Retirement and work values. An analysis of work values characterizing postretirement activities.

Purpose Long life expectancy and work continuity after retirement are common phenomena in industrialized countries. Understanding the values and needs of retirees still involved in labour market or volunteer activities could improve knowledge about vocational ageing. The present work investigates the elderly people’s work-related values and their factorial structure. Design/Methodology A sample of 533 active Italian retirees was administered a questionnaire comprehending the Work Values Scale (WIS). Both confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were used to test and investigate the relationship between the work values characterizing individuals in retirement. Results Data analysis revealed that people in retirement do not conform to previously hypothesized models of work values; in particular they show a strong interest in “altruism” and a reduced interest in towards more material values. Nevertheless, a five-factor underlying structure can still be detected that aligns values along dimensions of “independence”, “individual social interaction”, “contextual social interaction”, “professional rewards”, and “self-determination”. Limitations This work focuses just on North Italian participants Research/Practical Implications This research could stimulate studies based on work values within the life span paradigm (from full-time job to post-retirement work) Originality/Value Work values are especially studied in the work field yet few studies have applied the WIS questionnaire to active retirees. This contribution could help to understand both activities and choices made by the elderly during retirement.