Juhani Ilmarinen

• PhD
• JIC Oy

Management of self-determination 2020 (report in Finnish) Aura Ossi, Ahonen Guy, Hussi Tomi & Ilmarinen Juhani Abstract Self-determination has been studied mainly from personnel and team perspectives (Deci et.al. 1989, Cloninger 2004, Martela 2014, Kostamo 2017, Jarenko 2020). Corporate level studies are rare. This study approaches self-determina...

The aim was to examine the mechanisms involved when applying self-determination as a management concept. We called such an approach Management by Self-Determination (MbSD). We particularly wanted to examine the financial effects of MbSD. We formulated a model in which the financial performance of MbSD is mediated by the determinants of personnel pr...

Work ability research started in Finland in the 1990s due to the challenges of work force aging. The employment rates of older workers (55+) were below 40% and early retirement and work disability rates were rather common in many European countries. The work ability concept and methods were developed and broad international research activities star...

Background We aimed to investigate trajectories of mobility limitations (MLs) over a period of 24 years. In addition, we aimed to study how shift work and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in midlife predict assignment to MLs trajectories separately for those retired on statutory pensions (SPs) and on disability pensions (DPs). Methods Subject...

Henkilöstötuottavuuden johtaminen 2018 tutkimuksen laaja tulosraportti kattaa strategian, johtamisen ja kannattavuuden yhteydet vuoden 2018 aineistossa, sekä vuosien 2009-2018 seurannan 20-1000 henkilöä työllistävissä yrityksissä.

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää yritysten strategisten linjausten ja henkilöstötuottavuuden johtamisen toimintatapojen yhteyksiä yritystoiminnan kannattavuuteen. Tutkimus kattoi yritysten kokoluokista 20-1000 henkilöä työllistävät yritykset. Johtamisen käytänteitä kartoitettiin kyselyn avulla henkilöstötuottavuuden strategisen perustan, johd...

Objectives We studied the developmental trajectories of multisite musculoskeletal pain (MSP) to learn whether pain in midlife persists to old age, and whether pain trajectories associate with midlife work or lifestyle exposures or retirement from work. Methods Municipal employees aged 44–58 years were studied in 1981 (n=6257) with follow-ups in 19...

Objectives We investigated whether the extent of biomechanical exposures and job strain in midlife separately and jointly predict disability in old age. Methods Participants of the Finnish Longitudinal Study on Aging Municipal Employees (FLAME) in 1981 (aged 44-58 years) responded to disability questionnaires in 2009 (1850 women and 1082 men). Diff...

Abstract We investigated how work-related biomechanical exposure and job strain in midlife separately and jointly predict back and degenerative Musculoskeletal Diseases (MSDs). A total of 6257 employees participated in the Finnish Longitudinal study on Aging Municipal Employees (FLAME) in 1981 and were followed up for 28-years. Risk ratios and the...

Andreas Müller: We are delighted to have the opportunity to talk with Juhani Ilmarine today, who is an emeritus professor of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki at the moment and has been CEO of Juhani Ilmarinen Consulting Ltd in Vantaa, Finland, since 2009. Juhani, what did you think when you were invited to a conference on re...

Purpose Occupations during adult life may have long-term effects and subsequently increase the risk of disability in old age. We investigated the associations between job profile groups in midlife and disability in old age for women and men. Methods This prospective 28-year follow-up study (1981–2009) examined 2998 municipal employees (1892 women a...

Background: Little is known about the wellbeing and mobility limitation of older disability retirees. Personal and environmental factors, such as time spent in working life, may either exacerbate or mitigate the onset of mobility limitation in general population. We aimed to study perceived midlife work ability as a determinant of self-reported mo...

Work ability, defined as the balance between human resources and the demands of work, is an evidence-based concept. The Work Ability Index (WAI) was developed to measure work ability and serve as a tool for investigating how long individuals are actually able to work. The WAI has been found to be a valid indicator of sickness absence from work, wor...

