Ålder är bara en siffra - En kvalitativ studie kring ålders påverkan på det sociala kapitalet

Abstract

The average life expectancy increases year by year. In 2060, a quarter of the Swedish population is predicted to be 65 or older, therefore the Swedish labour market needs to consider and plan for an ageing workforce. An employee who has been working in the same role for a long period of time is expected to possess a high amount of social capital in terms of experience, social network and status. When the employee leaves work due to old age and retirement, the organisation risks losing valuable competence. The purpose of this study was to investigate how age is affecting an individual’s social capital in the workplace, with a specific focus on the mentees in a mentoring programme and how the programme affected the mobility of social capital. We investigate what relation between age and social capital the mentees are experiencing during their participation in the mentoring programme and also how the programme can enable the access to social capital. For the study we held interviews with mentees, HR-employees and a manager. Our study is relevant from an HR perspective due to the study’s focus on age management and employee diversity. The findings was that age did have an impact on the social capital within the mentoring programme. Through the programme the mentee retained knowledge and got access to the social capital the mentor had achieved. Our conclusion is that the programme can be considered as a shortcut to a higher amount of social capital. It enabled a shift where the mentee got access to a higher amount of social capital, however at the expense of the mentor.