Eppler-Hattab, Raphael; Lang, Gert (2023): The Workplace Age-Friendliness Measure: cross-cultural validation developments in the Israeli and Austrian labour markets, and future directions. 7th Age in the Workplace Meeting 2023, 16. November 2023, Vilnius.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND AND FURTHER VALITATION IN ISRAEL: The Workplace Age-Friendliness Measure (WAFM) is a four-dimensional construct for measuring the extent to which organizations maintain age-related organizational values, policies, practices, and climates that support the employability needs of older workers (Eppler-Hattab et al., 2020). The WAFM was initially developed in Hebrew and cross-translated into English according to accepted guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures (International Test Commission, 2017), while being used in three multiphase, multisource studies: a qualitative assessment procedure and two quantitative field surveys of individual-level perceptions. A further validation was conducted using responses from 1,893 employees working in 32 organizations from seven economic sectors in Israel who evaluated their organizations on the final version of the scale. Using confirmatory factor analysis procedures, the four-factor construct was found to be robust across gender, age groups, and organizational position in all sectors, while demonstrating fit indices that exclusively met accepted thresholds, and demonstrated chi-square difference tests indicating significant differences between the four-factor construct and diverse alternative models. ***VALIDATION PROCESS IN AUSTRIA: Method: A first validation of the German-language version of the WAFM was conducted. Based on guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures (Beaton et al., 2000), several experts translated the original English-language WAFM instrument in an acceptable cross-translation process, from English to German and vice versa. On this basis, a panel of experts compiled the German-language pre-test version. Using an online survey, a convenience sample of 168 purposively selection of Austrian employees through a snowball method were interviewed. Item and dimensional analyses, as well as goodness-of-fit criteria of measurement using univariate and multivariate methods (confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling), were used for this evaluation. ***RESULTS: The 24 individual items were found to have favourable measures and high discriminatory power. Good internal reliability was present for both indicators and factors. Dimensional analysis confirmed structural (construct) validity. Competing criterion validity was also demonstrated using related constructs. Age-friendliness in the workplace was perceived relatively independent of age, gender, and position. Objectivity can be achieved through standardised implementation, scoring, and interpretation of the survey instrument. ***CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER DIRECTIONS: We discuss cross-cultural differences and similarities in applying the WAFM in Israel and Austria. The Austrian analyses demonstrated goodness of fit of the German-language measurement instrument, replicated international findings from Israel, and contributed to the refinement of the German instrument with qualitative feedback from the pre-test sample. Further comparisons and testing are needed in the context of workplace health promotion projects in Austrian and Israeli enterprises (e.g., retest reliability, measurement invariance). With measures focusing on workplace transition management, additional insights can be gained based on workplace interventions programs. Recommendations for future directions may also include a multilevel confirmatory factor analysis of the WAFM, predictive validity (e.g., of organizational outcome variables), and further discriminant validity.

Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (Lecture)
Subjects: FGOE > Fonds Gesundes Oesterreich
Date Deposited: 05 Mar 2024 10:03
Last Modified: 05 Mar 2024 10:03
URI: https://jasmin.goeg.at/id/eprint/3496