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Public Relations Review 39 (2013) 484– 490

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Public Relations Review

ow frames present BMW as embracing an aging workforce

indsey B. Anderson ∗

urdue University, Brian Lamb School of Communication, Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education, Room 2114, 100 North Universitytreet, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2098, United States

a r t i c l e i n f o

rticle history:eceived 16 August 2012eceived in revised form 26 January 2013ccepted 11 February 2013

eywords:gingramingssue managementublic relationsMW

a b s t r a c t

As the population begins to age, organizations are starting to plan for an influx of olderemployees. Since the workforce is “graying,” the question now becomes how to best utilizethis growing segment of the population within an organizational context. This case studyapplied framing analysis to the BMW Today for Tomorrow program in order to understandhow BMW built support for its efforts to create a more age diverse workforce. This ini-tiative was intended to redesign the production lines at BMW in order to become moreage-appropriate for BMW’s increasingly older employees. The Today for Tomorrow pro-gram included the implementation of over 70 small changes that improved the efficiencyof an experimental production line (e.g., magnifying glasses, stretching station, woodenfloors, and ergonomic standing chairs). Several texts were analyzed including media stories,the organizational website, and the BMW Sustainability Report. Based on this case study,BMW’s Today for Tomorrow program contained two overarching frames that aided in theattempt to highlight its age appropriate workplace initiatives. These frames are age as avaluable resource and BMW as a responsible organization. In addition, BMW incorporatedboth episodic (specific examples) and thematic (general context) framing techniques inorder to localize and globalize the issue of an aging workforce simultaneously.

© 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

. Introduction

Older people are an increasingly large section of the global population (Albert & Freedman, 2010; Phillips & Siu, 2012).his trend is not happening in a vacuum since the general workforce is also mirroring the overall aging population. As Alleynd Crimmins (2007) explained, “[the] population aging will increase the potential supply of older workers . . . raising aariety of questions about the value of older workers” (p. 7). This is an important topic to study because of its implicationsor the workforce.

One organization that is facing the global shift toward an older workforce is BMW. It reported that the number ofmployees under 30 has been declining since 2008 while the number of employees 50 and over has increased from 18.4%n 2008 to 21.6% in 2010 (BMW, 2010). BMW assumes that this aging trend will continue and has projected that its workersge 50 and over will double between 2010 and 2020 (BMW, 2010). This “graying” of the population or “silver tsunami” (CBS,010) is associated with an expectation for decreased productivity, impaired capabilities, and increased absenteeism in the

orkplace. Thus, it is important for organizations to address the older working population to maintain or improve workplace

utcomes.In order to address the issues associated with a demographically older workforce, BMW instituted the Today for Tomorrow

rogram, which is a “pilot project for age-appropriate working conditions introduced into regular production operations”

∗ Tel.: +1 765 494 7790.E-mail address: anderlb@purdue.edu

363-8111/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.ttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2013.02.003

L.B. Anderson / Public Relations Review 39 (2013) 484– 490 485

(BMW, 2010, p. 47). BMW decided to strategically create a factory production line that would mirror its 2017 workforce.Specifically, a plant manager, Helmut Mauermann, selected the test production line that would host the initiative andrecruited a team of workers to participate in the program. The average age of the 42 selected employees was 47, whichmirrored the 2017 BMW workforce projections (Loch, Sting, Bauer, & Mauermann, 2010).

Once a representative line was assembled the real work began. BMW held one-on-one conversations to understandemployee concerns, elicit advice, and receive suggestions for the program. The Today for Tomorrow initiative was guidedfrom the ground up, meaning that all of the changes were initiated by employees. Ultimately, BMW made 70 small changesin the workplace in order to “cut the chance of errors and reduce physical strain” (Loch et al., 2010, p. 3). These changesincluded the installation of wood flooring, weight distributing shoes, modified standing chairs, tilted computer screens withlarger type, magnifying glasses, and a stretching station (CBS, 2010). All together, the modifications cost only about $50,000and resulted in a 7% increase in productivity on the pilot line. This improvement equaled the overall productivity ratesthat the younger production lines were experiencing at that time. In addition, the 2017 line reported a lower than averageabsenteeism rate and a zero percent defect rate (Loch et al., 2010). These results stand in contrast to the commonly held agestereotypes about the decrease in efficiency and productivity that occur as employees age.

BMW’s Today for Tomorrow program serves as a model for a demographic-based initiative. However, the way in whichBMW frames its program in terms of the corresponding media coverage, website, and sustainability report is of interest. Inorder to analyze the Today for Tomorrow project, framing theory will be used to explore the ways in which BMW portraysits aging workforce initiative.

