ABSTRACT
What is sustainability? In this chapter, the concept of sustainability is approached in the context of the ageing workforce in the German car manufacturing industry. We explore how work systems can sustain employees and, especially, we take into account the increasing number of ageing employees. As a theoretical framework, we use an extension of the sociotechnical approach in order to address various subsystems and dimensions of sustainable work systems. Empirical illustrations are provided based on the project “Age-based job design in the car manufacturing industry,” and on related projects. Finally, we present practical recommendations as to how work systems can support healthy ageing in the context of work and, therefore, ensure the sustainability of people engaged in work processes.
