Social Predictors Influencing the Attitudes of Top Executives towards Retirement: a Cross-cultural Study

• Main Author: Lucia Helena de Freitas Pinho França
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Nacional de Pós-Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração (ANPAD) 2009-01-01
• Series: RAC: Revista de Administração Contemporânea
• Subjects: retirement; attitudes of top executives; social predictors; cross-cultural research; Brazil and New
• Online Access: http://www.anpad.org.br/periodicos/arq_pdf/a_836.pdf

This study examines the influence of social predictors on the attitudes towards retirement in 517 Brazilian and New Zealand top executives. The social predictors were represented by four measures: the job perception scale (JPS), the diversity of time allocation of activities and relationships index (SOD), the influence of family and friends on retirement decision (FFIRD); and the perception of quality of life in the country (PCQL). The influence of these predictors were analysed by multiple regression on other two scales: the executive’s perception of gains in retirement (EPGR) and the executive’s perception of losses in retirement (EPLR). The results point out that the importance of gains is increased by the influence of family and friends on retirement decision, for both nationalities. This is also increased by the diversity of time allocation for activities and relationships, but only for Brazilians. Brazilian executives who perceive their jobs positively have more positive attitudes towards relationships, leisure, hobbies and cultural activities in retirement. The perception of the quality of life in the country does not influence retirement attitudes, but represents the main significant difference between Brazilians and New Zealanders.