Age-inclusive HR practices and older workers' voice behavior: the role of job crafting toward strengths and negative age-based metastereotypes

Purpose Using signaling theory, the overarching purpose of this study is to provide an insight into how age-inclusive HR practices (AIHRP) influence older workers' voice behavior through job crafting toward strengths (JCS) and how negative age-based metastereotypes (NABM) moderate these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Using time-lagged data were obtained from 321 Chinese older workers. PROCESS MACRO and Bootstrapping were used to test theoretical hypotheses. Findings Our results revealed the positive effects of AIHRP on both JCS and voice behavior, and the positive effect of JCS on voice behavior, as well as the mediating role of JCS in the relationship between AIHRP and voice behavior. Besides, results also found that NABM negatively moderate the effect of AIHRP on voice behavior, and the effect of AIHRP on JCS. Additionally, significant moderated mediation effect indicates that the indirect effect of AIHRP on voice via JCS will be weaker for employees with higher NABM. Research limitations/implications First, we take the lead in linking AIHRP and employees' voice behavior. This complements voice literature by identifying an important new factor in motivating older workers' voice behavior. Second, by exploring the mediating role of JCS, we reveal the “black box” of how AIHRP affect older workers' voice behavior. Third, this study responds to the call for more studies exploring the boundary conditions of AIHRP and expands the theoretical research framework of the relationship between AIHRP, JCS and voice, deepens our understanding of the mechanism of voice behavior. Practical implications Our findings have several practical implications. First, the leadership personnel throughout the firm should be conscious of the crucial role of AIHRP. Second, managers should provide older workers with opportunities to craft their jobs to use their strengths and achieve a better person-job fit, which will result in a series of positive outcomes. Third, organizations should blur intergenerational boundaries within the organization and provide older workers with mentoring opportunities to motivate their voice. Social implications Our findings have some social implications. Firstly, the results of this study are beneficial in demonstrating to society that older workers still have significant strengths and value. With reasonable methods, older workers can continue to contribute to the development of organizations and society, which in turn is conducive to changing society's perceived bias toward older workers, reducing age discrimination and promoting social harmony. Secondly, this study provides theoretical guidance for organizations and society to manage older workers, which is conducive to alleviating social problems such as youth labor shortage and increased burden of retirement. Originality/value This study is innovative as it first explores the influence, mechanism and boundary conditions of AIHRP on older workers' voice behavior, which not only deepens our understanding of older workers voice, but also enriches the research on AIHRP and JCS.