Intergenerational factors and satisfaction with work

Purpose Satisfaction with work among employees has important implications for organizational performance. Firms can achieve optimal results by identifying which types of person-environment fit are most appropriate to different generations of workers. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Satisfaction with work among employees has important implications for organizational performance. Firms can achieve optimal results by identifying which types of person-environment fit are most appropriate to different generations of workers. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers’ hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Does a Person-Environment-Fit Promote the Academic Achievement of Hearing-Impaired Students in Malaysian Polytechnics? The Mediating Effects of Satisfaction and Adjustment

(1) This study investigates the influence of a person-environment-fit on academic achievement and examines mediating effects of adjustment and satisfaction on this relationship; (2) Methods: Data were collected from a sample of 195 hearing-impaired students from five polytechnics in Malaysia that offered the Special Skills Certificate program; (3) Results: Results revealed that the two constructs of the person-environment approach: personality-major fit and needs-supplies fit were positively associated with academic achievement. The adjustment was found to mediate this relationship. Taken together, these results signal that the person-environment constructs contribute to the academic achievement of hearing-impaired students and that adjustment is instrumental in elucidating this relationship; (4) Conclusions: The finding adds to the data, indicating that the person-environment-fit is a possible model of inclusion for hearing-impaired students and also provides initial data about the functioning of hearing-impaired students in Malaysian polytechnics.

Understanding Multidisciplinary-team Practice in Developing Home Assessment Tools: A Systematic Review

As widely used instruments to identify risk factors and lay out preliminary plans of how to improve the built environment, home assessment tools play an important role in the process of modifying homes for older adults. Developed by a variety of disciplines and tailored to meet various needs, home assessment tools focus on features in homes and how they meet or hinder an older person’s ability to accomplish tasks — in other words, person-environment fit. Based on a comprehensive review of ten evidence-based home assessment tools identified by researchers at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the National Council on Aging, we found that a common assessment strategy is the use of multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in developing and testing the assessment tools to ensure the reliability vs validity of different home modification programs. To understand the nature of MDT practice and derive a set of generalizable protocols for developing person-centered home assessment tools, we conducted a systematic analysis of the ten evidence-based home assessment tools and 41 peer-reviewed journal papers about how the tools were developed, used, and modified. In addition, we applied the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) to examine the use of MDTs in developing the tools and carrying out the programs. Based on our analysis, we propose a set of preliminary protocols for developing home assessment tools and a logic model for conducting person-centered home modification programs.

The M. Powell Lawton Award Lecture: The Person-Environment Fit Framework, Older Adults and Technology Interactions

M. Powell Lawton made significant contributions throughout his illustrious career to improve the quality of life of older adults. His landmark theory of person-environment fit (P-E Fit) recognized the importance of understanding the dynamic interactions between older adults and their physical and social environments and the subsequent impact of these interactions on independent living. In today’s living environments, technology is ubiquitous and can serve as both a barrier and facilitator to the ability of older people to live independently. This presentation will discuss how the P-F Fit Model can be used to clarify potential mismatches between technology systems and the characteristics, abilities, and preferences of older adult and how it can be used to guide design and training interventions to maximize the ability of aging adults to interact successfully with technology systems. Examples will be drawn from the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) in the domains of social engagement, work, and health from technology design and intervention perspectives. The CREATE conceptual framework, consistent with the P-E Fit Model posits that users have varying needs, abilities, and attitudes; technology systems and tasks vary in demands; social, physical, and policy environments influence a person’s access to and support for technology transactions; and human-technology interactions are dynamic. A focus of the presentation will be on how a user-centered design approach is compatible with the P-E Fit model and can optimize the fit between older adults and technology systems.

Innovation During Disruption: Supporting What Matters Most to Older Adults Through Person-Environment Fit

The fragile and improvised systems of care for older adults have been decimated by isolation and fragmented care during the pandemic. However, innovations are increasingly being offered to older adults to improve the fit between them and their environment. This includes fit within the home, the social environment, the policy environment, and with clinicians. Advancing these “fits” requires evidence-based solutions like CAPABLE, a 4 month self-efficacy and function program that provides an occupational therapist, nurse and handyworker to assess and address older adults’ functional goals. The older adult identifies what matters most and experiences a tailored program that taps into their purpose in life and supports engaging in meaningful activities. Starting in research sites, CAPABLE is now offered in 34 sites in 17 States and expanding through policy and insurers. Such efforts to leverage the strength of older adults and their families, builds capacity to evolve our communities of care.

