Motivation, satisfaction and engagement of older employees during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Research Question (RQ): Are there statistically significant differences in work motivation, satisfaction and engagement among older employees before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic? Purpose: The aim of the paper is to examine if there are statistically significant differences in work motivation, satisfaction and engagement among older employees before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the paper is also to identify which factors contribute to increasing work motivation, satisfaction and engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The differences in work motivation, satisfaction and engagement among older employees before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic were tested with the nonparametric test for two related samples. To analyze the differences between individual statements, we used the non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The results show that there are statistically significant differences in work motivation, satisfaction and engagement among older employees before the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to the during COVID-19 pandemic. Organisation: The results have a significant impact on a more detailed review of the creation of new working conditions for employees during the Covid-19 pandemic and especially in the period after the Covid-19 pandemic. Society: During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies and society can focus on how to constructively manage the new challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic brings to companies and what they can learn from it. For companies and leaders or HRM in particular, the pandemic can be used as a starting point for positive and future-oriented developments. Originality: With our findings we contribute to the discussion on a constructive and future oriented approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, both for practices around the management of employees as well as for future research. Also, our research highlights which factors increase work motivation, work satisfaction and work engagement during COVID-19 and how to create appropriate working conditions during the COVID-19 and after the COVID-19 pandemic to keep employees motivated, satisfied and engaged. Limitations/further research: Our sample was limited to Slovenian companies and older employees. Also, in our research we limited on work motivation, work satisfaction and work engagement. Therefore, for further research we propose the examination of differences in others constructs before the COVID-19 pandemic and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenian companies and also, the examination of differences in constructs between Slovenia and other countries.

Keywords

• covid-19