Abstract
Motivational factors, such as one’s value system, may affect how people cope with the opportunities and challenges of retirement. This article explores the moderating roles of Schwartz’s four basic values (self-enhancement, self-transcendence, openness to change, and conservation) on the magnitude and duration of retirement effects on life satisfaction between two waves (2007 and 2017) of the Norwegian Life course, Ageing and Generation (NorLAG) study. Fixed-effect regression analyses are run separately for men and women to account for gender differences in the attachments and identities tied to work and non-work domains. Retirement is not a uniform experience, and findings show that retirement experiences are structured by gender and personal values. Holding values with a personal focus (self-enhancement and openness to change) is associated with less beneficial effects of retirement among men but not among women. Men holding these values may struggle to find new and stimulating avenues for experiencing personal success and variety after retirement. Holding values with a social focus (self-transcendence and conservation) is unrelated to retirement effects.
Highlights
Retirement is a major life transition with potentially broad and substantial effects on quality of life
Because embedding the retirement transition within human values is a new development, we examine whether the effects of human values are independent or overlap with the effects of well-known determinants of retirement adjustment, such as health and socio-economic status
Retirement is not a uniform transition, and much theoretical and empirical work has been devoted to understanding the different risks and experiences associated with retirement
Summary
Retirement is a major life transition with potentially broad and substantial effects on quality of life. It entails radical changes in social roles, lifestyles, and daily activities, and confronts individuals with new expectations, challenges, and opportunities, all of which can influence well-being (Wang & Shi, 2014). Many changes are likely to confer substantial benefits, such as more freedom and time to pursue meaningful and satisfying activities and social relationships (Reitzes & Mutran, 2004; Szinovacz & Davey, 2006; Wanka, 2020). Other aspects, such as disengagement from work-related networks, inactivity, boredom, and loss of status and identity, can compromise well-being
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