The effects of retirement expectations and social support on post-retirement adjustment - A longitudinal analysis

Purpose - The aim is to examine the shifting effects of retirement expectations and social support on adjustment three and half and ten months post-retirement. Design/methodology/approach - For the purpose of this study, the authors used a survey methodology. Expectations regarding retirement and social support were used to predict three facets of satisfaction post-retirement; life satisfaction, retirement satisfaction, and social satisfaction. Findings - Results suggested that expectations consistently and significantly predicted satisfaction early and later in retirement. Social support was only a significant antecedent of retirement satisfaction at time 2, and had a non-significant relationship to social and life satisfaction in retirement. Practical implications - Results support the view that retirement expectations have a strong influence on retirement, life, and social satisfaction in the first year of an individual's retirement. Originality/value - The paper's findings imply that interventions designed to create realistic expectations of the retirement experience may have a positive impact on adjustment.