The aim of this longitudinal qualitative interview study (3 waves of interviews) was to examine the nature of older workers’ late career decision-making processes, including the main drivers and obstacles for prolonging working life or retiring. Late career decision-making is regarded as a process of reflecting and deciding on whether to continue i...

Unlabelled: For identification of groups and domains for work ability promotion, brief self-report measure, work ability - personal radar (WA-PR), based on the 'the house of work ability' model is presented and psychometrically evaluated in the structural equation framework using data from technological sector (N = 3754). The house model had accep...

Research on the correspondence between retirement intentions and subsequent behaviours is scarce. We aimed to explore possible associations between retirement intentions and behaviours, using 5-year high quality quantitative panel data on Norwegian senior workers. Intentions operate at different levels of firmness: i) considerations; ii) preference...

We examined prospectively the use of all-cause hospital in-patient care among public sector employees by using a 3-year pre- and post-retirement study window. A total of 5269 participants of the Finnish Longitudinal Study of Municipal Employees had retired during January 1984 and July 2000. They had register-based data on retirement (non-disability...

The aim of this study is to investigate whether work-related stress symptoms in midlife are associated with a number of mobility limitations during three decades from midlife to late life. Data for the study come from the Finnish Longitudinal Study of Municipal Employees (FLAME). The study includes a total of 5429 public sector employees aged 44-58...

To evaluate in a sample of initially middle-aged municipal employees whether leisure time (LPA) or occupational physical activity (OPA) was associated with mobility limitation (ML) in old age. Prospective population-based follow-up. Municipalities in Finland. Public sector employees from the Finnish Longitudinal Study on Municipal Employees (FLAME)...

Background: high job strain increases the risk of health decline, but little is known about the specific consequences and long-term effects of job strain on old age health. Objectives: purpose was to investigate whether physical and mental job strain in midlife was associated with hospital care use in old age. Methods: study population included 5,6...

Background and aims: Lower occupational class correlates with a higher disability risk later in life. However, it is not clear whether the demands made by mental and physical work relative to individual resources in midlife predict well-being in old age. This study investigated prospectively whether work ability in midlife predicts disability sever...

Background: Stress has damaging effects on individual's health. However, information about the long-term consequences of mental stress is scarce. Methods: This 28-year prospective cohort study examined on the associations between midlife stress and old age disability among 2,994 Finnish municipal professionals aged 44-58 years at baseline. Self-...

The Oxford Handbook of Retirement offers comprehensive, up-to-date, and forward-thinking summaries of contemporary knowledge on retirement, especially the important progress that has been made in the field over the past two decades. The approach taken spans human resource management, organizational psychology, development psychology, gerontology, s...

To investigate the effect of job demand, job control and job strain on total mortality among white-collar and blue-collar employees working in the public sector. 28-year prospective population-based follow-up. Several municipals in Finland. 5731 public sector employees from the Finnish Longitudinal Study on Municipal Employees Study aged 44-58 year...

Background and aims: Lower occupational class correlates with a higher disability risk later in life. However, it is not clear whether the demands made by mental and physical work relative to individual resources in midlife predict well-being in old age. This study investigated prospectively whether work ability in midlife predicts disability seve...

We investigated the 28-year development trajectories of work ability among initially middle-aged male and female municipal employees and the association of perceived mental and physical work strain in midlife by work ability trajectory groups. The baseline data of the Finnish longitudinal study of municipal employees (FLAME) were collected in 1981...

Poor work ability correlates with increased morbidity and early retirement from the workforce, but the association in old age is not known. We investigated work ability in midlife among white-collar and blue-collar employees as a predictor of mortality and disability 28 years later. A total of 5971 occupationally active people aged 44-58 years part...

To examine the scope of strategic wellness management (SWM) in Finland. To measure management of wellness a strategic wellness management index (SWMI) was developed. On the basis of the developed SWM model an Internet questionnaire was conducted for randomly selected employers representing seven business areas and three size categories. Corporate a...

Ende der 1990er Jahre wurde vom „Finnish Institute of Occupational Health“ (FIOH) ein neues Konzept der „Arbeitsfähigkeit“ vorgestellt. Es basiert teilweise auf den Ergebnissen einer Längsschnittstudie über elf Jahre, an der mehr als 6500 finnische Arbseiter/innen und Angestellte beteiligt waren. Demnach beruht die Arbeitsfähigkeit des Individuums...