2. Literature review

The concept of framing can be useful to public relations scholarship. Waller and Conaway (2011) explained, “a frame bindstogether carefully chosen ideas, information, judgments, arguments, claims and value statements into a tightly compressednoetic narrative that guides the frameholder’s interpretation of events as well as discourse related to a given topic” (p. 87;see also Entman, 2007; Price, Tewksbury, & Powers, 1997; Schlechtweg, 1996). As such, frames can be used to help peoplemake sense of reality by providing information or descriptions that aid in understanding or managing meaning (Benford &Snow, 2000; Deetz, Tracy, & Simpson, 2000; Entman, 2007). Based on this idea, public relations practitioners can use framesas a persuasive tool in their communication practices by constructing reality for publics. However, only a few studies havemade the connection between framing and issue management (Hallahan, 1999; Johanssen, 2007; Knight, 1999; Lim & Jones,2010; Waller & Conaway, 2011). This is surprising since, as Reber and Berger (2005) noted, “public relations professionalsplay central roles in constructing and using frames in the service of groups and organizations” (p. 187).

Hallahan (1999) further developed the connection between public relations and frames when he identified seven typesof themes that are relevant to public relations. These include situations, attributes, choices, actions, issues, responsibility,and news. The most relevant theme to the following case study is issue framing. An issue is a question of fact, value, or policy.Crable and Vibbert (1985) explained, “an issue is created when one or more human agents attach significance to a situationor perceived ‘problem”’ (p. 5). In this case, BMW is attempting to control the issue of an aging workforce. The connectionbetween issue management and framing is important because the process of framing helps to develop an understanding ofa certain topic. In turn, it determines how an issue is defined and the level of significance that is attached to it by the public.This process can be facilitated through episodic and thematic framing techniques.

2.1. Episodic frames

An episodic frame positions an issue in terms of a specific person or group of people. This can be accomplished by creatinga narrative. Hallahan (1999) explained, “episodic framing involves storytelling from the perspective of people and individualevents” (p. 221). This way of framing utilizes case studies or exemplars to define an issue. This is commonly used by newsoutlets (Iyenger, 1990).

2.2. Thematic frames

Thematic framing, on the other hand, utilizes a larger context in which the frame is situated more generally and encom-passes larger social issues (Waller & Conaway, 2011). Iyenger (1990) noted that this means of framing positions the issue inan abstract and impersonal way. He explained that this framing technique can consist of larger societal concerns, generaltrends and public policy information.

This study will contribute to the existing framing literature by focusing on the way employee demographics can beframed within organizations to aid in organizational goal attainment. Moreover, this case is unique because BMW is framing

its aging employees in a proactive manner through episodic framing techniques while continuing to connect its efforts tothe larger social issue (the “graying” population and corresponding workforce) through thematic framing.

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86 L.B. Anderson / Public Relations Review 39 (2013) 484– 490

. Methods

Frames can appear in many different forms of corporate communication including news releases, annual reports,udio/video clips, and the organizational website (Holtz, 2002; Waller & Conaway, 2011; Witmer, 2000). In this study, I willook at an array of communication from BMW, including media accounts, the BMW website, and the BMW sustainabilityeport.

.1. Media

As Schultz, Kleinnijenhuis, Oegema, Utz, & van Atteveldt (2012) noted, public relations “tends to be regarded as successfulhen the content and framing of press releases resonates as intended in the news and hereby effects also stakeholders’erceptions of and reactions toward organizations” (p. 97). The messages found in the media artifacts seem to mirror thosef the BMW website and 2010 sustainability report, suggesting successful media influence by BMW.

The CBS News clip (On the Line, 2010) and Harvard Business Review article (How BMW is Defusing the Demographic Timeomb, 2010) were the two media artifacts used to analyze the media’s portrayal of BMW’s Today for Tomorrow project.he CBS News clip was a five-minute segment that appeared on Sunday Morning. It provided an overview of BMW’s agingnitiatives that highlighted the experiences of the employees while also providing the rationale for the changes. The Harvardusiness Review article was a five-page detailed account of the Today for Tomorrow Project. In fact, several of the authors wereMW employees who helped develop the program. These media portrayals relied on episodic framing techniques, which

ocused on the positive experiences of the production line and the employees who were part of the Today for Tomorrowrogram.

