Job Seeking Among Retirees Seeking Bridge Employment
Gary Adams,
Barbara Rau,
Gary Adams
Department of Psychology University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Search for more papers by this authorBarbara Rau
College of Business Administration University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Search for more papers by this author
Gary Adams,
Barbara Rau,
Gary Adams
Department of Psychology University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Search for more papers by this authorBarbara Rau
College of Business Administration University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Search for more papers by this author
and requests for reprints should be addressed to Gary Adams, I-O Psychology Program, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI, 54901; [email protected].
This research was supported in part by a faculty development grant from the Faculty Development Program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. We also offer a sincere thank you to the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and insights.
Abstract
Using a sample of recent retirees, the study described here sought to test the general propositions of the Wanberg, Watt, and Rumsey (1996) model by (a) including specific variables that are likely to be relevant to older adults seeking work after retirement (bridge employment) and (b) integrating more recent variable groups (e.g., situational constraints) suggested by recent research (e.g., Wanberg, Kanfer, & Rotundo (1999) and Kanfer, Wanberg, & Kantrowitz (2001). Generally, the results support the efficacy of the Wanberg et al. model to predict job seeking among this group. Biographical variables such as older worker job search constraints, self-evaluations (e.g., job seeking self-efficacy), and motive/social variables (e.g., social support) were related to job seeking. Some of these, however, were not in the expected direction. Similarities and differences between “regular” job seeking and bridge employment job seeking are discussed.
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