Interactions that matter: commitment and satisfaction in age-diverse retail teams

Purpose This study examines how intergroup interactions in multigenerational retail teams influence job satisfaction and team commitment. It focuses on the role of contact quality and opportunities to interact, and the mediating role of attitudes toward age-diverse teams. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 636 retail workers in Australia and the USA (528 aged 18–35 and 108 aged 55+). Moderated mediation analyses tested whether attitudes toward age-diverse teams mediate the relationship between contact quality and outcomes, moderated by opportunities to interact. Findings The results showed that high-quality and more frequent interactions with age-diverse colleagues predict more positive attitudes toward age-diverse teams. These attitudes were also associated with greater job satisfaction and stronger team commitment. Results also suggest that some contact conditions may be more influential than others in shaping intergroup outcomes. Practical implications Retailers should support age-diverse team structures and encourage frequent, high-quality interaction between younger and older workers to improve satisfaction and strengthen team commitment. Originality/value This study offers theoretical and practical value by identifying attitudes toward age-diverse teams as a mediating mechanism within the input–mediator–outcome framework, extending intergroup contact theory to multigenerational retail workplaces.