Meaning of work for older workers: a bibliometric and integrative literature reviewAbstract
This study aimed to investigate and discuss the meaning of work for older workers through a bibliometric and integrative literature review. The research covered publications between 2008 and 2025 in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, applying the three classic bibliometric laws: Bradford, Lotka, and Zipf. Out of 217 initially identified articles, 19 were selected for final analysis after applying the inclusion criteria. The results revealed irregular scientific production during the period, with publications concentrated in high-impact journals, limited international collaboration, and significant cultural variations in the meaning attributed to work by older professionals. Three central themes emerged: meaning of work and older workers, retirement and post-retirement, and gender issues. The final considerations evidence that work for older workers transcends monetary aspects, representing a source of identity, well-being, social interaction, and personal fulfillment.
Keywords:
meaning of work; older workers; ageism; generational diversity; age management
Resumo
Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar e discutir o sentido do trabalho para trabalhadores mais velhos por meio de uma revisão bibliométrica e integrativa da literatura. A pesquisa abrangeu publicações entre 2008 e 2025, nas bases de dados Scopus e Web of Science, com a aplicação das três leis bibliométricas: Bradford, Lotka e Zipf. De 217 artigos inicialmente identificados, 19 foram selecionados para análise final após a aplicação de critérios de inclusão. Os resultados revelaram produção científica irregular no período, com publicações concentradas em periódicos de alto impacto, pouca colaboração entre países e variações culturais significativas no sentido atribuído ao trabalho por profissionais mais velhos. Três temas centrais emergiram: sentido do trabalho e trabalhadores mais velhos, aposentadoria e pós-aposentadoria, e questões de gênero. As considerações finais evidenciam que o trabalho para trabalhadores mais velhos transcende aspectos monetários, representando fonte de identidade, bem-estar, interação social e realização pessoal.
Palavras-chave:
sentido do trabalho; trabalhadores mais velhos; etarismo; diversidade geracional; gestão de idade
Resumen
Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar y discutir el sentido del trabajo para los trabajadores mayores mediante una revisión bibliométrica e integrativa de la literatura. La investigación abarcó publicaciones editadas entre 2008 y 2025 en las bases de datos Scopus y Web of Science, aplicando las tres leyes bibliométricas: Bradford, Lotka y Zipf. De 217 artículos inicialmente identificados, 19 fueron seleccionados para el análisis final tras aplicar los criterios de inclusión. Los resultados revelaron una producción científica irregular durante el período, con publicaciones concentradas en revistas de alto impacto, escasa colaboración internacional y variaciones culturales significativas en el sentido atribuido al trabajo por los profesionales mayores. Surgieron tres temas centrales: el sentido del trabajo y los trabajadores mayores, la jubilación y la postjubilación, y las cuestiones de género. Las consideraciones finales evidencian que el trabajo para los trabajadores mayores trasciende los aspectos monetarios, representando una fuente de identidad, bienestar, interacción social y realización personal.
Palabras clave:
sentido del trabajo; trabajadores mayores; edadismo; diversidad generacional; gestión de la edad
INTRODUCTION
The population is living longer and healthier, consequently remaining in the labor market for a longer time (Hanashiro & Pereira, 2020). In Brazil, older people tend to continue in their jobs to supplement family income, since, often, the salary of these individuals is the only source of income for their families (Sato & Lancman, 2020). Furthermore, work for older professionals means life, and they translate working as a way to mitigate their own aging (Marra et al., 2013).
In this scenario, ageism is perceived, a term coined by Butler (1969), which has “etarismo” and “idadismo” as synonyms in Brazil. Ageism means age prejudice, that is, prejudice related to any age group. The classic definition is that ageism is a systematic process of stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old. In addition, ageism, the English term for the definition, is classified as one of the three major isms, along with racism and sexism (Butler, 1969). However, França et al. (2017) exemplify that, in the scientific community, among these three types of discrimination, ageism has still been little addressed. Issues involving racism and sexism are still more fostered in the academic sphere, but age-based prejudice is unique, given that it is something everyone faces (Cruikshank, 2009).
Taneva et al. (2016) state that older workers view the end of their careers as a period of personal growth and significant contribution. They value the knowledge and experience accumulated over time more than traditional career advancement. Davis and Wolverson (2014) also maintain that continuous engagement in work is associated with longevity, quality of life, and well-being, providing a vital purpose for older workers.
