Retirement and Life Significance: A Study of the Adjustment to Retirement of a Sample of Men at Management Level

Abstract

An analysis of the content of a number of preretirement courses held by work organizations showed evidence of only limited concern with personal adjustment and the discovery of a meaning for retirement. Following a series of interviews and discussions, a questionnaire was therefore devised to test the relevance of course content by identifying the variables most closely associated with retirement satisfaction. The questionnaire was completed by a random sample of 185 retired male managers from seven work organizations in the United Kingdom. A concept termed "life significance" was found to discriminate most effectively between those most satisfied and those least satisfied with their retirement. The implications for preretirement education are indicated. It seems important to give emphasis to the life significance concept and not concentrate only on environmental issues.