Organizational justice, selection, optimization with compensation, and nurses' work ability.
OBJECTIVE
To explore associations between age, organizational justice, selection, optimization with compensation (SOC), and work ability.


METHODS
Data for this study were collected in 2011 among 605 employees (mean age = 43.7, SD = 10.7, 86% women) working at a university hospital in Finland.


RESULTS
Age and work ability were negatively associated. Those who experienced high organizational justice and used SOC behaviors at work reported better work ability. The SOC behaviors mediated the relationship between justice and work ability. This meant that high experiences of organizational justice facilitated the use of SOC and thus helped employees maintain their work ability.


CONCLUSIONS
Organizational justice can help promote work ability in two ways--directly by supporting employees' mental resources and indirectly by facilitating the use of individual resource allocation strategies in the form of SOC behaviors.
From the Gerontology Research Center and Department of Health Sciences (Drs M.E. von Bonsdorff, M.B. von Bonsdorff, and Rantanen and Ms Kauppinen), University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland; School of Business (Drs M.E. von Bonsdorff and Vanhala), Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland; University of South Florida (Mr Zhou), Tampa; and Kuopio University Hospital (Dr Miettinen), Kuopio, Finland.
Monika E
ME
von Bonsdorff
Mikaela B
MB
von Bonsdorff
Zhiqing E
ZE
Zhou
Markku
M
Kauppinen
Merja
M
Miettinen
Taina
T
Rantanen
Sinikka
S
Vanhala
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001519:Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010465:Perception; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012935:Social Justice; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult