Separating Wheat and Chaff: Age-Specific Staffing Strategies and Innovative Performance at the Firm Level

30 Pages Posted: 12 Aug 2011

See all articles by Katharina Frosch

Katharina Frosch

University of Würzburg

Christian Göbel

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Thomas Zwick

Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW); University of Würzburg - Business Administration & Economics; Maastricht University - Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA)

Date Written: June 1, 2011

Abstract

Adopting a dynamic perspective, this paper investigates age-related staffing patterns in German establishments and their effect on innovative performance. First, we investigate how establishments achieve the necessary workforce rejuvenation - from the inflow of younger or from outflows of older workers. In addition, we explore whether certain staffing patterns are more likely to appear under different economic regimes. In a second step, we analyse whether an establishment’s innovative performance is related to the staffing patterns it experiences. The analysis of linked employer-employee data shows that most of the 585 German establishments covered rejuvenate by inflows of younger workers. Half of the establishments also use the outflow of older workers. Furthermore, workforces are more likely to become more age-heterogeneous in growing establishments. Finally, we do not find evidence that a youth-centred human resource strategy (always) fosters innovation.

Keywords: Workforce aging, staffing strategies, innovation

JEL Classification: M51, J24, O31

Suggested Citation

Frosch, Katharina and Göbel, Christian and Zwick, Thomas and Zwick, Thomas, Separating Wheat and Chaff: Age-Specific Staffing Strategies and Innovative Performance at the Firm Level (June 1, 2011). ZEW - Centre for European Economic Research Discussion Paper No. 11-047, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1908716 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1908716

Katharina Frosch

University of Würzburg ( email )

Sanderring 2
Würzburg, D-97070
Germany

Christian Göbel

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

Thomas Zwick (Contact Author)

Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) ( email )

P.O. Box 10 34 43
L 7,1 D-68161 Mannheim
Germany

University of Würzburg - Business Administration & Economics ( email )

Sanderring 2
Wuerzburg, D-97070
Germany

Maastricht University - Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA) ( email )

P.O. Box 616
Maastricht, MD6200
Netherlands

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