Therefore, as Zacher and Rudolph (2023) rightly point out, the meaning of work for aging individuals is complex and multifaceted, influenced by individual differences, social perceptions, and personal motivations. The authors emphasize that, despite negative stereotypes associated with age and performance decline, these workers still view work as a way to express their capabilities and skills, as well as to contribute to the organizational workforce. More broadly, they explain that the meaning of work for older individuals is a rich and varied construct, reflecting a combination of personal, social, and professional factors.
These stereotypes in the organizational world against older professionals are observed as obsolescence, resistance to change, and difficulty in dealing with new technologies (Loth & Silveira, 2014; Silva & Helal, 2019, 2024). However, as Palmore (1999) points out, age-based prejudice is rooted in stereotypes and can also be positive. Chonody (2016) corroborates this thought, elucidating that positive stereotypes, for example, kind, cute, and wise, may seem empathetic at first glance, but are paternalistic in nature and support prejudiced behaviors towards the aging individual.
Given the above, it is evident that work is not only a source of income, but also a way to maintain an active and relevant identity, ensure a dignified future, interact and learn with other generations, and preserve mental and physical health. Furthermore, the appreciation of knowledge and experience acquired throughout the career becomes more prominent, as well as the search for recognition and respect within society.
Kooij et al. (2011) show that some older workers may seek additional financial security, while others find meaning and purpose in their work. The search for challenges and continuous learning opportunities, along with the relationships built in the work environment, can also constitute a motivating factor. In addition, maintaining health and well-being, the opportunity to contribute with their experience and knowledge, and leaving a professional legacy are aspects that influence the decision of some older workers to remain active in the labor market.
Colet and Mozzato (2021), when exploring issues involving People Management (PM) in organizations and the effective management of intergenerational relations, show that PM in companies plays a crucial role in creating organizational environments that favor learning and the exchange of experiences between different generations. The effective management of intergenerational relations is fundamental to harness the specificities of each generation, such as creativity, experience, and speed, contributing to a knowledge-rich environment - thus being a differential for reducing ageism.
Furthermore, the importance of older workers’ knowledge is highlighted by Fossatti and Mozzato (2023), who emphasize the need for organizational practices that promote intergenerational knowledge transfer, recognizing the contribution of professionals in the retirement process to institutional development and the strengthening of labor relations.
Studies such as those by Davis and Wolverson (2014), Taneva et al. (2016), and Zacher and Rudolph (2023) show that work can be a central element for the longevity and quality of life of older workers, offering not only a continuous purpose, but also a platform for personal expression and social contribution. Therefore, understanding and meeting the needs and motivations of these workers is crucial to maximize their potential and promote an inclusive and enriching work environment. In this context, understanding how ageism and generational diversity impact the meaning of work becomes fundamental to promote more inclusive organizational environments and effectively value the experience of mature workers.
Given the importance of considering aging individuals also in the labor market, including the meaning that work occupies in their lives, the realization of this bibliometric and integrative literature review is justified. For data collection and measurement, two distinct databases were used: Scopus and Web of Science. Only international databases are part of this research, because in the national ones - Scientific Periodicals Electronic Library (Spell) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) -, no articles were identified, even using the same descriptors for both. This is another reason that justifies the execution of this work.
That said, this article has the following research question: how is the meaning of work for older workers being discussed? Thus, this study aims to investigate and discuss the concepts and contexts regarding the meaning of work for older workers.
The importance of analyzing the meaning of work for older workers is reaffirmed, both for them and for organizations, the academic scenario, and society. Research on the topic is still incipient, even internationally. Below, methods, results, and final considerations are presented.
METHODOLOGICAL PROCEDURES
According to the classifications proposed by Prodanov and Freitas (2013), this work is classified, from the point of view of its nature, as initial research, with the intention of generating knowledge for scientific progress. Regarding the objectives, this research is exploratory in nature, as it provides more information and guides the determination of objectives and the debate on the interrelation of themes that are still incipient in the field of study. As for technical procedures, its classification is bibliographic, precisely because it is elaborated from published bibliographic sources.
To achieve the established objective, data were collected using bibliometric review techniques, followed by an integrative literature review. Bibliometrics involves the quantitative study of scientific and technical publications, analyzing scientific activity through quantitative indicators. These indicators not only help to understand the dynamics of science but also serve as tools for policy planning and decision-making in this field. As noted by Chueke and Amatucci (2022), bibliometric research has as its main objective to identify, measure, and quantify scientific production on a given subject, being built according to results of previous research, with the objective of identifying gaps to be investigated in future research that addresses the central theme of the current research.
