This collaboration between the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and researchers at Aston Business School, Bergische University Wuppertal and the Kienbaum Institute involves scaling up a pilot programme that has shown promising initial results in preventing and even reversing the adverse impact of age diversity on innovation.
As the European working population ages, age diversity within organisations is expected to increase. Research suggests that increased age diversity can benefit a business, as ideas and knowledge from diverse employees can lead to innovation. However, there are also potential downsides, with workplace relations being affected by conflicts and negative stereotypes.
The programme consisted of cognitive training for older employees and leadership training for entrepreneurs seeking to reduce age stereotypes and associated conflicts and enhance appreciation of age diversity. The trial will measure the impact of this innovation support scheme on an individual- and organisation-level measures of various determinants of innovative behaviour among SMEs in the West Midlands Region of the UK and the Rhine-Ruhr Region of Germany.