The study investigated the associations between diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), work ability and demographics, work and lifestyle characteristics in a public health institution with a variety of occupations. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a public health institution in Brazil. The subjects (n = 168) aged 20-69 answered a ques...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate work ability, using the Work Ability Index - WAI - among young workers employed in different sectors of the economy, using the WAI scores proposed by Kujala et al. A cross-sectional study was conducted of workers under 30 years of age employed is a variety of sectors, and the Tuomi et al. and Kujala et al....

The objective of this study was to evaluate the worker's work ability, work characteristics and life style, which lead of towards the comprehension of certain consequences for health and well being related to the work environment. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Wholesale and Flower Market area with around 1,000 micro and small sized com...

Results of the Health 2000 Survey Work ability is an essential prerequisite for well-being and employment. This book describes the work ability of working-aged Finns on the basis of material from the extensive Health 2000 Survey. It focuses on the multidimensionality of work ability. How are health, work, expertise, and attitudes related to perceiv...

The concept of work ability has changed as society has developed. In this chapter, we survey the concept of work ability from the point of view of its evaluation and promotion and describe the integrated models of work ability that are currently in use. Work ability is associated with nearly all factors of worklife, whether related to the individua...

This study investigated the work ability and its relationship with quality of life for the clinical nurses in Taiwan. The survey was of 1534 nursing professionals from 8 different hospitals. Work ability of nursing professionals varied by age, work experience, working departments and hospital types. Work ability of nurses increased with age until a...

A brief history Our multidisciplinary study group (occupational physiology , psychology, medicine, epidemiology and biostatis-tics) started cross-sectional studies among municipal employees in 1981. The study participants were followed for 16 years [1,2]. Since the beginning, the use of Work Ability Index (WAI) both in research and practice has wid...

The aim of this overview is to describe the background of work force ageing and its consequences in the society, to introduce concepts for the solutions, to emphasize the actions needed, to point out the new challenges for occupational health, to review the targets of work life improvements, and to highlight the new innovations needed. Work life mu...

The aim of this study was to determine the associations between demographics, work, lifestyle, housework, and the work ability of workers. Employees between the ages of 20 and 69 (N = 651), employed at a Brazilian public institution, responded to a questionnaire on demographics, work, lifestyle characteristics, and work ability. Work ability decrea...

This study evaluated the work ability of female Brazilian workers by age group and occupation and analysed women's registered sickness absences during one year. The work ability of the women was assessed using the Work Ability Index, developed by Finnish researchers. The instrument is based on the self-perception of the workers and is composed of s...

Work ability was constructed and defined in 1981 in a follow-up study of aging employees. The conceptual definition was, “How good is the worker at present, in the near future, and how able is he or she to do his or her work with respect to the work demands, health and mental resources?” To measure the work ability, a method called Work Ability Ind...

The main purpose of this study was to ascertain musculoskeletal and cardiovascular capacity among ageing employees in relation to workload over a period of 16 years. As the more specific aims were to find out firstly if the physical capacity was different among subjects who had high workload compared with subjects who had low workload and secondly...

The main purpose of this study was to ascertain musculoskeletal and cardiovascular capacity among ageing employees in relation to workload over a period of 16 years. The data were obtained by physical capacity tests and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during working day. The study group consisted of 89 subjects, who were all employed in the mun...

The purpose of the present study was to identify changes in different components of physical capacity among middle-aged women and men employed in the municipal branch for 16 years. The data were obtained by laboratory measurements and postal questionnaires. The study group consisted of 45 middle-aged subjects, who were on average 51.5 years old at...

Changes related to social functioning was assessed from aging Finnish municipal workers (n = 121) by using the battery of interpersonal capabilities, interpersonal behavior problem statement scale, Lubben social network scale, social provisions scale, and UCLA loneliness scale. Also the measurement properties of the scales were assessed. Responses...