.2. Description of the BMW website

The website is a comprehensive summary of BMW’s commitment to social responsibility. It has two pages that arepecifically dedicated to the aging workforce. One hosts a video titled Ludwig, which is about the experience of one BMWmployee (BMW, 2012a). This page also has a synopsis of the Today for Tomorrow project. The second page takes a moreeneral view of the aging population while detailing the Today for Tomorrow project (BMW, 2011). The second page explainshat BMW created a plant that reflected the projected age increase. The website serves as a bridge between the media’s usef episodic framing techniques and the sustainability report’s focus on thematic framing techniques.

.3. Description of the BMW sustainability report

The 2010 BMW Sustainability Report is an organizational document that highlights the ways in which BMW is committedo corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts. One section of this report is specifically focused on BMW employees (Chapter) and is focused on the larger context of the aging workforce issue. Over 24 pages of the overall sustainability report wereedicated to reviewing the status of BMW employees generally and demographic change specifically. As such, it employedhe thematic form of framing in which the graying of BMW’s workforce is representative of the global demographic shift.

hile it specifically mentions plants in which the age-appropriate changes have been made, it does not include stories orerspectives from individuals, but rather focuses on numerical data, including demographic projections. This approach isore in line with the thematic approach to framing in terms of positioning BMW and its efforts in a larger context, specifically

he global demographic change.

. Results

Two overarching frames emerged in these artifacts. These include age as a valuable resource and BMW as a responsiblerganization. In addition, BMW incorporated both episodic and thematic framing techniques in order to simultaneouslyocalize and globalize the aging workforce.

.1. Age as a valuable resource

The first overarching frame that BMW used to garner support for its Today for Tomorrow program was age as a valuableesource. BMW’s messages suggested that older employees are more knowledgeable because of their experience, as well askilled, and stable. Yet older workers continue to be an untapped resource in the sense that these values, which are attributedo age, are not commonly recognized as strengths by organizations.

.1.1. A source of knowledge

Age was continually associated with knowledge in all of the artifacts that were analyzed. The overarching claim was

hat diversity (including age) enhances knowledge. This message was highlighted throughout the website. For example,ne section of the website was labeled as “Age/Experience” rather than just age. By including the term “experience” inhe name of this website section, BMW was indicating that with age comes experience, which is a valuable resource for

L.B. Anderson / Public Relations Review 39 (2013) 484– 490 487

the organization. In addition, the website explained, “older employees provide a wealth of experience, as well as strongjudgment and a sense of responsibility” (BMW, 2011). The website further claimed that the retention of older workers andintegration of multiple-aged employees will result in improved decision-making abilities. These perceived benefits supportthe claim that older employees are a valuable resource.

BMW attempted to further the claim that older employees are valuable resources by reaching out to them in orderto initiate the demographic changes. This premise was best demonstrated by the Harvard Business Review story in whichHelmut Mauermann, a BMW plant manager, recalled the strategies that the organization used in order to facilitate the Todayfor Tomorrow project. One technique was including older workers in the project in order to make them feel a part of theinitiative. For instance, Mauermann explained that BMW would tell its older employees, “we need your experience andskills to pull this off” (Loch et al., 2010, p. 3). Again, this sentiment highlighted the positives associated with age as well asemphasized the added value for the organization.

4.1.2. An ideal employeeThrough its discourse about the Today for Tomorrow program, BMW portrayed older workers as ideal employees by

highlighting their stability, effectiveness, and other positive characteristics that are often associated with age. The websitehinted at the stability of a more age-diverse workforce when it talked about the age-related changes made to the factory.Specifically, BMW explained, “our employees will ultimately be able to work in a way that fits their age” (BMW, 2012a). Thismessage implied that employees will be able to work longer and thus encourage a more stable employee-base.

In addition, BMW provided examples of how effective the older workforce could be. For instance, the Harvard BusinessReview article detailed the progression of the age-appropriate workplace initiative. In the story, BMW credited its olderproduction line with guiding the changes implemented by the Today for Tomorrow program. It also emphasized that itsemployees did most of the work accompanying the program, saving the organization money while improving productivityand efficiency measures.

Besides the example of how the older employees spearheaded the program, the artifacts also touted the positive charac-teristics associated with age. The CBS News report discussed how BMW’s older line would have “more patience and skill thatcome from experience,” in contrast to the common stereotypes of “less flexibility, strength and vision” (CBS, 2010, 0:58). Inaddition, the sustainability report described BMW’s increasingly age diverse workforce as “motivated, competent and highlyeffective” (p. 46).

4.2. BMW as a responsible organization

The second overarching theme that emerged from the analysis was that BMW is a responsible organization. This senseof responsibility took several different forms and was directed to the general public, including its employees. In addition,BMW placed itself in a larger context by explaining how its diversity efforts affect the country (thematic) while presentingitself as a leader sensitive to specific factories and workers (episodic).

