the distribution of work tasks, reducing employee workload during the COVID-19.0.9250.953
By working together across generations, we value a better understanding of the different age profiles of our customers and their needs.0.8630.931
By working together across generations, we take advantage of the age diversity of our employees.0.9560.980
KMO = 0.834; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: Approximate Chi-Square = 5217.639, p < 0.01
I do my work with passion during the COVID-19.Work engagement of older employees during COVID-190.9610.7870.889
I am engaged in the quality of my work during the COVID-19.0.8510.922
I am engaged to achieve successful business results during the COVID-19.0.8540.929
I feel connected to the company where I work during the COVID-19.0.8600.929
I am aware of the importance of innovation for our company and help develop the company during the COVID-19.0.8690.931
I feel that my work and my job are important.0.8520.925
I am proud to be employed in this company.0.8830.944
I believe in the successful development and operation of the company.0.8760.938
KMO = 0.924; Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity: Approximate Chi-Square = 13,105.163, p < 0.01

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Sustainability 14 04545 g001 550
Figure 1. Conceptual model and hypotheses.
Figure 1. Conceptual model and hypotheses.
Sustainability 14 04545 g001
Table
Table 1. Model fit and quality indicators.
Table 1. Model fit and quality indicators.
Quality IndicatorsThe Criterion of Quality IndicatorsCalculated Values of Indicators of Model
APCp < 0.050.387, p < 0.001
ARSp < 0.050.639, p < 0.001
AARSp < 0.050.628, p < 0.001
AVIFAVIF < 5.02.164
AFVIFAFVIF < 5.02.732
GoFGoF ≥ 0.1 (low)
GoF ≥ 0.25(medium)
GoF ≥ 0.36 (high)		0.728
SPRSPR ≥ 0.71.000
RSCRRSCR ≥ 0.91.000
SSRSSR ≥ 0.71.000
NLBCDNLBCD ≥ 0.71.000
Table
Table 2. Indicators of the quality of the structural model.
Table 2. Indicators of the quality of the structural model.
ConstructsCRAVER2Adj. R2Q2VIF
Workplace health promotion of older employees during COVID-190.9680.813---2.481
Entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees during COVID-190.9560.732---2.324
Leadership during COVID-190.9760.811---2.214
Well-being of older employees during COVID-190.9340.7340.5940.5930.5942.365
Promoting intergenerational synergy during COVID-190.9790.9350.7720.7720.7712.816
Work engagement of older employees during COVID-190.9830.8610.6960.6950.6962.847
Note: -values cannot be calculated because the construct is a baseline.
Table
Table 3. Standardized Path Coefficients for Proposed Model.
Table 3. Standardized Path Coefficients for Proposed Model.
Hypothesized PathLink DirectionPath Coefficient (γ)Effect Size (ƒ2)Standard Error
Workplace health promotion of older employees → Well-being of older employeesPositive0.692 *0.3940.029
Entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees → Well-being of older employees0.786 *0.5390.064
Entrepreneurial working conditions for older employees → Promoting intergenerational synergy0.878 *0.7610.028
Leadership → Well-being of older employees0.753 *0.4590.032
Well-being of older employees → Work engagement of older employees0.772 *0.4730.035
Promoting intergenerational synergy → Work engagement of older employees0.684 *0.4220.031
* p < 0.001.
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Rožman, M.; Tominc, P.; Crnogaj, K. Healthy and Entrepreneurial Work Environment for Older Employees and Its Impact on Work Engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability 2022, 14, 4545. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084545

AMA Style

Rožman M, Tominc P, Crnogaj K. Healthy and Entrepreneurial Work Environment for Older Employees and Its Impact on Work Engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability. 2022; 14(8):4545. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084545

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rožman, Maja, Polona Tominc, and Katja Crnogaj. 2022. "Healthy and Entrepreneurial Work Environment for Older Employees and Its Impact on Work Engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic" Sustainability 14, no. 8: 4545. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084545

APA Style

Rožman, M., Tominc, P., & Crnogaj, K. (2022). Healthy and Entrepreneurial Work Environment for Older Employees and Its Impact on Work Engagement during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sustainability, 14(8), 4545. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084545

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