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CHAPTER 4
Individual and organisational predictors influencing ageing workersʼ employability 77

It was first assumed that the relationship between motivation to learn and
employability was stronger for younger employees than for older ones. After
adding age in the analyses, no significant outcome appeared for any
dimension of employability, except for personal flexibility. When the interaction
term was inserted, age appeared to contribute significantly to personal
flexibility, although in a negative sense. After adding the interaction term,
ʻmotivation to learn * ageʼ a significant negative outcome appeared for
personal flexibility. This indicates that age negatively influenced the relation
between motivation to learn and personal flexibility; age was only a moderating
variable for the dimension personal flexibility in this respect.
It was then assumed that the relationship between ability to learn and
employability was more positive for younger employees than for older ones.
The variable age did explain a significant proportion of the total variance in
anticipation and optimisation and in personal flexibility. This indicates that the
older the employee, the lower the score on anticipation and optimisation and
personal flexibility. After adding the interaction term, no significant outcomes
appeared for any dimension of employability, except for anticipation and
optimisation. Also significant results for age on these dimensions disappeared.
This indicates that age negatively influenced the relation between ability to
learn and anticipation and optimisation. This implies that age only serves as
a moderating variable for the relationship between ability to learn and the
dimension anticipation and optimisation.
It was also assumed that the relationship between job rotation without
salary increase and employability was more positive for older employees than
for younger ones. The variable age explained a significant proportion of the
total variance in anticipation and optimisation and in personal flexibility. After
adding the interaction term, no significant outcomes appeared for any
dimension of employability. This indicates that age was not a moderating
variable on the relation of job rotation without salary increase and all five
dimensions of employability.
The relationship between learning climate and employability was supposed
to be more positive for older workers than for their younger colleagues. The
variable age explained a significant proportion of the total variance in
anticipation and optimisation. No interaction effect for any of the five
dimensions of employability could be found.
It was also assumed that the relationship between supervisor support and
employability was more positive for younger employees than for their older
colleagues. The variable age appeared to explain a significant amount of
variance in anticipation and optimisation. This indicates that age negatively