For the application of bibliometric laws, Bradford’s Law was used to identify the core of the most productive journals in the area and Zipf’s Law to examine the frequency of occurrence of keywords and terms in the abstracts of the articles (Guedes & Borschiver, 2005). These analyses were complemented by country collaboration analysis. The analysis of author productivity was performed according to Lotka’s Law, which predicts the unequal distribution of scientific production among researchers.
In turn, the integrative review is a specific method that summarizes empirical or theoretical literature to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a particular phenomenon (Torraco, 2016). This method provides knowledge synthesis and allows the incorporation of the applicability of results from significant studies into practice (Botelho et al., 2011). As the authors refer, the integrative review enables the synthesis of several already published studies, allowing the generation of new knowledge based on the results presented by previous research. It is worth noting that a distinctive feature of this approach is the ability to include studies that adopt diverse methodologies, whether experimental or non-experimental (Torraco, 2016).
Thus, this method is particularly useful for dynamic themes experiencing rapid growth in the literature or for emerging topics that generate a growing body of literature that may include contradictions or discrepancies among available studies (Botelho et al., 2011; Torraco, 2016). Thus, the research was conducted in two distinct stages, as detailed below.
In the first stage, to ensure the relevance and quality of the studies, the following inclusion criteria were applied: publications from January 2008 to December 2024; articles published in the areas of Business, Management and Accounting; availability of abstract and full text; and document type restricted to articles. These criteria were essential to filter the vast amount of available publications.
Thus, all documents that met these criteria were considered for subsequent analysis. Data collection was carried out in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. No articles were found covering the theme in national databases (SciELO and Spell). The search strategy was conducted in the “All Fields” field and used keywords combined with Boolean operators for a synthesized and precise search, as outlined in Table 1.
The two groups of descriptors were then combined with the AND operator to ensure that the articles found addressed both themes: (“meaning of work” OR “work meaning” OR “work purpose” OR “work significance”) AND (“older workers” OR “aging workers” OR “elderly workers” OR “senior workers”). This systematic search process, using descriptors together with Boolean operators, ensured the collection of a comprehensive and relevant set of articles, providing a solid basis for the bibliometric review and, subsequently, for the integrative review.
In the second stage, the sample was delimited for bibliometric and integrative analysis based on more specific criteria, that is, abstracts, keywords, and titles had to be aligned with the research objective, which is to investigate and discuss the concepts and contexts regarding the meaning of work for older workers. Although the initial search considered articles from 2008 to 2025, only those published from 2010 to 2023 were included in the final sample, due to there being no publications in 2024 and 2025. This temporal delimitation made sense due to the concentration of studies relevant to this research in the time span from 2010 to 2023.
Initially, the sample consisted of 217 articles, after removing duplicates. In the second stage of selection, each article was evaluated according to more specific criteria: (a) the central theme of the study should be the meaning of work for older workers; (b) the abstracts, keywords, and titles should be aligned with the research objective; (c) articles that addressed the meaning of work only as a secondary variable or that focused on other populations were excluded. After this careful analysis, only 19 articles were considered adequate and formed part of the scope of this bibliometric and integrative research. All were read in full to carry out the integrative literature review. Given the above, in the next section, after the bibliometric review, through the integrative review, what each of these studies proposed to offer readers is highlighted.
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
In this section, the research results are presented and explored based on the division by type of literature review conducted: first, the bibliometric, and then the integrative.
Bibliometric analysis
The bibliometric analysis begins with the presentation of the annual distribution of articles published between 2010 and 2023, which shows the publication year of the 19 analyzed documents that met the research criteria regarding the meaning of work for older workers. Of the analyzed documents, when examining author productivity in light of Lotka’s Law (Guedes & Borschiver, 2005), it was observed that all authors included in the sample contributed only one article, with no repetition of authorship. Thus, it was not possible to identify a concentration of production, indicating a dispersion of authorship and the absence of the concentration pattern predicted by the law.