Ein Busfahrer im Öffentlichen Personennahverkehr, über 50 Jahre alt, 20 Dienstjahre „auf dem Bock“, hat innerhalb von acht Jahren drei Bandscheibenvorfälle im Bereich der Lendenwirbelsäule. Beim letzten wird er aufwendig mit einem speziellen technischen Verfahren operiert und aus der anschließenden Rehabilitationsmaßnahme arbeitsunfähig entlassen....

This multicentered randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of worksite exercise intervention on perceived work ability and sick leaves. Women (N = 260, mean age 40 years) engaged in physically demanding laundry work were individually randomized into an intervention (N = 133) or control (N = 127) group. Perceived work ability was assessed w...

Physical requirements of work should decline with advancing age because the dimensions of physical work capacity of individuals decline with age, too. The Second European Survey on Working Conditions in 1995/1996 was used to study the prevalences (%) of poor work postures, handling heavy loads, and repetitive work in the representative sample of em...

In this study, the validity of a model designed to promote the work ability of aging workers was examined. The target areas of work ability promotion were searched for the characteristics that explain work ability the best. In addition, the way work ability relates to the quality of work and retirement was examined. The subjects (n = 1101) particip...

The ageing of the workforce presents serious challenges for ensuring and promoting the employment of people over 45 years of age. The baby-boom generation is approaching early retirement age. The factors keeping ageing workers in working life are a lot weaker than those accelerating their premature retirement. The general view is, however, rather f...

The working population over 50 years of age will grow considerably during the next 15 years. After 2010, the number of retired people over 65 years of age will be almost double that of 1995, with a strong impact also on working conditions and the labour market. Work ability is a dynamic process that changes, through its components, throughout life...

The new "24-hour society" increases night work and the diversity of flexible work-hour patterns. At the same time, the number of older shift workers is growing in most developed countries due to the general aging of the working population. Together with new experimental and epidemiologic data on the alarming relationship of shift work to fatigue, p...

During the last decade scientists in many countries have been interested in the subject 'aging and work.' The knowledge on this subject is today vast enough for interventions in enterprises (Nasman 1999; Harma, Pulli, Mulder, Nasman, and Rosa, 1999; Vilkki, Mattila, Nygard, and Louhevaara, 1999; Leino, 1999; Huuhtanen, 1999; Smolander, Louhevaara,...

Neue Dienstleistungen für die Gesundheit sind notwendig, da sich die Altersstruktur und damit auch die Arbeitskraft der arbeitenden Menschen zunehmend verändert. Das steigende mittlere Alter der Beschäftigten bedeutet sowohl negative als auch positive Konsequenzen in Betrieben. Es ist bekannt, daß die Prävalenzraten der Erkrankungen mit dem Alter a...

The objective of this follow-up study of aging workers was to determine changes in the work, life-style, health, functional capacity, and stress symptoms of Finnish municipal employees from 1981 to 1992. In addition, factors that predict improvement or decline in the ability to work were studied. With the use of this information, attempts were made...

Life-style is an important factor in explaining the changes in health and well-being in old age. In this study life-style was defined according to Abel's definition as combining life chances and life conduct. The main question concerned the change in life-style components and work ability over a 11-year period. The study population comprised worker...

This study was designed to explain changes in work ability through occupational and life-style factors. Work ability was measured by an index describing workers' health resources in regard to their work demands. The work factors mainly included physical and mental demands, social organization and the physical work environment. The life-style factor...

Changes in the work ability of active employees were followed over a period of 11 years. Men and women in the same occupation (N = 818) in 1981-1992 assessed their work ability according to an index on current work ability, physical and mental work demands, diagnosed diseases, work impairment from disease, sickness absence, work ability prognosis,...

It is a common belief that productivity is age-related: younger workers are more productive than older ones. Whether this myth is valid or not, depends on the definition of “productivity”. It is obvious that the dimensions of quantitative productivity favor younger age; on the other hand, the dimensions of qualitative productivity can depend on ski...

