Date of Award

5-24-2007

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Counseling Psychology & Community Services

First Advisor

Donald Daughtry

Abstract

Leaving one's employment in order to retire can result in a loss of identity, uncertainty, and stress. This predicament Will be faced by a record number of workers retiring over the next 15 years, as the largest age cohort to exist in the U.S. workforce is the Baby Boomers---those born after World War II, 1945 through 1964---Will retire. As one of the most influential age cohorts, Baby Boomers faced major shifts in the work environment within cultural, social, and technological arenas. Now 41--60 years old, the Baby Boomers Will be the first generation to retire without federally mandated retirement ages. By 2010, it is estimated that over 20% of the population Will be retirement age. It is unclear whether stress and uncertainty affect preretirees' ability to remain engaged in the workplace. This dissertation addresses this question through a qualitative study. This study was conducted to explore (1) transition from work into impending retirement and its implications for the workplace, and (2) to examine latent elements within the construct. Porter and Smith Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, Rotter Locus of Control, and audio-taped individual interview sessions were used to collect preliminary data on the preretirement process of 10 participants, ages 61-76, in a mid-sized university in the Midwestern US. Data was analyzed using consensual qualitative research to identify themes and categories in an effort to identify primary topic areas for future research and theory development. Results found that participants planned to continue to remain active within communities, most wanted to work at least part-time or volunteer, and most did not see themselves disengaging from the workplace. Most participants remained committed to their employer and exhibited high internal locus of control while transitioning toward retirement. Results found varying motivation to retire versus reasons to remain employed, post-retirement plans, and conception of work.

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