In the years from 2010 to 2012, 2 articles were found per year. In 2013 and 2014, there were no relevant publications. In 2015, there was a peak with 3 articles, followed by 2 articles in 2016. The years 2017 and 2018 again had no publications, while 2019 presented only 1 article and 2020 had 2 articles. In 2021, there were no publications. Finally, the years 2022 and 2023 showed a new peak, with 3 articles in 2022 and 2 in 2023. It is confirmed that in the years 2024 and 2025, no article covering the main theme of this study was identified. The production of articles varied significantly over the years, without a clear growth trend, highlighting periods of high and low research activity on the subject.
The quality of the journals comprising the sample of this research was evaluated based on the quartiles and the SJR (SCImago Journal Rank) indicator, provided by the SCImago database, referring to the year 2023. These indicators were selected because they allow the analysis of the impact and scientific prestige of the journals, considering not only the volume but also the relevance of the citations received. This evaluation of the journals is presented in Table 2.
The results presented in Table 2 show that the 19 analyzed articles are mostly published in journals of high scientific relevance, with a predominance of vehicles classified in Quartile 1 (Q1). Journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly (SJR: 14.18), Personnel Psychology (SJR: 3.76), and Journal of Organizational Behavior (SJR: 3.19), recognized in the area of management and organizational behavior, stand out. The journals Gender, Work and Organization (SJR: 2.47) and Work, Employment and Society (SJR: 2.14) also stand out, reinforcing the relevance of the analyzed studies.
The concentration of publications in high-prestige journals indicates that, although the production on the meaning of work for older workers is still incipient, existing studies have been disseminated in vehicles of broad international visibility, which gives greater robustness and reach to the findings of this literature. Additionally, an analysis of the number of citations of the documents was performed with the aid of the R software and the Biblioshiny tool, the results of which are presented in Table 3.
The reference with the highest number of citations also comes from one of the journals with the highest quality level. The article by Kooij et al. (2011), published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior, has an impact factor of 3.19, with a total of 516 citations in the document and 36.86 citations per year. Such indices show that this article is used as a reference by researchers. Furthermore, only 5 of the 19 analyzed articles were not included in this table, as no citation was identified. Therefore, this result reinforces the centrality of this study in consolidating the field, indicating its role as a structuring reference for subsequent research.
Network analysis was also performed using RStudio software based on the Biblioshiny tool, based on the bibliometric mapping of the data from this research. Figure 1 presents such an analysis of the correlation among the most cited words in the abstract of each article, making it possible to analyze the relationship of the most used words in the abstracts and their relationship among all 19 articles in the sample.
The word co-occurrence network of the abstracts of the 19 articles, represented in Figure 1, reveals the thematic structure underlying the analyzed scientific production, allowing the identification not only of the most frequent terms but also of the semantic relationships and conceptual groupings that organize this field of study. The terms “study”, “research”, “findings”, and “workers” emerge as the main central nodes of the network, showing that the analyzed production is strongly anchored in an empirical and results-oriented perspective, which denotes a concern in the literature with generating concrete evidence about the work experience of older workers.
The proximity between “meaning”, “age”, and “workers” in the central green cluster confirms that the meaning of work and aging are inseparable dimensions in this field, being treated in an integrated manner by the analyzed research. This articulation suggests that the studies do not investigate the meaning of work in isolation, but always situated within the age condition of the workers, which reinforces the specificity and thematic coherence of the selected sample. Complementarily, the terms “experience”, “job”, “employees”, “social”, and “relationship”, present in the red cluster on the left, indicate that the literature approaches the meaning of work through multiple dimensions: the subjective and identity dimension of the professional experience, interpersonal relationships in the work environment, and the social implications of active aging.
The blue cluster, in turn, concentrates terms such as “attitudes”, “ageing”, “employment”, “positive”, and “hypotheses”, revealing a strand of the literature more oriented toward the study of attitudes towards aging and the employability conditions of older workers. The presence of “retirement” and “continue” in this grouping reinforces that decisions to stay in or leave the labor market are recurring themes, connecting the meaning of work to retirement and post-retirement issues.
Finally, terms such as “purpose”, “role”, “engagement”, and “career” make up the periphery of the network, signaling emerging dimensions that, although less central in the analyzed production, point to gaps and opportunities for further investigation in future research. The network, therefore, demonstrates a multifaceted and internally coherent literature, in which the meaning of work, aging, identity, and social relationships constitute the structuring axes of the field.
Finally, Figure 2 elucidates the thematic map, in which the words that occurred most frequently in the titles of the articles are highlighted, in addition to the correlation among them.
