The main objective of our essay is to analyze the influence of the spouse on the partner’s retirement decision. Drawing on a large sample of older citizens and a combination of a postal survey and register data, we use standard econometric techniques to identify the impact of the spouse’s characteristics on the partner’s decision to retire. The results of our estimations show that cohabiting/married males’ decision to retire was negatively affected by their partners’ health condition. On the other hand, cohabiting/married women were more likely to retire if their partner had already retired.

We use the labor force ad hoc module "transition from work into retirement" to analyze the link between individual as well as pension system characteristics and planned retirement age within the European Union. We find that timing of retirement is correlated between partners who are, already at the stage of retirement planning. In richer countries of the EU15, standard retirement age seems to have a larger effect on planned retirement age than in poorer EU15 states or in new EU member states. The effect of pension wealth is largest in the new EU member states and smallest in rich EU15 countries. Furthermore, industry and occupation effects differ by country type. (authors' abstract)

Researchers consistently conclude that finances and health are the two most significant factors associated with retirement decision-making and a successful retirement experience. Retirement planning is one mechanism by which individuals prepare for the retirement transition; however, retirement planning routinely emphasizes financial concerns, often to the exclusion of health or other significant aspects of retirement. Retirement planning is an increasingly relevant topic at a time when the population is aging, company-sponsored pensions and retiree benefits have diminished significantly, and reform is being sought for the long-standing social programs that have provided support for generations of older Americans. From a financial perspective, few would question the positive benefits associated with retirement planning; however, preparing for a healthy retirement is equally important. If a relationship between retirement planning and health status were to be established, Americans might find increased public and private support for individual retirement planning efforts, particularly among more vulnerable populations such as minorities and women. This dissertation explores the notion that engagement in retirement planning is associated with health status through three studies. Utilizing data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the first article explores prevalence of plans for retirement among worker and retiree respondents, and compares health and other key characteristics associated with planning among the two sub-samples. The second and third articles focus on time order relationships between health status and retirement planning, with article two addressing the question of whether onset of poor health precedes planning for retirement and article three examining health status of planners versus non-planners, over time, to determine whether those who engage in retirement planning are more likely to realize better health outcomes. A brief review of th e health, retirement, and retirement planning literature provides the theoretical framework for these research questions and related hypotheses.This dissertation consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the retirement planning and health literature, Chapters 2-4 describe the series of three studies conducted, and Chapter 5 discusses the overall conclusions as well as future directions for research.

There is worldwide concern that individuals are not saving sufficiently for retirement. Low savings rates, coupled with a lack of preservation of retirement funds when individuals move jobs, could have adverse repercussions on the ability to retire with sufficient funds. The traditional response to low preservation levels has been to impose taxes on cash withdrawals and a move is underway in South Africa to potentially mandate preservation. All these interventions assume that individuals are not acting rationally when they take a cash payout, however this assumption of irrationality has not been tested. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the factors that lead to low preservation levels in order to determine whether intervention is required to increase preservation, and if so, what form it should take. The study consisted of two phases. Phase one carried out a critical, multidisciplinary literature review to construct a conceptual model of the factors which potentially lead to low preservation levels. According to this model, these factors could arise from rational decision making in line with consumption smoothing behaviour linked to the life cycle hypothesis or irrational decision making arising from behavioural factors linked to bounded willpower or bounded rationality. The resultant model highlighted the distinct differences in the drivers of rational and irrational behaviour and therefore, the distinctly different interventions required. Phase two of the study focused on the empirical testing of the conceptual model to obtain an understanding of the relative importance of the factors. This phase made use of an analytical survey to test relationships between the predictor variables identified in the conceptual model, and the outcome variable which is whether the individual preserved funds when moving jobs. The data was analysed with logistic regression techniques. The study found that behavioural factors play an important role in explaining the preservation decisions made by individuals. In particular behavioural factors related to bounded rationality as a result of the inherent computational complexity of the decision making environment emerged as important explanatory variables. This appears to indicate that solutions should focus on decision support and guidance to assist individuals in making optimal decisions. This study makes a unique contribution to the field of retirement finance and decision making as it highlights the role that behavioural factors play in retirement preservation decisions. The implications regarding which interventions are best suited to assist in optimal decision iv making are informative for policy makers, providers of retirement products and financial advisors, as well as sponsors and members of retirement funds. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Financial Management / Unrestricted

Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka informanternas relation till pension i förhållande till upplevd yrkesidentitet. Syftet kommer besvaras genom att vi undersöker två frågeställningar. I första hand utforskas hur informanterna uttrycker sig angående pension i förhållande till upplevd yrkesidentitet. Vår förförståelse är att de informanter som upplever stark yrkesidentitet också vill gå i sen pension. Vi utforskar även hur informanterna uttrycker sig kring pension utifrån ett intersektionellt perspektiv. Det intersektionella perspektivet bidrar med nyanseringar kring aspekter som påverkat deras förhållningssätt till pension, detta sätts sedan i kontrast till tidigare forskning och teori. Empirin samlas in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och analys av materialet sker genom kodning. Resultatet visar på att vår ovan beskrivna förförståelse angående yrkesidentitet inte införlivas. Hög eller låg yrkesidentitet har inte en stor inverkan på informanternas tankar kring pension. Andra faktorer var mer relevanta för informanterna. Den andra frågeställningen besvaras genom att resultatet sätts i kontrast till tidigare forskning och teori. De slutsatser som vi drar utifrån den andra frågeställningen är att vår förförståelse som skapats genom tidigare forskning och teori kan delvis införlivas vid analysen. Slutligen i resultat och analys reflekterar vi över empiri som inte svarar till våra två frågor men som bidragit med intressanta forskningsmöjligheter kring ämnet, pension. / The purpose of the thesis is to examine the interviewees relationship to retirement in relation to perceived professional identity. The purpose will be answered by examining two questions. It’s explored how the interviewees express themselves regarding retirement in relation to perceived professional identity. The pre-understanding is that the interviewees who experience a strong professional identity also want to retire late. We also explore how the interviewees express themselves about retirement from an intersectional perspective. The intersectional perspective contributes with nuances around aspects that have influenced their approach to retirement, this is then contrasted with previous research and theory. The empirics are collected through semi structured interviews and analysis of the material takes place through coding and discourse analysis. The results show that our above-described pre-understanding regarding professional identity is not incorporated. High or low professional identity does not have a major impact on the interviewee's thoughts on retirement. Other factors were more relevant to the interviewees. The second question is answered by contrasting the results with previous research and theory. The conclusions we draw based on the second question are that our pre-understanding created through previous research and theory can be partially incorporated into the analysis. Finally, in the results and analysis, we reflect on empirical data that do not answer our two questions but that have contributed interesting hypotheses on the subject, retirement.

The purpose of the study was to examine retirement decision making of certificated employees (N = 284 respondents N = 241) of the Beaverton School District in a near retirement age category. The Beaverton School District is a large suburban school district near Portland, Oregon. It currently serves over 25,000 students and employs approximately 2,600 certificated and classified employees. The study answered the following questions: Can psycho-social factors be identified that will enable the Beaverton School District to help potential retirees make an informed decision to retire? What personal factors affect a person's decision to retire? Does it matter, in the ranking of variables, if a person is either vested or not vested in his or her retirement fund? What demographic factors (gender, age grouping, education, position and marital status) affect a person's decision to retire? Discriminate analysis enabled this researcher to conclude that finance and job satisfaction were significant factors in predicting retirement decision making. Other factors listed (health, activity time, support system, degree of control, personal identity as it relates to the job, and availability of medical benefits) were significant but did not add appreciably to predictive capability. Personal factors effecting a person's decision to retire were obtained through self- reports and were grouped into two categories: Directly stated informational requests, and Implied informational needs. Responses were grouped according to their common themes and each fit well within the parameters of the previously identified psycho-social variables. Directly stated informational requests related to concerns about finances and the availability of medical benefits. Implied needs were primarily related to the need for relief from job stress, pressure, and burnout. Concerns were also expressed regarding a perceived lack of administrative competence and/or support and a lack of personal control relative to the job. Respondents were asked if they would be vested at the point of retirement. This question was asked to assess if being either vested or not vested would make a difference to one's decision to retire. Though the findings were significant, the sample size for individuals who would not be vested was too small (1%) to constitute a valid sample. Gender, the first demographic variable examined, was found to be significant. Males reported less job satisfaction than their female counterparts. Job satisfaction was the most significant psycho-social variable affecting retirement decision making. Other demographic variables (age, marital status, education, and position) were not found to be significant predictors of retirement decision making. This study was clearly exploratory. Therefore, recommendations for further research include replicating this study in other school districts. Additional variables might be identified that impact one's decision to retire. There was clear indication for the need for further study in the area of job satisfaction. In addition, a longitudinal study would enable a researcher to determine the congruence between pre-retirement perceptions and post retirement "reality."

