A study on the mediating effect of the meaning of work in the effect of person-job fit on job satisfaction in terms of vocational education for the Korean elderly

Abstract

Introduction. Along with the increase in the elderly population, the difficulties of old age, such as illness, poverty, loneliness, and inactivity of the elderly, are becoming social problems, and the biggest difficulty among them is poverty. As a countermeasure against economic difficulties, Korean elderly people try to resolve them by continuing to work and vocational education. Person-job fit and meaning of work are important to continue working even in old age, but previous studies on old-age work in Korea lacked interest in person-job fit and meaning of work. This study aimed to find out the mediating effect of meaning of work in the effect of person-job fit on job satisfaction of elderly people aged 60 or older who are currently working. Based on the results of this study, it will be suggested that vocational education for the elderly is important to improve job satisfaction through the meaning of work and personal-work fit of the elderly. Research methods. A survey was conducted in May and June 2022 with elderly people aged 60 or older who are currently working, and finally, the data of 255 subjects were used for analysis. Frequency analysis, t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation analysis were conducted using SPSS Win 24.0 version and moderating effect analysis was conducted using SPSS PROCESS macro 4.1 version. Results. First, in the case of working Korean elderly people, person-job fit, which means the fit between the characteristics of the job they are currently doing and their personal characteristics, scored 3.59, job satisfaction scored 3.57 points, and meaning of work scored 3.73 points out of 5 points in full, and all of them were high level above the median. Second, there were differences in person-job fit, job satisfaction, and meaning of work according to the personal characteristics of the elderly. Third, the higher the person-job fit of the elderly, the higher the job satisfaction. Fourth, the meaning of work mediated the relationship between the person-job fit and job satisfaction of the elderly. Practical significance. Person-job fit is important to increase the job satisfaction of the working elderly, but a plan to help them find the meaning of work is also needed. Therefore, customized vocational education for the elderly is important. It is necessary to provide customized vocational education according to the age, marriage status, academic level, economic status, health status, future work intention of each elderly person. And, it is necessary to provide various services such as job counseling, mediation, employment linkage, and follow-up management along with job education training. Through these services, personal-job fit is enhanced, meaning of work is found, and ultimately it is expected to increase job satisfaction and improve quality of life.