4.2.1. EmployeesBMW highlighted its commitment to its employees throughout the artifacts. As stated in the employee section of the

BMW sustainability report, its overarching goal for 2020 is to have the healthiest employees by supporting their “physicaland mental capabilities,” which included the creation and maintenance of “safe, ergonomic workplaces” (BMW, 2010, p.56). Specifically, BMW wanted to address the problems faced by the aging workers who might have trouble completingtheir work because of age-related factors. The hope was that making the workplace more age-appropriate would benefit theworkers as well as BMW.

This point was especially highlighted in a video that was posted on the BMW website. It featured an older employee,Ludwig Lang, who explained BMW’s commitment to an older workforce. In the video, Ludwig appeared in his BMW uniformas he boasted about his 40-year career with the organization. He mentioned that he had never thought about how he movedat work until the Today for Tomorrow project. He noted how the newly designed ergonomic workplaces, which includedtilted screens and elastic floorings, help him work more efficiently, even though his initial thought was that the proposed“age-appropriate workplace” was for older employees. However, he realized that BMW’s commitment to sustainabilitymeant taking care of all employees as they age (BMW, 2012b). The Ludwig video was interesting because it incorporatedepisodic frames (one factory, Ludwig) in order to develop an understanding of the more abstract social issue (the graying ofthe workforce).

4.2.2. Practical business decisionBMW presented itself as a responsible organization in terms of portraying the Today for Tomorrow program as a practical

business decision. Even the selected title of the program, Today for Tomorrow, suggested that BMW is making proactivebusiness decisions now in order to be prepared for future organizational challenges. Based on the program title and the

associated sense of preparedness and future-oriented thinking, the program title contributed to the framing of BMW as aresponsible organization.

BMW continued to portray this commitment to building its aging workforce as a practical business decision and an avenuefor progress. In a larger context, BMW made the claim, “in an aging society, companies that can enhance the work ability

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88 L.B. Anderson / Public Relations Review 39 (2013) 484– 490

f their employees and use their age experience will prosper” (BMW, 2011). BMW’s commitment to sustainability meantaking care of employees as they age. This program was instituted to “prepare for demographic change tomorrow” (BMW,012b). Through statements like this, BMW demonstrated how it was acting in a proactive manner to address the businessnvironment as it is altered by the “silver tsunami.”

The Today for Tomorrow project was presented as a way for BMW to progress and become a better organization. BMWven described the strategy as “enhancing competitiveness through technological leadership and productivity improve-ents” (Loch et al., 2010, p. 1). The sustainability report listed its forecast as rolling out the Today for Tomorrow program

roup-wide. In a description of the demographic change, BMW explained, “we regard it as an opportunity, not a threat . . . were systematically enhancing our employees’ performance capabilities – and taking advantage of their experience” (BMW,012a, para 4).

The website also stressed the future oriented nature of its age initiative. It used the tagline of “what’s next?” in theustainability sections of the website; after explaining the challenge of the aging workplace, BMW responded with “that ishat’s next for us” (BMW, 2012a, para 13). This message implied that BMW is progressing and moving forward because of

ts efforts spurred by the Today for Tomorrow project. Again, even the title suggested that by making the changes today,omorrow will be better.

.2.3. LeaderBMW attempted to emphasize its position as a leader in terms of its commitment to age-diversity issues through its

oday for Tomorrow program. It was presented as an innovative organization that is at the forefront of preparing for anging workforce. The website epitomized this stance by claiming, “although there is a connection between increasing agend a reduction in physical performance, this development can be effectively countered by taking preventative action andreating the conditions for healthy aging” (BMW, 2011). Furthermore, the title of the Harvard Business Review article, Defusinghe Demographic Time Bomb, implied that the company is taking a proactive stance rather than waiting for the metaphoricomb to explode (Loch et al., 2010). It framed the aging issue as something that will happen in the future, but could andhould be addressed now.

.2.4. Responsibility to countryBMW situated its aging workforce in the context of nationalism. In the CBS News report, one of the interviewees explained

hat the projected increase in older workers reflected the “demographic development of the German country as a whole”CBS, 2010, 0:33). While it might be easier to fire older employees as they become less efficient or to force retirement, BMWonsistently stated that these approaches were not suitable options because it wanted to be a responsible organization in theyes of its host country, Germany. By keeping its workers employed, BMW may be able to reduce strains on governmentalesources. As an organization, it felt as though it was committed to its employees and demonstrated this dedication bymbracing the graying workforce.

