title: Preferences for Early Retirement: The Role of Work Related Factors

authors: Fowlie, Toni Jessica

subjects: early retirment

abstract: This study investigated the work related factors related to the retirement preferences of 132 full time older workers, defined as those aged 55+, in a range of New Zealand organisations. This research is important as due to the ageing population, maintaining the employability of the older worker for as long as possible is vital for economic growth and sustainability. Identifying the work related factors that may be influencing the early retirement preferences of older workers may lead to a better understanding of ways to maintain these workers in employment. The aim of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the factors which can be influenced directly by organisations, as retirement preferences are strongly influenced by norms and attitudes within the workplace.
The research proposed that the predictor variables perceived age discrimination, job flexibility satisfaction, attitudes towards information and communication technologies (ICTs), perceptions of techno-complexity, and perceived threat from organisational downsizing, would have a direct relationship with early retirement preferences. In this study, the older worker was considered to have early retirement preferences if their preferred retirement age was earlier than their expected retirement age. The model predicted that job satisfaction and job security would mediate the relationships between the predictor variables and early retirement preferences.
Correlation and mediation analyses were performed in SPSS to test the proposed hypotheses. Several hypotheses were supported: perceived age discrimination was positively related to early retirement preferences; perceived age discrimination was negatively related to job satisfaction; job flexibility satisfaction was positively related to job satisfaction; perceived threat from organisational downsizing was negatively related to job security; job satisfaction was negatively related to early retirement preferences; and job security was negatively related to early retirement preferences. The other hypotheses were not supported. This may be due to external factors not explored in this study potentially influencing the retirement intentions of older workers more heavily than the work related factors studied.
Non-hypothesized significant relationships were also found. Firstly, perceived age discrimination was significantly related to job flexibility satisfaction, job security, and perceived threat from organisational downsizing. Job satisfaction and job security were also found to be significantly related to perceived threat from organisational downsizing. These results indicate that the work related factors thought to predict early retirement intentions, are perhaps not currently as important to New Zealand employees as past research has shown, as none of the predictor variables except perceived age discrimination correlated significantly with early retirement preferences. Overall, the results indicate that there are likely to be other factors not explored in this study influencing the retirement intentions of older workers in New Zealand organisations.
For organisations who have recently been through organisational downsizing, employers should be mindful of the negative impacts this can have on older workers, namely job security and job satisfaction. New Zealand organisations should strive to create working environments that take into consideration the needs of older workers, and which encourage older workers to want to stay working, even past the age they are eligible for New Zealand Superannuation. Older workers who feel as though they have limited choice when it comes to making decisions surrounding their retirement may have difficulty adjusting to post-retirement life, thus organisations should be doing all they can to encourage flexible transitions to retirement

text: Preferences for Early Retirement: The Role of Work Related Factors This study investigated the work related factors related to the retirement preferences of 132 full time older workers, defined as those aged 55+, in a range of New Zealand organisations. This research is important as due to the ageing population, maintaining the employability of the older worker for as long as possible is vital for economic growth and sustainability. Identifying the work related factors that may be influencing the early retirement preferences of older workers may lead to a better understanding of ways to maintain these workers in employment. The aim of this study was to contribute to the understanding of the factors which can be influenced directly by organisations, as retirement preferences are strongly influenced by norms and attitudes within the workplace.
The research proposed that the predictor variables perceived age discrimination, job flexibility satisfaction, attitudes towards information and communication technologies (ICTs), perceptions of techno-complexity, and perceived threat from organisational downsizing, would have a direct relationship with early retirement preferences. In this study, the older worker was considered to have early retirement preferences if their preferred retirement age was earlier than their expected retirement age. The model predicted that job satisfaction and job security would mediate the relationships between the predictor variables and early retirement preferences.
Correlation and mediation analyses were performed in SPSS to test the proposed hypotheses. Several hypotheses were supported: perceived age discrimination was positively related to early retirement preferences; perceived age discrimination was negatively related to job satisfaction; job flexibility satisfaction was positively related to job satisfaction; perceived threat from organisational downsizing was negatively related to job security; job satisfaction was negatively related to early retirement preferences; and job security was negatively related to early retirement preferences. The other hypotheses were not supported. This may be due to external factors not explored in this study potentially influencing the retirement intentions of older workers more heavily than the work related factors studied.
Non-hypothesized significant relationships were also found. Firstly, perceived age discrimination was significantly related to job flexibility satisfaction, job security, and perceived threat from organisational downsizing. Job satisfaction and job security were also found to be significantly related to perceived threat from organisational downsizing. These results indicate that the work related factors thought to predict early retirement intentions, are perhaps not currently as important to New Zealand employees as past research has shown, as none of the predictor variables except perceived age discrimination correlated significantly with early retirement preferences. Overall, the results indicate that there are likely to be other factors not explored in this study influencing the retirement intentions of older workers in New Zealand organisations.
For organisations who have recently been through organisational downsizing, employers should be mindful of the negative impacts this can have on older workers, namely job security and job satisfaction. New Zealand organisations should strive to create working environments that take into consideration the needs of older workers, and which encourage older workers to want to stay working, even past the age they are eligible for New Zealand Superannuation. Older workers who feel as though they have limited choice when it comes to making decisions surrounding their retirement may have difficulty adjusting to post-retirement life, thus organisations should be doing all they can to encourage flexible transitions to retirement

