Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Management

The aging of the population is a global phenomenon. It is estimated that the global population of individuals over age 60 will grow from 12% to 21% by 2050 primarily as a result of increasing lifespans. In 2011, individuals in America's baby boomer cohort began reaching their full retirement age of 65. It is estimated that approximately 10,000 baby boomers will turn age 65 each day until 2031. The aging of the population is creating more conversation around the topic of retirement as individuals figure out if and how they would like to transition from their primary careers into a retirement period that may be much longer and different than those before them. In recent decades, the decision to retire has become more complex as a result of the elimination of guaranteed pension plans, the greater need to provide for aging family members and adult children, and the increased length of the retirement period. The pre-retirement process is difficult for many as they consider these issues as well as how to replace the fulfillment, achievement and social benefits that come from work. Such difficulty often triggers anxiety which leads to depression and limits the probability of success in retirement. This study uses a mixed methods approach to understand how individuals in the 21st-century view retirement, especially since the Great Recession of 2008, and what pre-retirement factors contribute to retirement confidence, well-being, and the intention to continue to work in retirement. Findings from the study suggest that the development of financial self-efficacy and a retirement identity are critical in the pre-retirement process and are positively associated with retirement confidence and well-being. The results also suggest that having and understanding the opportunities for meaningful work in retirement contributes to a positive pre-retirement planning experience.

Committee: Richard Boyatzis (Committee Chair); Melvin Smith (Committee Member); Peter Whitehouse (Committee Member); Kathleen Buse (Committee Member) Subjects: Aging; Labor Relations; Management; Personal Relationships

Master of Science, Miami University, 2016, Sport Studies

Leaving sport can be a difficult transition for an athlete. This process is one comprised of both positive and negative events, which can significantly affect individual development. Much of the previous research utilizing the Conceptual Model of Adaptation to Retirement Among Athletes (Taylor & Ogilvie, 1994) has focused on normative and non-normative career-ending injury. No prior investigations have used the entire conceptual model to focus on spinal cord injury specifically. This study was a multiple case investigation into athletes' experiences of leaving able-bodied sport with a spinal cord injury. Semi-structured interviews and multiple inventories were conducted with three athletes who had left able-bodied sport due to a spinal cord injury. In general, findings indicated that athletes adjusted to transition in various positive and negative ways. The influence of the adaptive community, coping strategies, and social support were perceived to facilitate transition. Support for the conceptual model was found.

Committee: Robin Vealey (Advisor); Valeria Freysinger (Committee Member); Karly Geller (Committee Member) Subjects: Health; Kinesiology; Recreation

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, ED Policy and Leadership

With the graying of the professoriate continuing and the massive number of baby boomers entering retirement age, universities and college administrations need to adequately prepare for retirement. This is beginning to cause some staffing shortages in the faculty pipeline as well as the loss of institutional history and professional knowledge. Unlike many employing organizations, most institutions of higher education provide some sort of opportunity for its retired employees to remain connected to the institution. For retired faculty, this often comes in the form of the emeriti status rank. The overwhelming majority of faculty retirement research is focused on how institutions will manage the economic implications of retirement, particularly on retirement benefits and the financial costs to the institution. There has been little scholarship investigating the perspective of retirement from the individual and even less research in recent years. Recently retired faculty may have different expectations about retirement and the level of relationship they have with their former institution. This research examines this topic further. This qualitative study contributes to the higher education literature by providing an in-depth analysis of 14 faculty emeriti from a large, land grant institution who retired within the past two to five years, explored their relationship with their former institution. Using the literature about adult development and the professoriate, a semi-structured, in-depth interview protocol was developed. Data analysis was conducted using a grounded theory approach, with an emphasis on thematic findings. The resulting six main themes were: (1) the “nudge” toward retirement (motivating factors influencing the retirement decisions), (2) “no one owns your time”, (3) the unexpected (unanticipated events in retirement), (4) the continuity of scholarship activities, (5) new pathways in retirement, and (6) elements of the departmental and institutional rela (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ada Demb (Advisor); Leonard Baird (Committee Member); Antoinette Errante (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Family Resource Management

The role of shocks to household resources in affecting retirement transitions among older employees was analyzed using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The transitions of reverse retirement and partial retirement were of particular interest. The objectives of the study were: (1) To explore how shocks, or unexpected changes to financial and human resources, affect retirement transitions, and (2) To explore the relative importance of shocks in making retirement transitions. The study sample consisted of 2,514 HRS respondents, born between 1926 and 1938, who changed employment status between 1998 and 2000 or between 2000 and 2002. A multinomial Logit model was used in order to make comparisons among the four retirement transition groups. The empirical model included institutional variables and demographic and environmental control variables. The results suggest that just as the paths to retirement are diverse and complex, so are their determinants. Shocks to financial resources had the largest effects on reverse retirement transitions. Shocks to human resources, including family structure and health, affected all retirement transitions. Institutional variables had the largest marginal effects on partial retirement. As expected, positive shocks to assets decreased the odds of reverse retirement, and negative income shocks had larger marginal effects on retirement transitions than positive income shocks. However, positive asset shocks had larger marginal effects on retirement transitions than negative asset shocks. The partial retirement group was distinguished from the reverse retirement group in terms of financial shock impacts; for members of the partial retirement group, rather than shocks to resources, institutional supports were key determinants. Fewer significant effects on the odds of partial retirement over traditional retirement were found, and the effects were smaller than those for reverse retirement and retirement from part-time employment in (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Catherine Montalto (Advisor) Subjects: Home Economics

Master of Gerontological Studies, Miami University, 2009, Gerontology

This critical inquiry examines the literature on retirement from sport using a gerontological framework. Review of the literature reveals that thanatological perspectives and gerontological theories such as disengagement, activity, continuity, and social breakdown, provided an early conceptual basis for understanding retirement from sport. However, these perspectives fell out of favor because of their inability to be generalized to the unique trajectories of athletes who retire much younger than the general population. Moving forward, scholars incorporated traditional transition models while focusing on athletic identity development to better understand retirement outcomes experienced by athletes. Because the relationship between athletic identity development and life course development, the Life Course Capital model is introduced as an alternative framework to understand the mechanisms for withdrawal from sport and how athletes can rely on acquired capital to adjust accordingly.

Committee: Robert Applebaum PhD (Committee Chair); Kathryn McGrew PhD (Committee Member); Margaret Jendrek PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Gerontology