The analysis of the thematic map of the keywords of the 19 articles reveals two large thematic networks that articulate the scientific production on older workers. The term “older workers” appears as one of the main connecting nodes of the map, strongly connecting to keywords such as “attitudes”, “health”, “burnout”, and “meaning of work”. This shows that the literature not only discusses the meaning of work for this population but also the perceptions, motivations, and challenges faced, such as mental health and professional burnout. The presence of “ageism” and “psychosocial work environment” also stands out, indicating a recurring concern with age prejudice and the psychosocial environment in the context of aging at work.
Another strong point of the map is the centrality of the term “meaning of work”, which acts as a link between different subthemes, especially health and satisfaction. The blue network, in turn, aggregates discussions on “retirement”, “qualitative research”, “adults”, and “aged”, reflecting a multidimensional approach ranging from qualitative aspects of the work experience to themes such as retirement and active aging. The interconnection between “work”, “health”, and “older” suggests that the meaning of work is frequently analyzed in relation to well-being, health, and the transition to retirement. The map thus shows a robust and multifaceted literature, with “older workers” and “meaning of work” as structuring axes, and highlights the relevance of themes such as ageism, health, and organizational environment in understanding work for older professionals.
Concluding this stage of the quantitative analysis typical of bibliometrics, the integrative analysis of the articles follows.
Integrative literature analysis
In order to begin the integrative literature analysis, the set of 19 articles that make up this sample is initially presented, as arranged in Table 4. In it, the studies are displayed in descending chronological order of publication, accompanied by a descriptive synthesis, in which the central objective of each article is highlighted.
It is observed that all the articles listed in the table originate from international literature, with only one of them produced by a Brazilian researcher - Vasconcelos (2015) -, which specifically addresses the Brazilian reality. Faced with this set of works, upon categorizing the analyzed articles, some themes intertwined with the central theme of this work were identified: the meaning of work and older workers. Thus, seeking to address these interconnections, this section is divided as follows: first, the central theme of the article is debated; next, post-retirement and the meaning of work; and finally, gender issues and the meaning of work. In this last thematic division, the focus was on the female gender, because the research was concentrated on this gender.
It should be noted that Table 4, presented above, constitutes only an introductory synthesis of the 19 articles that make up the sample, aiming to offer the reader a panoramic and organized view of the analyzed production. Each of these studies, however, has a broader theoretical and empirical contribution than the one described in the synthesis, with their findings being deepened and critically discussed in the subsections that follow, in light of the relevant theoretical framework and the objectives of this research.
Thus, the integrative analysis developed in the next subsections is not limited to describing the articles individually, but seeks to identify convergences, divergences, and gaps among the studies, promoting an analytical and interpretative discussion about the meaning of work for older workers. This approach allows going beyond mere description, building a denser and more articulated understanding of the investigated phenomenon based on the dialogue between the different cultural, methodological, and thematic contexts present in the analyzed literature.
MEANING OF WORK AND OLDER WORKERS
When addressing the meaning of work for older workers in Brazil, Vasconcelos (2015) explains that older professionals perceive work as a source of meaning, self-realization, and professional satisfaction, even when facing challenges such as discrimination and a lack of development opportunities. As pointed out by Jiang and Wrzesniewski (2023), for many older workers, work is not only a source of income but also an essential part of their identity and emotional well-being. Still following this logic, Marra et al. (2025) recently showed that work maintains a central role in the construction of identity, life meaning, and belonging for mature workers. The authors demonstrate that, even faced with the proximity of retirement, work remains a structuring axis of these individuals’ experience, even if it cannot be denied that it is a phase marked by ambivalences, involving both positive perceptions and feelings of insecurity regarding the future.
Furthermore, issues including age-based discrimination and challenges in balancing personal life and work stand out as aggravating factors for the decreased desire to work among these aging individuals. These obstacles can negatively impact the motivation, engagement, and job satisfaction of these individuals, influencing their willingness to remain active in the labor market (Vasconcelos, 2015).
Kim and Kim (2022), when exploring issues involving the older worker in South Korea, show that, in terms of the meaning of work, South Korean workers tend to attribute meaning to their work through social recognition, personal achievement, and contribution to the country’s economic growth. For many South Koreans, work is not merely a source of income but also an important part of their identity and self-esteem. Furthermore, as highlighted by the authors, it is important to emphasize that culture and social norms in South Korea play a significant role in how workers perceive work and the meaning they attribute to it. In this logic, the authors point out that organizations must offer healthy and accessible work environments that facilitate the well-being of the older professional. In addition, creating flexible working hours is a favorable factor for their well-being. Having these practices within an organizational environment benefits not only the older worker but the organization as a whole.
