The early retirement decision as a behavioral manifestation of organizational withdrawal

This study examines the validity of the early retirement decision as a behavioral form of organizational withdrawal in the same way as job turnover, absenteeism, and lateness have been studied in past research. Approximately 6000 eligible retirees were surveyed in terms of their level of satisfaction with their job and employer in order to measure the relationship with the actual decision to retire early. In addition, retirement planning, demographic characteristics, and financial status were measured in order to assess the relationship of these factors to the early retirement decision. All factors were found to be significant predictors of the early retirement decision. Financial status was found to be most strongly related to the retirement decision. No evidence was found to support the early retirement decision as a behavioral manifestation of organizational withdrawal