Older employees' postretirement work planning: an application of the theory of planned behavior

Based on the theory of planned behavior, this study aims to examine antecedents of older workers' intentions to engage in postretirement work (PRW) and actual planning for PRW.

A cross-sectional survey design was used. About 469 nurses (≥45 years old) from Midwestern United States completed an online survey containing various self-reports on attitude, perceived control, subjective norm, intentions to engage in PRW and actual planning for PRW.

Results found that attitude and subjective norm (but not perceived control) were positively related to older employees' intentions to engage in PRW. Perceived control was positively related to actual planning for PRW. PRW intentions mediated the effects of attitude and subjective norm on older workers' actual planning for PRW. Finally, perceived control enhanced the positive effect of PRW intentions on actual planning for PRW.

This study contributes to the research by testing the application of the theory of planned behavior to the literature on PRW, further increasing our knowledge of the roles of individuals' attitudinal and cognitive factors in predicting older employees' PRW intentions and actual planning for PRW.