Candidate Age as a Factor in Promotability Ratings

This paper presents research addressed to understanding how candidate age affects promotability. A field study of 125 lower-level managers indicated that age had an inverse relationship with promotability for both young and older managers and also appeared to serve as a moderator variable for the job tenure and education factors. Job tenure and education were relevant criteria only for the younger managers. By contrast, job performance ratings were significant for both age groups. Alternative explanations for the results and the implications of the findings are discussed.