This sentiment was expressed in multiple messages from BMW. For example, in the CBS News clip, the reporter told thenterviewee, Maurermann, that he could force older workers to retire, fire them or find other jobs for them. Maurermannesponded by saying that would be the “simple way, but they have a social conscience . . . that is not the solution we areooking for because we don’t have enough younger people to replace the workers, so it wouldn’t work anyway” (CBS, 2010,:30). Mauermann placed BMW’s decision to adjust to the increasingly gray workforce in a larger context. He implied thaty retaining older employees, BMW was not only becoming a better organization, but was aware of the ramifications thatermany could face if BMW fired older workers. As such, Mauermann contributed to the frame of BMW as a responsiblerganization while using the greater sense of nationalism as an argument for embracing older employees (CBS, 2010; Locht al., 2010).

.3. Episodic framing techniques

BMW used episodic framing techniques throughout its messages about the Today for Tomorrow project, which localizedhe aging workforce and personalized the issue. The portrayal of the BMW Today for Tomorrow project relied heavily ontories to demonstrate the issue of an aging workforce. Specifically, the BMW website highlighted Ludwig’s experience withhe ergonomic changes, and the CBS News report introduced Rudolph Moore who was shown using the stretching stationn the factory and talking about his increased energy on the job and at home. Other people who were involved in theroject were also highlighted through episodic means. The managers who spearheaded the Today for Tomorrow projectere featured in the CBS News report and Harvard Business Review article. By providing perspectives from the people whoere there, BMW was able to share a firsthand account of how the initiative was developed. Ultimately, BMW shared specific

tories and employee experiences from the test production line to further its organizational narrative about the successfuline and highlighted its experience with the aging workforce.

.4. Thematic framing techniques

BMW then positioned its experience within a larger setting in order to make the graying of the workforce a more globalssue. It contextualized the project through the use of thematic framing techniques. The texts consistently set up the rationale

L.B. Anderson / Public Relations Review 39 (2013) 484– 490 489

for the Today for Tomorrow project by presenting general trends in order to provide a larger context in which to situatethe graying of the workforce. For example, the Harvard Business Review explained, “corporate leaders, politicians, and laboreconomists in most developed nations are worried about the consequences of demographic change in their labor markets,which increasingly consist of older workers” (Loch et al., 2010, p. 1). This claim was further supported through the use ofstatistics and figures, which were the most prominent form of evidence in the sustainability report. This artifact presentednumerical data like BMW-specific employment rates and projections. For example, BMW reported, “between 2010 and 2020,we expect the number of BMW Group employees aged 50 years or over to double” (BMW, 2010, p. 56).

The context was broadened even further when BMW positioned its initiatives within larger trends that are occurringglobally. When talking about a diversity report that was prepared in 2010, BMW noted that the findings indicated, “diversitywork in Europe is focusing particularly strongly on women and mixed age teams” (BMW, 2010, p. 54). This report showed thatBMW’s specific initiatives are in line with larger, more abstract concerns of the geographic region. Like the BMW-specificemployee numbers, the global perspective was most evident in the sustainability report, which makes sense since thisdocument is prepared for a worldwide audience. At one point in the report, BMW explained that the aging population is notjust a concern for Germany or Europe, but rather has global implications. BMW explained, “in most Western industrializednations, but also in countries like Japan, South Korea and Russia, demographic development is causing the labor market toshrink. At the same time, the average age of the working population – including the workforce of the BMW Group – is set tosee a noticeable increase” (BMW, 2010, p. 56). This quotation exemplified how BMW utilized episodic and thematic framingtechniques in order to present the issue of an aging workforce as both a local and global concern.

5. Conclusion

This case demonstrated how BMW developed two overarching frames in order to garner support for its age-appropriateworkplace initiatives. It also showed how both episodic (specific examples) and thematic (general context) framing tech-niques can be used in concert to create an argument that is local and global at the same time. BMW used both framingtechniques in order to demonstrate how its internal initiatives will benefit Germany as the population ages, which ulti-mately showed how specific organizational communication efforts can be effective when tied to larger social issues. Thisapproach to framing provides a theoretical and practical contribution to public relations scholarship.

BMW’s Today for Tomorrow program is just one example of how organizations are preparing for the projected “silvertsunami.” Through its continuing efforts, BMW is trying to garner support from multiple publics (current employees, prospec-tive employees, stakeholders, governments) for its aging initiatives. If the population continues to age at the projected rate,other organizations will have to follow in BMW’s footsteps and also embrace the gray workplace.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Melanie Morgan and Josh Boyd for their support and guidance.

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