Le développement de l’activité des salariés âgés : l’environnement sociotechnique comme ressource au métier d’agent de circulation

Abstract

Understanding the conditions for the integration of ICT into the professional activity of older workers is an important social issue. In this article based on the study of the activity of rail traffic officers, we propose to apprehend the psychosocial resources that these workers mobilize in order to cope with and adapt to new technological working environments. This research draws on the theoretical foundations developed around both a developmental and systemic approach to activity, such as that provided by the activity system (Engeström, 1987). We seek to understand the relationships between older workers and ICTs but also to understand how they build and develop their professional practices in real working situations, both by and with technological devices, but also in interaction with their colleagues. It is about taking into account the socio-technical environment in which older workers evolve. Data collection was carried out using a process of methodological triangulation in order to understand six rail traffic officers’ mediated activities in two different stations. The results reveal that there is no difference in the use and acceptance of technical devices between younger and older officers, although the logic and/or strategies of use differ. In this way, we identified various ways of doing the job, which were created on a collective basis and which would appear to be elements that influence the development of the activity mediated by the technological tools available to traffic officers.

Keywords

• older workers
• ICT
• activity
• development
• enabling environment