Aging Stereotypes and the Customer Orientations of Older Hospitality Employees

While the older population generally and the older workforce in particular has been growing in most countries, scholars have not explored how the work performance of this group is affected by stereotypical views toward them. This study aims to explore older service employee (OSE) perceptions of aging stereotypes that are attributed to them by their colleagues and customers and to investigate their respective impacts on OSE customer orientations. Methodologically, this study adopts a quantitative approach and establishes a structural equation model that applies partial least squares. The findings show that OSE customer orientations are negatively impacted by the aging stereotypes of their colleagues. However, no significant relationship is evident between OSE customer orientations and the aging stereotypes attributed by customers. This study is one of the first to explore aging stereotypes in hospitality work settings and to model a relationship between aging stereotypes and OSE work performance. Practical contributions concerning the creation and maintenance of an inclusive work environment are also discussed.