Title: Managing age diversity for customer service success in sports organisations

Authors: Scott A. Johnson, Janice S. Miller

Addresses: Harrison College of Business, Southeast Missouri State University, One University Plaza, MS 5875, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, USA. ' School of Business Administration, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 742, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA

Abstract: Global demographic shifts give rise to an aging workforce, yet social barriers hinder employment and effective management of older workers. Sports organisations in particular would benefit from age diversity and inclusive cultures, as older workers who identify with organisational values are well-suited for interacting successfully with customers. From a survey of front-line service employees in five US Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs, we found significant relationships found between aging, organisational identification, and customer service. We offer explanations why older employees choose to work for sports organisations and discuss ideas for building cultural diversity and customer relationships through a mixed-age workforce.

Keywords: age diversity; older workers; sports organisations; customer services; sport management; organisational identity; major league baseball; customer relationships; mixed-age workforce.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2007.011392

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2007 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.83 - 99

Published online: 30 Nov 2006 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article