The aim of the study was to analyse the effects of rapid time zone changes on the circadian rhythms of flight attendants. The mean age of the 40 female subjects was 30·0 (SD=6·9) years. Measurements of oral temperature, alertness, and visual search were performed at two hour intervals two days before the flight from Helsinki to Los Angeles, during...

Physical work capacity decreases during aging. However, the physical demands of the work does not decrease. As a consequence, aging may be related to increasing prevalence and incidence rates of chronic diseases. Cardiovascular functions and musculoskeletal capacity also decline with increasing age. Age and gender probably influence muscular endura...

This chapter presents several guidelines for job design for the aged. The understanding of the aging process should be combined with knowledge of work systems, work content, and work demands. These guidelines help in (1) preventing premature aging, (2) improving work satisfaction, (3) improving productivity, and (4) reducing early retirement of the...

Eight minimally dressed pre- and early pubescent boys (age 11-12 yr) and 11 young adult men (age 19-34 yr) rested for 20 min and exercised on a cycle ergometer for 40 min at approximately 30% of their maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) at 5 degrees C. To quantify the added increase in metabolic rate because of cold, a separate test was carried out...

Aging effects on musculoskeletal capacity were studied among 83 subjects over a four-year period beginning at about 51 years of age, and the associations between work demands and musculoskeletal capacity were studied in a cross-sectional investigation comprising 137 subjects (mean age about 55 years). The follow-up study showed significant changes...

The aims of the study were to compare the performance efficiency of aging municipal workers in different work categories and to determine the changes that occurred in visual search, short-term memory, and fine motor performance over a four-year follow-up period beginning at about 51 years of age. The mental capacity of the workers in mental work wa...

Eighty-eight job titles were analyzed with the "ergonomic job analysis procedure" [Arbeitswissenschaftliche Erhebungsverfahren zur Tätigkeits-analyse abbreviated (AET) in German]. The objective was to classify the wide range of municipal jobs into homogeneous groups according to job demand and to provide better possibilities to study the relationsh...

The relationship between objectively measured physical and mental functional capacity and work ability was studied among 137 workers with a mean age of 55 years. Of the physical capacity tests muscular strength correlated the best with the constructed work ability index. Cardiorespiratory capacity and work ability did not correlate statistically si...

The effects of work stressors, individual characteristics, symptoms, and diseases on work ability were studied among 4255 municipal employees. Work ability was assessed by a work ability index in two cross-sectional inquiries, one in 1981 and the other in 1985. The most impairing for work ability were mental symptoms and musculoskeletal disease. Am...

This report is a summary of the main findings of 15 studies comprising a multidisciplinary research project. Recommendations are also made on the basis of the findings, and they emphasize the following points: (i) work demands should change with age, (ii) work should be designed for unhealthy people, (iii) work ability should be promoted, (iv) work...

Cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal stress and strain during work were investigated for 129 men and women aged 45 to 58 years. In physical work the women had more physical demands (34% of the workshift) than the men (21%) although the men had more peak loads (heavy and very heavy) than the women. Cardiorespiratory strain varied between 63 and 131...

During a four-year follow-up period the indicators of work load, individual factors, and stress reactions predicting mortality, disability, and change of occupation were studied. In 1981, 6257 active workers aged 44-58 years answered a questionnaire. The study was repeated in 1985 when 1% of the subjects had died, 9% had become disabled, and 5% had...

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the health status and work ability of individuals representing a variety of municipal occupations. In both 1981 and 1985, 4255 employees answered a postal questionnaire. The subjects, aged 44-58 years in 1981, were grouped into physical, mental, or mixed physical and mental job cat...

In Finland, the proportion of 45- to 64-year-old people in the work force is expected to increase from 31.1 to 40.1% between 1980 and 2000. A multidisciplinary study was carried out to test the factors of work, health, work ability, functional capacity, and perceived strain as criteria for determining new concepts for retirement age. The first phas...

A questionnaire was sent to 6257 active employees, mean age 50.5 years, in 1981, and again in 1985, when 4255 of the workers were still actively working, 402 had retired because of age, and 468 had retired for medical reasons. After retirement, regardless of reason or previous work content, the prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases changed little...