Clausen and Borg (2011) explain that in Denmark, the meaning of work for older workers can be crucial in terms of well-being, satisfaction, and work engagement. For many older workers, work can represent not only a source of income but also a means of maintaining social connection, personal identity, purpose, and fulfillment. Furthermore, Ishiyama (2023) demonstrates that the importance of finding meaning and purpose in work helps to promote well-being and satisfaction in the organizational environment.
Contributing to this statement, Li et al. (2022) show that older workers tend to value social relationships at work more, which makes them more emotionally sensitive to daily inclusion experiences. This greater valuation of social relationships can lead to more significant changes in positive and negative affect in response to inclusion experiences, compared to younger workers.
In a study conducted in Norway, Anthun and Innstrand (2016) demonstrate that older professionals value and identify deeply with their tasks and with the organization. Also according to the authors, this suggests that these more experienced professionals may have a more meaningful and rewarding connection with work, positively influencing their organizational commitment.
In turn, Helmes (2015) already highlighted that organizations adopting inclusive practices to promote a work environment that respects and values older workers possess a competitive advantage over other organizations that lack age management practices. These practices, according to the author, range from promoting an organizational culture that values age diversity to implementing anti-age discrimination policies and developing strategies to retain and engage older workers.
Finally, in Taiwan, as evidenced in the work of Lu (2012), for many older workers, work can be an economic necessity rather than an individual career choice, especially due to the lack of an adequate institutional safety and welfare net. Therefore, for the author, work in old age can be seen as a combination of financial need, desire for social interaction and learning opportunities, and an economic reality in an aging and developing society.
Given the evidence presented, it is observed that the meaning of work among older workers cannot be understood as a homogeneous or universal construct, but rather as a multifaceted phenomenon, intersected by structural, cultural, and institutional constraints. Although the reviewed studies point to recurring elements - such as the search for utility, social belonging, identity, and the continuity of productive life -, these dimensions take on distinct configurations according to the socioeconomic and cultural context of each country. In contexts marked by greater vulnerability and less social security coverage, work tends to be strongly driven by economic necessity, while in scenarios with greater stability, symbolic aspects emerge more intensely, such as personal fulfillment and purpose.
In this sense, the literature indicates that the meaning of work for mature workers results from a tension between choice, necessity, and autonomy, revealing that remaining active in the labor market is not necessarily indicative of successful aging, but may also reflect inequalities accumulated over the life course. Thus, a more critical analysis requires shifting the focus from a predominantly individual and subjective perspective to an approach that incorporates the objective conditions shaping these experiences, demonstrating that the meaning of work for mature workers is simultaneously produced and limited by the opportunities, or lack thereof, in different social contexts.
RETIREMENT, POST-RETIREMENT AND THE MEANING OF WORK
Having a job that provides a sense of belonging, meaning, connection, and structure contributes to a healthier transition to retirement (Clausen & Borg, 2011). Macêdo et al. (2019) contribute to this assertion when addressing retirement, wherein the meanings of work are essential, as they influence the decision to prolong the professional career or not. For them, the perception of autonomy, interpersonal interaction, flexible working conditions, and non-work interests are factors that impact the intention to continue working beyond formal retirement requirements.
Fasbender et al. (2016) address the connection between continuing to work and the meaning of work in post-retirement. According to the authors, legislation and demographic trends in several industrialized countries indicate an increase in the number of people who continue working after retirement, which highlights the growing importance of post-retirement employment as a form of labor force participation.
Aleksandrowicz et al. (2010) report that the meaning of work plays a crucial role in the decision to remain professionally active after retirement. Contributing to this aspect, Kafkova and Rabusic (2010), when analyzing the transition to retirement in the Czech Republic, showed that older workers value work as an important part of their lives, considering it an essential dimension of their trajectories.
Through the analysis of this subsection, it is asserted that, in various countries, the meanings of work for aging individuals, whether retired or not, are similar. In the research by Simpson et al. (2012), the article explores how older workers attribute meaning to the work performed after retirement in New Zealand, highlighting the importance of work as a source of personal fulfillment, social contribution, and community connection. In addition, the authors show that new post-retirement careers can promote a more positive and active view of aging, contradicting negative stereotypes associated with old age and demonstrating that older people have much to contribute to society.
