Aging engineers' occupational self-efficacy-a mixed methods study

Stina Wallin; Anncristine Fjellman-Wiklund; Lisbeth Fagerström

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1152310

Aging engineers' occupational self-efficacy-a mixed methods study

Front Psychol. 2023 May 18:14:1152310. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1152310. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Stina Wallin¹, Anncristine Fjellman-Wiklund², Lisbeth Fagerström^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Health Sciences, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland.
² Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden.
³ Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway.

Abstract

Introduction: Engineers' work has become more complex with increased demands in today's changing working life. Self-efficacy is essential to successfully adapt to work-related changes and to cope with adverse job demands. However, less is known about aging engineers' occupational self-efficacy. Therefore, this study explores facilitators and barriers to aging engineers' occupational self-efficacy beliefs to continue working until expected retirement age. An additional purpose is to explore if any of the aspects described by the engineers are more prominent.

Methods: The study design was exploratory, using mixed methods with a qualitative to quantitative approach. A total of 125 engineers, aged between 45 and 65 years, answered two open-ended survey questions about what positively and negatively affect their occupational self-efficacy beliefs to continue working. First, data was analyzed using an inductive manifest qualitative content analysis. Next, descriptive statistics were performed based on the results of the qualitative study.

Results: The analyses revealed that health and working conditions that affect health were crucial facilitators and barriers for the aging engineers' occupational self-efficacy to continue working until expected retirement age. Furthermore, the engineers emphasized competence, motivation from meaningful tasks, family and leisure, and private economy.

Discussion: The aging engineers' own health seems to be prominent in their self-efficacy regarding a full working life; consequently, support still needs to address issues affecting health.

Keywords: aging workers; engineers; full working life; mixed methods; occupational self-efficacy; personal resources.