IBS Lunchtime Research Seminar - 'Is there a mid-career crisis'?

You are cordially invited to attend an International Business and Strategy Departmental Research Meeting, during which there will be a presentation by Dr Min Zou - Henley Business School. A reminder that attendance for IBS (full time, research oriented) staff and full-time students is compulsory, and where possible, must be in person. Individuals unable to attend in person, due to legitimate reasons will be provided a Teams link on request. Non-IBS staff are welcome to attend, but must register prior to the event. If you have not received the email invite please email Angie Clark

Please join us in Room 108, Henley Business School, if you would like to attend, please register using the link below:

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Please make sure you let me know in advance if you intend to attend in person so that the correct amount of catering is booked.

Date: Wednesday 23rd October 2024, HBS Room 108

Time: 13.00 - 14.15pm

Abstract:

Research on the relationship between age and job satisfaction has yielded mixed results. While there is a broad consensus that job satisfaction tends to increase from midlife into older age, there is ongoing debate about its trajectory during the early stages of one’s career. This study examines this relationship using data from four nationally representative datasets, incorporating both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 108,401 workers in the UK. Our findings reveal a clear U-shaped relationship between age and job satisfaction among workers in managerial and professional occupations. However, this pattern does not hold for workers in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. These results remain robust after adjusting for cohort effects, time periods, and other fixed personal characteristics. This study contributes to resolving a longstanding puzzle in the job satisfaction literature by demonstrating significant variations in the age-job satisfaction relationship across different occupational groups. While many studies report a U-shaped pattern, our findings challenge the notion that this relationship is universal. The results suggest that the commonly referenced 'mid-career crisis' may not stem solely from biological ageing. Instead, the occupational context plays a crucial role in shaping how individuals experience their work as they grow older