Daniela Andrei presented a talk on ‘A Diversity Framework to Support Flourishing of Mature Workers in Organisations’ at the 2018 UWA Research Forum on Ageing. The theme of this year’s forum was Leading Innovation through Diversity Research Forum: Bridging Research, Policy and Practice for Age Friendly Care.
More than 100 academics as well as representatives of government agencies, NFPs and care providers attended the busy program which included more than 30 presentations on a range of topics related to ageing and care.
Although the program focused mostly on issues related to diversity in age care, Daniela’s talk took a different angle and explored diversity in the context of an ageing workforce. Based on existing research, Daniela argued for a refocus from diversity to inclusion and highlighted the key role of work design and organisational climate. Organisations can reap the benefits of an increasingly age diverse workforce only by implementing work designs that accommodate and celebrate the unique needs and strengths of ageing employees and by building strong acceptance climates.
The Research Forum at UWA created a vibrant space in which very diverse perspectives on the role and implications of diversity in ageing and age care came together in a very lively dialogue. Most interestingly, we were able to hear the voice of participating older people and how they perceive the existing debates and issues around diversity and age care.