Aging engineers’ occupational self-efficacy—a mixed methods study

Frontiers in Psychology

Psychology

Anncristine Fjellman-Wiklund¹  Stina Wallin²  Lisbeth Fagerström³ 

[1] Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden;Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Health Sciences, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland;Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Health Sciences, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland;Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway;

关键词: occupational self-efficacy;    personal resources;    aging workers;    engineers;    full working life;    mixed methods;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1152310

 received in 2023-01-27, accepted in 2023-04-19,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionEngineers’ work has become more complex with increased demands in today’s changing working life. Self-efficacy is essential to successfully adapt to work-related changes and to cope with adverse job demands. However, less is known about aging engineers’ occupational self-efficacy. Therefore, this study explores facilitators and barriers to aging engineers’ occupational self-efficacy beliefs to continue working until expected retirement age. An additional purpose is to explore if any of the aspects described by the engineers are more prominent.MethodsThe study design was exploratory, using mixed methods with a qualitative to quantitative approach. A total of 125 engineers, aged between 45 and 65 years, answered two open-ended survey questions about what positively and negatively affect their occupational self-efficacy beliefs to continue working. First, data was analyzed using an inductive manifest qualitative content analysis. Next, descriptive statistics were performed based on the results of the qualitative study.ResultsThe analyses revealed that health and working conditions that affect health were crucial facilitators and barriers for the aging engineers’ occupational self-efficacy to continue working until expected retirement age. Furthermore, the engineers emphasized competence, motivation from meaningful tasks, family and leisure, and private economy.DiscussionThe aging engineers’ own health seems to be prominent in their self-efficacy regarding a full working life; consequently, support still needs to address issues affecting health.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Wallin, Fjellman-Wiklund and Fagerström.