Another point to be highlighted is that older workers tend to value the meaning of work differently compared to younger workers (Jiang & Wrzesniewski, 2023). Still according to the authors, older workers usually attribute a deeper meaning to work, seeking purpose, personal fulfillment, and connection to something larger than themselves. Therefore, these differences between older and younger workers highlight the importance of recognizing and respecting the diverse perspectives and motivations of each age group within organizations, in addition to the very intention of continuing to work after retirement.
In short, a job that offers a sense of belonging and meaning contributes to a healthy transition to retirement, as shown by Clausen and Borg (2011) and reinforced by Macêdo et al. (2019), who highlight the importance of the meanings of work in the decision to prolong the career. However, as Kim and Ha (2020) rightly point out, healthy and flexible work environments are necessary for the well-being of older professionals.
Although the literature points to the relevance of work as a source of belonging, identity, and continuity in the transition to retirement, a more critical reading reveals that this relationship is neither linear nor universally positive. The valuation of work in post-retirement, frequently associated with well-being, purpose, and active aging, can also conceal structural determinants that limit individuals’ autonomy, such as the insufficiency of social protection systems and inequalities accumulated over the life course. Thus, the decision to remain in the labor market after retirement should not be interpreted solely as an individual choice, but also as the result of economic, institutional, and cultural pressures.
GENDER AND THE MEANING OF WORK
In this subsection, the intersectionality of gender is addressed. In this sense, Schilling (2015) asserts that work expectations may vary according to the worker’s gender. The author highlights, in the study conducted in Germany, how older women, especially those with intermediate qualifications, attribute distinct meanings to work compared to men. For some women, work can be central to their identity and work-life balance, while others may prioritize family life more. On the other hand, as the author notes, women with higher qualifications tend to attribute more importance to work in their identities, constantly seeking opportunities for professional advancement and personal fulfillment. These differences highlight the diversity of perspectives regarding work and personal life among the women interviewed in this study.
In addition, Lindström et al. (2022) show, in their study in Finland, that women face challenges of sexism and ageism in the entrepreneurial environment. However, ageism practices are experienced by older workers regardless of gender (Helmes, 2015). Nevertheless, the way age discrimination manifests and its specific impact may vary according to gender.
According to the study conducted by Brinck et al. (2020) in Germany, women value the altruistic values of work more than men, which suggests a gender difference in this regard. Furthermore, this gender disparity can influence perceptions and priorities at work, especially among older workers, highlighting the importance of considering not only age but also gender when exploring motivations and values in the work environment.
In summary, the analysis through the lens of intersectionality shows that the meaning of work for older women cannot be understood solely from the age variable, nor reduced to individual choices between career and family. In reality, the meaning of work for older women, in addition to gender and age, is intersected by cultural norms and structures that historically condition the possibilities of insertion and permanence of these women in the working world. Thus, the observed differences reflect not only individual preferences but also structural inequalities that shape distinct expectations, opportunities, and recognition for men and women over the life course. Furthermore, the overlap between ageism and sexism tends to place older women in particularly vulnerable positions. Therefore, understanding the meaning of work in this group demands a critical approach that recognizes these multiple inequalities, avoiding simplistic interpretations.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
Reaching the end of this bibliometric and integrative review, which meets the initially outlined objective, the concepts and contexts regarding the meaning of work for older workers were investigated, presented, and discussed, revealing what can be understood so far. With the search in international and national databases, the lack of studies in the latter became explicit. Although 19 results were found in the international databases, at the end of this work, the incipiency of publications that address the themes in a correlated manner became evident.
Based on the articles found, as results of this study, the high impact factor and the quality indices of the journals in which the articles were published stand out, with the largest number of publications occurring in the journals Administrative Science Quarterly, Personnel Psychology; Journal of Organizational Behavior; Gender, Work and Organization; and Work, Employment and Society. However, one of the journals, Sociológia, did not score in any of the analyzed quality indices.
Regarding the authors’ countries of origin, some of them showed correlation, namely Singapore, Germany, and the United States of America. This correlation among few countries shows that the authors predominantly work in a more isolated manner, with their research groups from the same university and/or the same locality.
