The ageing workforce: Ethical implications for HRM practitioners

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Author(s)
Shacklock, Kate
Shacklock, Arthur
Year published
2005
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This paper adds a new dimension to the implications of Australia's ageing workforce -- the impact upon human resource practitioners (HRPs) in terms of the likely increasing ethical dilemmas they will face. Predictions of a labour shortfall of skilled workers means that organisations will need to employ more older workers than previously. However, the empirical research reported in this paper on ethical decisions made by human resource management practitioners (HRPs) in key HRM areas suggests they are faced with increasing ethical dilemmas (in terms of both frequency and complexity). Literatures from both the human ...
View more >This paper adds a new dimension to the implications of Australia's ageing workforce -- the impact upon human resource practitioners (HRPs) in terms of the likely increasing ethical dilemmas they will face. Predictions of a labour shortfall of skilled workers means that organisations will need to employ more older workers than previously. However, the empirical research reported in this paper on ethical decisions made by human resource management practitioners (HRPs) in key HRM areas suggests they are faced with increasing ethical dilemmas (in terms of both frequency and complexity). Literatures from both the human resource management and organisational ethics fields are presented, arguing that the future will be difficult for HRPs as the workforce continues to age. The ethical dilemmas involved in such decisions and practices will place HRPs in an ever more difficult and complex situation. This has implications for the successful management of internal workforces for organisations, and for HRM in general.
View less >
View more >This paper adds a new dimension to the implications of Australia's ageing workforce -- the impact upon human resource practitioners (HRPs) in terms of the likely increasing ethical dilemmas they will face. Predictions of a labour shortfall of skilled workers means that organisations will need to employ more older workers than previously. However, the empirical research reported in this paper on ethical decisions made by human resource management practitioners (HRPs) in key HRM areas suggests they are faced with increasing ethical dilemmas (in terms of both frequency and complexity). Literatures from both the human resource management and organisational ethics fields are presented, arguing that the future will be difficult for HRPs as the workforce continues to age. The ethical dilemmas involved in such decisions and practices will place HRPs in an ever more difficult and complex situation. This has implications for the successful management of internal workforces for organisations, and for HRM in general.
View less >
Conference Title
Engaging the Multiple Contexts of Management: Convergence and divergence of management theory and practice: Proceedings of the 19th ANZAM Conference
Volume
10
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2005 Australian & New Zealand Academy of Management. The attached file is posted here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher, for your personal use only. No further distribution permitted. Use hypertext link for access to publisher's website.