The M. Powell Lawton Award Lecture: The Person-Environment Fit Framework, Older Adults, and Technology Interactions

The lecture will be given by the 2020 recipient, Sara Czaja, PhD, FGSA of Weill Cornell Medicine. The 2020 M. Powell Lawton Award recipient is David Roth, Phd, FGSA, of Johns Hopkins University. The M. Powell Lawton Award is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions from applied research that has benefited older people and their care. The Lawton Award is generously funded by the Polisher Research Institute of the Madlyn and Leonard Abramson Center for Jewish Life.

Aging in the Right Place: A Conceptual Framework for Housing Insecure Older People

Emerging research has highlighted the significance of aging in the right place (AIRP) by recognizing that secure and optimal housing should support an individual’s unique vulnerabilities and lifestyles. Existing literature, however, has yet to consider what it means for older people experiencing homelessness and/or housing insecurity to age-in-the-right-place. In order to address this knowledge gap, a review of person-environment fit models for older people and other relevant literature was conducted to determine critical identifiers of AIRP for housing insecure older people. Findings from this literature review were then refined in collaboration with interdisciplinary scholars and community partners to establish a conceptual framework. This paper presents the resulting conceptual framework and outlines the key indicators of AIRP relevant to housing insecure older people. The proposed framework provides a practical and meaningful contribution to the literature which can be used to promote housing security among individuals often excluded from existing aging-in-place models.

Higher Childhood Adversity Reduces Environmental Satisfaction Among Older Adults

Background Childhood adversity (CA) is associated with increased physiological and psychological challenges in adulthood. Normal aging comes with changes that may put adults with a history of CA at increased risk of a poor quality aging experience. Because suitable person-environment fit is an important component of well-being, the present study explored two hypotheses: 1) Higher CA is associated with lower perceived neighborhood quality, and 2) Higher CA is associated with higher perceived inequality in home. Methods Using MIDUS 2011-2014 Refresher Survey (for this study, N=1,017 adults ages 55-76), Spearman’s rho correlation coefficients were run to explore the associations between a previously validated CA score and two environmental satisfaction indices. Perceived inequality in home comprised ratings on six items and perceived neighborhood quality comprised ratings on four items. Results Hypothesis 1: There was a significant positive association between the perceived inequality in home and cumulative CA, rs(998) = .200, p < .001. Hypothesis 2: There was a significant negative association between the perceived quality of neighborhood index and cumulative CA, rs(998) = -.182, p < .001. The strength of the associations were weak. Conclusions Higher cumulative experiences of CA were associated with increased feelings of home environment inequality, and decreased feelings of neighborhood quality. Significant differences were evident after decades had elapsed, demonstrating the long-lasting reach of CA. Further research exploring policy and practice approaches to mitigating the effects of CA is needed to allow aging adults to achieve better person-environment fit and equitable access to successful aging.

The Effect of Person-Environment Fit on Public Servant Integrity and Performance: Investigating the Moderating Role of Public Service Motivation

Individual performance is measured by a person's contribution to attaining this objective, whereas public organisation performance is measured by goals achieved in accordance with its mission statements. Positive individual behaviour is important for positive life outcomes, such as professional ethics. Individuals with strong integrity between their psychological (spiritual) and physical (physical) functions are one of the determinants of individual performance in organisations. Integrity is a promise to do everything in line with right and ethical principles, as well as values and standards, and there is consistency in continuing to make these commitments in every scenario without seeing any chance or coercion to break them. Individual integrity and performance are strongly influenced by the person-environment fit (person-job fit and person-organization fit). Due to the several corruption cases in Malaysia, the impacts of person-environment fit (person-job fit and person-organization fit) on individual integrity and performance of public sector personnel are investigated in this study. The suggested model was tested using partial least squares on a sample of 214 public sector employees in Penang. Integrity and individual performance is positively influenced by both person-job fit and person-organization fit, with person-organization fit having a stronger effect. Furthermore, the moderating effects of Public Service Motivation in the relationship between person-environment fit and the integrity and individual performance are not significant. As a result, it is critical to design strategies and implement suitable organisational environments in order to successfully raise the integrity and performance levels of public sector employees/