Why Age Matters in the Work Preferences of Public Employees: A Comparison of Three Age-Related Explanations

Age diversity is a major issue in the American public sector workplace. Public managers must figure out how to retain and motivate highly skilled older employees who are transitioning out of the workplace, while at the same time remaining attractive to lesser skilled younger employees who are entering into the workplace. Fulfilling this goal is more difficult in light of the evidence that older and younger public employees desire different work opportunities. Before managers develop effective strategies to respond to these age differences, they must first understand why these differences are present. This study sought to explore why age differences are present by comparing three explanations. Using a sample of three hundred and forty-nine public employees drawn from a large county jurisdiction in Oregon, this study revealed that the reasons why age matters depends on employees' generational differences, access to desirable work opportunities, and socialization experiences in public organizations. The implications of this study for theory and practice in the field of public administration are discussed.