After the integrative analysis of the articles, some common points were observed in almost all the publications. In general, the articles explore older workers’ perceptions of the contemporary work experience in their specific context, albeit in different countries. However, overall, the articles point out that the older worker needs a favorable organizational environment for the improvement of quality of life and the preservation of their well-being.
It was also proven that work for the older worker brings with it various distinct meanings and significances, and that working in an organization where they are perceived positively makes a difference for the meaning of this work to be positive. In a way, older workers seek quality of life beyond the monetary sense, placing in work the search for respect, including in society as a whole.
In addition, central issues involving retirement and post-retirement were highlighted as important elements, and it was emphasized through the results that, when work is full of meaning and a sense of belonging, it is favorable for the transition to retirement. Thus, work goes beyond economic issues, as it has an intrinsic meaning for each older worker. In addition, gender issues also stand out among the analyzed articles, making it possible to note that the meaning of work for women was more evident. However, it is notable that the meaning of work for men could be better explored in future research as a means of comparison between the two genders.
The still incipient national production on the subject constitutes both a gap and an opportunity for theoretical and empirical advancement. Given the predominance of studies originating from core countries in the analyzed literature, it is important to highlight the imposition of significant limits on the generalization of findings to the Brazilian and Latin American context. As an example, the study developed by Clausen and Borg (2011), which highlights work as a source of identity, purpose, and well-being among older workers; such interpretations emerge from the analysis of a Danish reality, a context characterized by greater formalization of labor relations and more robust social protection systems.
The Brazilian context differs in several aspects (Vasconcelos, 2015). Moreover, with the accelerated advance of population aging and considering that older workers frequently face barriers to reintegration and permanence in the labor market, understanding the meaning these professionals attribute to work becomes relevant. From this perspective, the meaning of work may be less exclusively associated with personal fulfillment and more linked to economic necessity, the maintenance of subsistence, and the absence of institutional alternatives.
In this scenario, this study contributes to the national context by systematizing and presenting, in Portuguese, the main findings of the international literature on the topic, offering theoretical subsidies for Brazilian researchers. Furthermore, its findings can guide organizational managers in building more inclusive, equitable, and sensitive work environments to the specificities of mature workers in Brazil.
Reaching the end of these reviews, it becomes possible to present suggestions for future research: a) exploration of the meaning of work in the male gender cut as a model of comparison with the female gender; b) exploration of the meaning of work for older people and other intersectionalities besides gender, such as race, sexual orientation, religion, and others; c) retirement and post-retirement issues should be better explored, especially in the sense of problematizing normative discourses that uncritically associate the prolongation of working life with successful aging; d) central issues involving age management in organizations; e) ageism related to the meaning of work; f) the association between intergenerational relations and the meaning of work; g) the meaning of work for people in the retirement phase and after retirement; h) deepening the understanding of the meaning of work from a gender perspective, incorporating an intersectional approach that recognizes and problematizes the multiple inequalities crossing work trajectories. Finally, it should be highlighted that research on the meaning of work for older workers needs to be expanded, mainly in Brazil and from a critical analytical perspective, contributing also to the reformulation of more inclusive and equitable organizational practices and public policies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) - Brazil for the financial support granted to the research, through a scholarship awarded to the author Ícaro Romão Fiore de Farias.
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[Translated version] Note: The translation was assisted by Google’s Gemini Pro artificial intelligence.
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RESEARCH DATA AVAILABILITY
The dataset supporting the results of this study is not publicly available.
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE USAGE
The artificial intelligence tool Claude was used to assist in the technical and grammatical review of the text and the standardization of references. Additionally, Gemini Pro was used for the translation of the article.
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FUNDING
This work was carried out with the support of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - Brazil (CAPES), in which the author Ícaro Romão Fiore de Farias acted as a scholarship holder.
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REVIEWERS
Felipe Teixeira Genta Maragni, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6693-9190
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One reviewer did not authorize the disclosure of their identity.
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PEER REVIEW REPORT
The peer review report is available at https://periodicos.fgv.br/rap/article/view/97420
Edited by
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GUEST EDITORS
Diego Costa Mendes, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3193-7034; Kely Cesar Martins de Paiva, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5185-9072; Darcy Mitiko Mori Hanashiro, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2305-4186; Sónia P. Gonçalves, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3704-2995
The dataset supporting the results of this study is not publicly available.
Source: Elaborated by the authors.
Source: Elaborated by the authors.