year: 2016

title: 'Armed with power for preventing the spread of infectious disease': The making of the Public Health Act 1872 and its implementation in Auckland Province, 1870-1876

authors: Anderson, Duncan Graham

abstract: This dissertation examines the first piece of comprehensive public health legislation in New Zealand, the 1872 Public Health Act. Previous historians of New Zealand public health have downplayed the significance of the Act, and nineteenth century public health measures in general, suggesting the Act was poorly implemented by Health Boards who had little interest in their duties. This dissertation tests these claims by examining the implementation of the Act in Auckland Province, focusing on Auckland City and its suburbs, where most of the Local Boards of Health were. To fully understand this topic, a number of aspects of public health at the time and of the Act itself are investigated. Wider aspects of public health covered include health conditions in Auckland during the period, and how far they changed, and beliefs and ideas about public health that were held. This dissertation also discusses how the Act was formed in the context of such ideas and conditions, which aspects of it were actively pursued, which were neglected, and by whom, and how far there was a will to act that was limited by factors such as lack of funding, resources and knowledge. These subjects are examined through the use of a range of sources, including official government records, Board of Health records, statistics and newspapers, paying attention to both the substantive information that can be gained from such sources, as well as their discursive elements. This dissertation examines the different levels of power and responsibility set up by the section of the Act which created the Boards of Health, recognising that while there were not always tangible results, there was often an expressed will to act by public health authorities. This dissertation concludes that the Act was an important development in New Zealand's public health history, providing the first legislative expression of the 'sanitary idea' and setting up structures of responsibility that placed much more power to define sanitary conditions with public health authorities than hitherto existed, reducing the ability of individuals to do so and creating a 'new politics of health' that represented a new era.

text: 'Armed with power for preventing the spread of infectious disease': The making of the Public Health Act 1872 and its implementation in Auckland Province, 1870-1876 This dissertation examines the first piece of comprehensive public health legislation in New Zealand, the 1872 Public Health Act. Previous historians of New Zealand public health have downplayed the significance of the Act, and nineteenth century public health measures in general, suggesting the Act was poorly implemented by Health Boards who had little interest in their duties. This dissertation tests these claims by examining the implementation of the Act in Auckland Province, focusing on Auckland City and its suburbs, where most of the Local Boards of Health were. To fully understand this topic, a number of aspects of public health at the time and of the Act itself are investigated. Wider aspects of public health covered include health conditions in Auckland during the period, and how far they changed, and beliefs and ideas about public health that were held. This dissertation also discusses how the Act was formed in the context of such ideas and conditions, which aspects of it were actively pursued, which were neglected, and by whom, and how far there was a will to act that was limited by factors such as lack of funding, resources and knowledge. These subjects are examined through the use of a range of sources, including official government records, Board of Health records, statistics and newspapers, paying attention to both the substantive information that can be gained from such sources, as well as their discursive elements. This dissertation examines the different levels of power and responsibility set up by the section of the Act which created the Boards of Health, recognising that while there were not always tangible results, there was often an expressed will to act by public health authorities. This dissertation concludes that the Act was an important development in New Zealand's public health history, providing the first legislative expression of the 'sanitary idea' and setting up structures of responsibility that placed much more power to define sanitary conditions with public health authorities than hitherto existed, reducing the ability of individuals to do so and creating a 'new politics of health' that represented a new era.

year: 2002

title: Maori seeking self-determination or Tino Rangatiratanga? A note

authors: Toki, Valmaine

abstract: Dr Nin Tomas wrote a considered and substantial piece entitled “Indigenous Peoples and the Māori: The Right to Self-Determination in International Law - From Woe to Go” for the New Zealand Law Review published in 2008.² In her conclusion she notes two ways in which self-determination has been implemented by the state: first, by “greater tolerance and benevolence along a series of principled guidelines”,³ and, second, as a “peoples-centred, enabling principle that allows Indigenous peoples to re-establish their social, economic and political institutions”.⁴
In 2010, New Zealand reversed its position and supported the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration).5 With this in mind, this short piece revisits the notion of self-determination by examining the differing dynamics of concepts of external and internal self-determination before a short discussion on pluralism and the relationship between tino rangatiratanga and self-determination. In conclusion some thoughts are offered on a potential form of self-determination that could be consistent with the exercise of tino rangatiratanga.

text: Maori seeking self-determination or Tino Rangatiratanga? A note Dr Nin Tomas wrote a considered and substantial piece entitled “Indigenous Peoples and the Māori: The Right to Self-Determination in International Law - From Woe to Go” for the New Zealand Law Review published in 2008.² In her conclusion she notes two ways in which self-determination has been implemented by the state: first, by “greater tolerance and benevolence along a series of principled guidelines”,³ and, second, as a “peoples-centred, enabling principle that allows Indigenous peoples to re-establish their social, economic and political institutions”.⁴
In 2010, New Zealand reversed its position and supported the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the Declaration).5 With this in mind, this short piece revisits the notion of self-determination by examining the differing dynamics of concepts of external and internal self-determination before a short discussion on pluralism and the relationship between tino rangatiratanga and self-determination. In conclusion some thoughts are offered on a potential form of self-determination that could be consistent with the exercise of tino rangatiratanga.

year: 2017