This thesis aimed to extend knowledge of athletes’ career transitions through examining athletes’ retirement decision-making process and influence of cultural diversity and organisational culture on the process of career transition. The purpose of Study 1 was to identify the current status of knowledge in the study area through providing a systematic review of the athlete career transition studies. The findings provided up to date knowledge in the study area and suggested potential future research directions. Study 2 aimed to understand Korean tennis players’ career transition out of sport experiences via longitudinal qualitative research. The results indicated that athletes perceived making the retirement decision was difficult process for them and revealed that participants’ experiences were influenced by cultural aspects and sport contexts of Korea. Study 3 focused on exploring the athletes’ retirement decision-making process among Korean tennis players. Results showed that athletes’ leaving from sport decision-making is a complex and multidimensional process, and the transtheoretical model was helpful in explaining athletes’ retirement from sport decision-making. The objective of Study 4 was to explore the processes involved in the development of an athletes’ career transition programme. Results revealed that the organisation might have influence on athletes’ retirement decision and the quality of career transition. Overall, the findings from the current thesis provide advanced useful knowledge on the athlete career transition process, and such knowledge may assist attempts to enhance athletes’ well-being and welfare for during and post-sport life.

La connaissance des conditions psychosociologiques dans lesquelles les entrepreneurs décident de la fin de leur carrière renvoie à des enjeux particulièrement cruciaux pour les chercheurs et les praticiens du conseil. Les conséquences de l’arrêt de l’activité entrepreneuriale sont en effet notables à la fois aux plans individuel, macro-économique car liés à la problématique de la cession-transmission de l’entreprise et sociaux au regard des emplois à préserver (Detienne, 2010). La finalité générale de cette thèse était d’éclairer les facteurs psychosociologiques complexes qui sous-tendent la décision du départ à la retraite dans la population des dirigeants propriétaires. Pour ce faire, le présent travail doctoral visait deux objectifs majeurs. Le premier était de développer un inventaire fiable permettant l’analyse précise de la nature et de la structure des raisons conduisant les entrepreneurs à prendre la décision de mettre fin à leur carrière professionnelle. Trois études distinctes portant sur 442 participants au total ont permis la création et la validation de l’Inventaire des Raisons du Processus Décisionnel du départ à la Retraite des Entrepreneurs (IRPDRE), à partir du modèle Push Pull Anti-push Anti-pull de Mullet, Dej, Lemaire, Raïff, & Barthorpe (2000). Le second objectif visé dans l’étude 4 portait sur le test auprès d’un échantillon de 271 participants d’un modèle des déterminants individuels de la perception des raisons sous-tendant le processus décisionnel de l’arrêt de la carrière chez les entrepreneurs. Cette modélisation incluait également l’examen des liens entre l’évaluation des diverses raisons et l’intention de partir à la retraite des entrepreneurs. Au final, les résultats obtenus dans ce programme de recherches ont permis de proposer un outil multidimensionnel fiable permettant d’évaluer finement la perception complexe des facteurs psychosociologiques à l’origine de la prise de décision du désengagement professionnel des entrepreneurs. Ils ont aussi conduit à une meilleure compréhension des différences interindividuelles lors de la prise de décision de fin de carrière dans cette population. / Understanding the psychosociological conditions of entrepreneurs’ decisions to retire is an important issue for researchers and practitioners. Indeed, the consequences of entrepreneurs’ decisions to retire are important at three levels: individual, macroeconomic in that their retirement is linked to the disposal and transfer of their business, and social in that it affects employment (Detienne, 2010). The overall purpose of this doctoral research was to analyze the psychosociological factors underlying the retirement decision in this specific population. The study had two main objectives. The first was to provide researchers and practitioners with an original and reliable self-report questionnaire to assess the nature and form of the reasons underlying the retirement decision process. Three studies, with a total of 442 participants, were conducted to develop and validate the Reasons for Entrepreneurs’ Retirement Decision Inventory (RERDI), based on the Push Pull Antipush Anti-pull view (Mullet, Dej, Lemaire, Raïff, & Barthorpe, 2000). A fourth study involving 271 participants was carried out to achieve the second objective, which was to test a model of individual determinants of the reasons underlying the retirement decision process. This model also examined the relationships between the evaluation of the reasons and the intention to retire. Finally, the results of these studies allow us to propose a multidimensional and reliable tool to assess in detail the complex perception of the psychosociological factors underlying entrepreneurs’ decisions to retire. The results also provide a better understanding of interindividual differences in this retirement decision.