The transition process to post‐working life and its psychosocial outcomes

Identity incongruence and negotiation in the transition from work to retirement: A theoretical model

In an aging society, dealing with the disengagement from one’s work-related identity and the quality of retirement adjustment become major concerns for individuals and organizations. However, the processes through which retirement adjustment can be achieved and upon which conditions this depends are only partially understood, especially regarding identity transition processes. To address this issue, we suggest that identity incongruence, identity transition negotiation, and the variety of high-quality exchange relationships represent key factors that explain the different experiences in retirement adjustment quality. Integrating social identity, self-categorization, identity negotiation, and interpersonal perspectives, we develop a theoretical model with 12 propositions highlighting the dynamic changes in identity incongruence across time and the possible coexistence of the work-related identity and the retiree identity. We also discuss the potential boundary conditions of the model, outline directions for future research, and suggest practical implications at the individual and organizational levels.

Psychosocial factors in retirement intentions and adjustment: a multi-sample study

Purpose

– Retirement adjustment is the process by which aged workers become accustomed to the changed facts of life in the transition from work to retirement and develop psychological well-being in their post-working life. The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychosocial factors that significantly explain retirement intentions and retirement adjustment, using two separate empirical studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Retirement self-efficacy, low work involvement, older worker identity and relative deprivation significantly explained retirement intentions (bridge employment engagement, part-time retirement, late retirement and full retirement) of workers over 60 years (Study 1, n=157). Retirement adjustment indices (retirement satisfaction, feelings of anxiety and depression) were associated with psychosocial factors for retirees (Study 2, n=218).

Findings

– The findings highlight that retirement self-efficacy and older worker identity positively and significantly explained both full retirement of aged workers and retirement satisfaction of retirees. Relative deprivation negatively significantly explained partial and late retirement intentions and retirement satisfaction of retirees.

Research limitations/implications

– The implications of these studies are discussed for understanding retirement planning and counselling practice.

Practical implications

– Retirement adjustment conceptualized as a process has important implications for retirement planning, and consequently can influence the project of the life course, as well as career’s decisions.

Social implications

– Social contexts should consider all factors that can negatively affect self-efficacy, work involvement and identity of employees in the mid and late-career stages, and thus contribute to reinforce and strengthen personal and psychosocial resources involved in planning and adaptation to retirement, and to increase the insight into the planning and decisions older workers make to face retirement.

Originality/value

– This work had two goals, pursued by two empirical studies with two samples: workers over 60 years, and retirees. The authors contend that the availability of two different sets of data increases the generalizability of the findings.

Improving retirement outcomes: the role of resources, pre-retirement planning and transition characteristics

Retirement is an inherently complex process due to the multitude of variables that influence it. The present article proposes that by combining our understanding of retirement phases (a conceptual framework) with a theory that specifies a general mechanism for retirement adaptation (a theoretical framework), we can improve how we research retirement. Accordingly, this study proposes and tests a model exploring the antecedents and consequences of the retirement process across three stages: Pre-retirement, Transition and Adaptation, using data collected from 550 Australian retirees. Multiple outcomes are explored, including adjustment, wellbeing and life satisfaction, as well as variables including planning, perception of wealth, resources and mastery. The model showed a significant influence of resources on both phases and outcomes, with mastery showing the strongest relationships of all the resources. Results suggest that outcomes in retirement may be improved by promoting retirement planning, improving exit conditions and building key resources, in particular, mastery. Overall, the model demonstrates the value of combining theory and conceptual frameworks to inform the specification of statistical models to research retirement. Research implications and alternative models are discussed.

On the Motives and Needs for Work beyond Age 65: Comparing Voluntary Workers versus Agency Workers

Much has been written about older workers, including how to adequately manage a more mature workforce. Currently, the bulk of research concentrates on the push-pull factors for early retirement vs. the continuation of work life until the pensionable age. This article focuses on a different and rarely investigated group and explicitly addresses an issue up to now overlooked: for those who continue work beyond the age at which full government pension benefits are available (i.e., post-retirement workers), is the meaning of work related to their employment status? To answer this question we compared the work motives of Dutch volunteers and agency workers aged 65 years (i.e., the official Dutch pensionable age) and older. Contrary to the presumptive prevailing common convictions, we found that for post-retirement agency workers financial motives or needs seem less important than personal motives, and the employment status itself is not a good indicator for decision-making on human resource practices. We conclude that for these ‘indisputable seniors' the satisfaction of esteem needs through work remains unremitting, and may even be increasingly important as time goes by.

[The transition towards retirement: adaptation of the Retirement Satisfaction Inventory scale in a Spanish sample of early-pensioners]

OBJECTIVES

This study provides psychometric data for the Spanish adaptation of the scale of Retirement Satisfaction Inventory (RSI). We explore the factor structure and psychometric properties a sample of Spanish early retirees. RSI measures the motivation to retirement, satisfaction with life in retirement and leisure activities.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The RSI scale (Floyd et al, 1992) was applied to a sample of 638 Spanish early-pensioners with a mean age of 61.28 (SD: 5.77) years and a mean age at early retirement of 53.89 years (SD: 2.71). An exploratory factorial analysis was performed using the SPSS statistics package, and a confirmatory factorial using the AMOS 6.0 module. The data collection process was carried out by means of the questionnaires by post method.

RESULTS

The adaptation of the RSI to Spanish showed a three-scale structure:: the reasons for retirement, satisfaction with life in retirement, and leisure activities. These scales showed a structure with four, two and three main factors, respectively, which differ slightly from those reported in the original instrument.The confirmatory factorial analysis demonstrated the optimum fit of the model for the three scales.

CONCLUSIONS

The RSI adaptation to Spanish provides a tool that could asses the motivation towards retirement during the leaving work process, satisfaction with retirement life, and the leisure sources in the Spanish early retired population.

Women’s Later Life Career Development: Looking Through the Lens of the Kaleidoscope Career Model

This study explores the relevance of the Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM) to women’s later life career development. Qualitative interview data were gathered from 14 women in both the ‘‘truly’’ late career and bridge employment periods using a longitudinal design. The relevance of authenticity, balance, and challenge— central parameters in the KCM—is explored, along with the particular meanings associated with those parameters. Results demonstrate that all three parameters have relevance for older working women. In addition, as compared to studies of younger women, there were several unique meanings associated with the idea of authenticity. To a somewhat lesser extent, this was also the case with balance. The meanings of challenge were notably more consistent with those found in younger samples. Practical implications of considering the KCM parameters in reference to employee retention, combating stereotypes pertaining to age, and meeting older employees’ needs for fulfilling work are also described.