Research Design
The CitiSales Study used two data collection strategies. Data were collected from employees through surveys and from senior management through interviews. Six thousand and eighty-five CitiSales employees within 388 stores in three geographical regions of the U.S. completed the survey; 72% of employees surveyed responded. The overall sample includes 3,903 workers ages 18-94, employed in non-exempt jobs, often referred to as hourly jobs, and 1,878 workers employed in exempt jobs, often referred to as salaried or professional jobs. Older workers (55 and older) comprise 12% (n=680) of the total sample.
Senior management interviews were conducted with 38 district managers and three regional vice presidents who oversaw operations at the stores included in this study. Interviews were conducted in person or by phone and lasted approximately one half hour. These senior leaders were asked open-ended questions about unique aspects of managing an hourly workforce: the types of flexible work options available, typical methods for scheduling, and the costs and benefits of offering flexible work options to hourly workers.
They were also asked about their experience with older workers, both hourly and salaried. The question measured their attitude toward some positive and negative stereotypes of older workers, how they were recruited and trained, and whether they felt any special accommodations were required. All interviews were transcribed and identifiers removed. The research team then systematically coded and analyzed the transcripts.