Organisations can take some actions to address the plateauing problem, although there is no single answer to it. Some actions are:
Change the climate through education
Give candid feedback
Offer job enrichment
Establish a career plan and goals
Encourage skill-based career paths
Change the organisations structure
Make promotion expectations more realistic
Set up job rotation programmes to create lateral movement and broaden skills
Encourage new ways of doing tasks
Reduce the importance of promotion and increase the value of challenge
5OBSOLESCENCE
Degree to which an organizations professionals lack the up-to-date knowledge or skills necessary to maintain effective performance in either their current or future work roles.
Not unique to midcareer, but it might be more pronounced and more devastating in midcareer
caused by rapid changes in technology and change in the workplace
Personal characteristics associated with low obsolescence are – high intellectual ability, high self-motivation and personal flexibility.
Performance appraisal can be used to indicate levels of obsolescence in certain areas.
5.1Models of obsolescence (Figure 6.3 & 6.4)
Worker obsolescence is a continuous process and there are a number of factors related to obsolescence.
Ideal balance between worker and job until disrupted by technological, organizational factors or behaviour of worker or a combination of these.
After disruption, symptoms observed are tensions, frustration, depression, hostility etc
Treatment follows symptoms usually by retraining, changes in organization, career assessment and counseling, long-range commitment to worker obsolescence and encouraging pursuit of learning and updating skills.
Kaufman identified 4 broad components that constitute an open system model for explaining obsolescence:
Environmental change – changes in technology can force workers to learn new technology or face obsolescence.
Individual characteristics – general assumption obsolescence occurs with age, but not necessarily so. Cognitive ability can facilitate or inhabit obsolescence, and workers who suffer a lack of motivation fail to keep current in their field, despite having the ability.
Nature of the work – involves extent to which individual’s knowledge, skills and abilities are required for the job.
Organizational climate – aspects such as interaction and communication, leadership style, management policy, rewarding professional growth and updating job skills.
Each component contributes to development of obsolescence but as a system they play a complex interactive role.
5.2Organisational actions to prevent obsolescence
Ensure proper training and integration with demands of job innovation
Educate workforce to become adaptable to change
Implement performance management system to encourage growth and development
Encourage continuous learning and updating skills
360 degree performance feedback
Implement periodic changes in jobs
Ensure continual job challenge and rotation
Create work climate including communication
Reward employees for performance, lifelong learning and development and success in jobs
Provide participative leadership
Provide challenging initial work
5.32 Types of change
5.3.1Job changes
produce demands on technical professionals and managers to keep up to date
include alterations in technology, occupational requirements, managerial methods
5.3.2Personal changes
Result from midlife transition and other experiences can cause:
reduced level of achievement orientation
lower level of interest in work which adversely influences an individual’s desire to stay in his job
5.4What can organisations do - model programme
thorough assessment of employees training and development needs
design of feedback intensive developmental experiences e.g. training for upgrading technical, managerial and/or admin skills
review and evaluation of the programmes effectiveness
long-range planning to identify future retraining needs
6JOB LOSS AND UNEMPLOYMENT
Job loss = any involuntary withdrawal from the workforce.
Can happen at any stage of a career
Cause by mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and downsizing, privatization, recession and EE
Impacts on relationship with spouse and children as well.
Unemployment = low educational and skills levels and other economic factors
Have major effect on emotional well-being of individuals and their families.
Job loss more traumatic if following conditions are present:
Employee views the present employment as a job for life
Employee has few transferable skills
Employee has never worked anywhere else
Employee perceives himself to be unemployable
understanding and skilful handling crucial for HR practitioner
