Younger supervisors, older subordinates: an organizational-level study of age differences, emotions, and performance

Published in: Journal of Organizational Behavior - May 2017

Written by

Florian Kunze and Jochen Menges

Summary

What we found: Younger employees are often promoted into positions in which they manage older subordinates. We find that large age differences between supervisors and subordinates lead to more negative emotions which in turn lower company performance. But whenever older subordinates suppress instead of express their negative emotions, it neutralizes the detrimental effect of these emotions on company performance.

Why it matters: Our research shows that age differences between supervisors and subordinates might be a reason why older subordinates feel negative emotions such as anger or fear. Smaller age gaps between supervisors and subordinates bear a lower risk for igniting negative emotions than larger age gaps unless subordinates inhibit their negative emotions

What next: Organizations need to be aware that promoting younger employees into positions in which they manage older employees may cause some emotional problems and that these problems could negatively affect company performance. Practitioners should carefully think about ways to balance these emotional problems when promoting employees.