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The influence of demographic factors, work schedule flexibility, job satisfaction, job involvement, job seeking self-efficacy, certainty of retirement plans, familial and marital satisfaction, and attitude toward retirement on older workers' decision to fully retire, continue career employment, or participate in bridge employment was examined in this study.

Thesis (PhD (Sport Science))—University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This study was designed to gain a better understanding of the way in which the quality of the sport-career termination is quantitatively affected by athletic and non-athletic factors. A further objective of this study was to contribute and broaden the knowledge base on the athletic careertermination process and endeavour to add new information to the existent body of knowledge on the career-ending process in the world of sport. This study is a sport-specific view on South African track and field and road running athletes’ retrospective views on their retirement. In line with the relevant literature, the influence of athletic (voluntariness and gradualness of sport-career termination, subjective view of athletic achievements, postsport life planning, and athletic identity) and non-athletic factors (e.g., age, educational status) on different aspects of sport-career difficulties was investigated. In phase 1 of the research, 104 retired track and field athletes completed an adapted version of the Cecic-Erpic’s (2000) Sports Career Termination Questionnaire II (SCTQ II). These athletes had been retired for no less than one year with an athletic career at national and international level and were asked to describe in retrospect their experiences and reactions to their athletic career termination. The SCTQII was developed to evaluate the characteristics of the sport-career termination process, the characteristics of the active sport-careertermination transition to post-sport life, and adaptation to post-sport life. In phase 2 of the study, 23 retired South African elite athletes were individually interviewed. An interview guide was developed which probed the sport career of the athletes in depth, from the initial start to the sport career to the process of disengaging from elite sport. The data from the interviews were content analysed.

Retirement is a complex undertaking that is influenced by many factors. The variables influence the retirement experience either alone or in combination. Because the factors are intertwined, it is sometimes difficult to determine which are the most significant. The complex nature of retirement often leads to people being under prepared for the challenges they are likely to confront. Despite the importance of the retirement enterprise, there has been little research on the subject among black retirees in South Africa. This is especially true when it comes to the case of retired migrant workers. The purpose of the present study is to explore the experience of life satisfaction during retirement and adjustment to retirement of migrant workers when they return back to their communities of origin in the Eastern Cape Region, South Africa. Research participants for the study were retired persons (N=54) who were selected through snowball sampling method. The data for the study was collected using a Biographical Questionnaire, the Life Satisfaction Index-A, Adjustment Scale and Open-ended Interview Questions. Retired non-migrant workers were also included in the study in order to determine whether there are differences on these measures compared to retired migrant workers. The results of the study indicated that: retired migrant workers had significantly lower levels of life satisfaction and encountered more adjustment problems in retirement than retired non-migrant workers; retired migrant workers had less choice in their decision to retire than retired non-migrant workers; retired migrant workers did not participate in sufficient financial planning for their retirement; and financial situation significantly affects adjustment to retirement and life satisfaction during retirement. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

This study gives a platform to three old retired people who are constructed to be enjoying well-being and life satisfaction or going through life dissatisfaction after retirement. The epistemological framework was social constructionism. In-depth interviews with these three individuals were carried out. The premises of qualitative research were followed. The ‘case study approach’ was chosen as the most suitable method to gather information. Thematic content analysis was employed as a method of analysis of life stories of old retired people, which were reconstructed in terms of themes. Recurring themes in the life stories were then discussed and linked with the broader literature. The research allowed rich and informative information about life stories of three old retired people to emerge. Among the identified themes were financial status relating to adequate and appropriate sustenance after retirement; social networks and their effects on life satisfaction and dissatisfaction after retirement; health status; and cognitive functions in late adulthood. Everyone wishing to understand life in old age after retirement is encouraged to read this story. It is necessary to be sufficiently equipped in the event of an extended lifespan. / Psychology / M.A.(Psychology)

Over the last three decades, the sports research community has demonstrated a growing interest in the process of sport retirement. The majority of the sport retirement research has focused on male professional athletes, traditionally those in the popular spectator sports. Yet, the process of leaving sport applies to thousands of individuals, both male and female, who engage in competitive sport. To date very little consideration has been given to the retirement experiences of female athletes. Three separate studies have been undertaken to address this identified gap in the literature. Studies One and Two aimed to explore the experiences of sport retirement for elite female athletes in Scotland, using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In Study One questionnaire data was collected from 92 former Scottish elite female athletes. Questionnaire sections were designed to examine what were felt to be the major elements of the Taylor and Ogilvie (1994; 2001) conceptual model of adaptation to retirement from sport, in order to explore the applicability of this model to female athletes in Scotland. The results of the study provide support for the use of this model to assist in our understanding of the retirement transition. The findings highlighted the importance of athletic identity, reason for retirement, and perceptions of control in predicting the level of difficulty and adjustment that an athlete may experience upon their retirement. The most significant finding was the effect that athletic identity had on the retirement process, with those identifying strongly with the athletic role reporting significantly higher levels of difficulty, emotional adjustment, and social adjustment. 29 of these athletes participated in an in-depth interview within Study Two, enabling a more in-depth analysis of their retirement experiences. In this study particular attention was paid to the effect of athletic identity on this transition. In support of the findings of Study One, athletes with a strong and exclusive athletic identity were found to be more likely to experience difficulties when they retire. In comparison, athletes with lower levels of athletic identity generally experience some mild negative emotions after initially retiring, followed by a relatively smooth transition into their life after sport. The second part of this thesis examines formal programmes available to support female athletic retirement in Scotland. Study Three provides an evaluation of the Performance Lifestyle programme offered by the Scottish Institute of Sport, focusing in particular on the services related to preparation for life after sport. The perspectives of a number of different groups with an interest or involvement in the programme were examined and comparisons made with the delivery of Performance Lifestyle to other athlete groups in Great Britain. The results show that Performance Lifestyle is a very valuable source of support for athletes who are part of the Institute Network. The programme does deal with the issue of the end of the career, but it is definitely a weaker aspect, largely due to lack of resources. Performance Lifestyle in Scotland compares favourably with programmes offered by the Institute Network in England and by Welsh Rugby. However other professional sports are currently offering superior programmes due to higher levels of investment and resources.

Retirement is a complex undertaking that is influenced by many factors. The variables influence the retirement experience either alone or in combination. Because the factors are intertwined, it is sometimes difficult to determine which are the most significant. The complex nature of retirement often leads to people being under prepared for the challenges they are likely to confront. Despite the importance of the retirement enterprise, there has been little research on the subject among black retirees in South Africa. This is especially true when it comes to the case of retired migrant workers. The purpose of the present study is to explore the experience of life satisfaction during retirement and adjustment to retirement of migrant workers when they return back to their communities of origin in the Eastern Cape Region, South Africa. Research participants for the study were retired persons (N=54) who were selected through snowball sampling method. The data for the study was collected using a Biographical Questionnaire, the Life Satisfaction Index-A, Adjustment Scale and Open-ended Interview Questions. Retired non-migrant workers were also included in the study in order to determine whether there are differences on these measures compared to retired migrant workers. The results of the study indicated that: retired migrant workers had significantly lower levels of life satisfaction and encountered more adjustment problems in retirement than retired non-migrant workers; retired migrant workers had less choice in their decision to retire than retired non-migrant workers; retired migrant workers did not participate in sufficient financial planning for their retirement; and financial situation significantly affects adjustment to retirement and life satisfaction during retirement. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)