Effects of Age and Experience on Productivity.

A major limitation of previous research on the relationship between age and productivity has been the general failure to control for work experience. The present study examined the relationships between these three variables on a sample of semi-skilled operatives working under an incentive system. A positive zero-order age--productivity relationship was observed. However, this relationship was vitiated when partial correlation and subgroup analyses were used to control for experience. Thus, elder workers were as productive as younger workers after the differential effects of experience were taken into account. Implications for employment practices and future research were discussed.