Generation Gap Management in Restructured Metallurgical Enterprises in Poland

Abstract

This paper concerns the problem of generation gap management resulting from personnel restructuring in foundries in Poland. Structural changes to steelworks led to a sharp decline in employment caused by decreased steelworks production. New hiring was limited as a part of employment rationalisation in the steelworks sector. Such personnel policy eventually led to a generation gap. Ratios between individual age groups of employees are imbalanced at steelworks: the numbers of young personnel are low and of those aged 50+ are high. This research forecasts changes in employment levels for the 2013-2019 period, aimed at closing the generation gap. The paper consists of three parts: (1) a descriptive analysis of labor market demographics in Poland’s steel industry; (2) proposed methodology for HR management model, and (3) econometric models forecasting labor demographics in Poland’s steel industry.

Keywords

• restructuring process
• generation gap management
• metallurgical enterprise