Motives of retirement-aged workers and the importance of doing, being, becoming, and belonging: A systematic review of qualitative studies

Figures & data

Table 1. Keywords used in the search strategy

Search keywords group 1: “older worker*” OR “senior worker*” OR “retirement-aged worker*” OR “aging workforce” OR “silver workforce” OR “aging employee*” OR “bridge employ*” OR “bridge job*” OR “employment of older worker*” OR “worker* over 60” OR “delay* retirement” OR “older employee*”

Search keywords group 2: motive* OR incentive* OR motivation* OR reward* OR reason*

Search keywords group 3: experience* OR perception* OR narrative* OR perspective* OR ethnography OR story* OR “qualitative research” OR “qualitative method*” OR “qualitative design”

Table 2. Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Criteria	Inclusion	Exclusion
Participants	Workers who meet the minimal retirement age applicable in their specific location and stay officially employed although they are entitled to a pension (state or public) or superannuation	People of retirement age who work in unpaid jobs (e.g., voluntary work, unpaid care work, household chores) or in unrecorded and unregulated jobs that are not taxed (i.e., informal or grey economy)
Phenomena of interest	The workers’ internal and external motives related to working beyond typical retirement age	Motives for activities that are not connected with work. Perspective of people other than workers (e.g., employers, family members, state agencies)
Context	All occupational categories; public and private sector; international context	-
Study design	Original qualitative studies	Systematic reviews, quantitative studies, non-peer reviewed studies
Language	English	Other than English

Figure 1. Search strategy

Table 3. Data matrix from selected articles

Author/year	Objective	Participants	Key findings	Context	Concepts Doing-Being-Becoming- Belonging	Quality assessment (QARI)
Bratun & Zurc, 2020	Explore internal and external motives of people who continue working after they fulfil the retirement criteria	Interviews. 9 workers (6 male, 3 female), aged 59 to 72 years	Three main themes: (1) Foundations - the prerequisites for continued work engagement (health, work-related abilities, work characteristics, employer’s attitude and quality of work relationships); (2) Rewards - benefits of working longer (personal finances, maintaining lifestyle, engaging in valuable occupations, increased self-governance, rewards that can go beyond the individual; (3) Negotiating Occupational Challenges - summarized an internal crisis experienced when faced with a potential void of retirement (not knowing what to do). The highest level of motivation, such as self-transcendence, was also noted	Slovenia. Workers employed in private and public sectors; different occupational categories and education levels. Study had an occupational therapy/occupational science perspective	Motives related to engagement in occupations (doing), identity (being), search for new meaning and purpose (being and becoming), and relationships with others, the organisation, and wider society (belonging)	9
Dorfman, 2000	Examine perceptions and experiences of tenured university professors working after age 70	Interviews. 17 tenured professors (13 male, 4 female), aged 70-74 years, still employed at a university	Motives were organized into personal, professional and institutional factors. For most, the main reason to work was enjoyment (especially teaching, followed by research). Second most frequent reason was feeling it was important to continue (contribution to others, a mission). Two cited financial reasons. One continued because poor health prevented active retirement options. Participants perceived the overall atmosphere in their department and the university as positive, felt little institutional pressure to retire, and had no plans to retire	US academia. Major public university (The University of Iowa); highly educated professionals. Conducted by a sociologist/gerontologist	Motives were embedded in personal factors and enjoyment of their work (doing and being), continuous professional development, having a job that was important for development (becoming), and having a positive community at work (belonging)	7
Fraser et al., 2009	Understand factors influencing older people to stay in paid employment, from their perspective	Interviews and focus groups. 16 workers (8 male, 8 female), aged 60-75 years (mean age 67), working 26 to 200 hours per month	Main motives (and benefits) were (in order of frequency and subjective importance): Earning an income, Enjoying social aspects, Having something to do/keeping busy, Having a purpose, Making a contribution, Using skills (not wasting them), Promoting own emotional and physical health, Having an identity, Pursuing an interest, Maintaining autonomy and independence, Keeping control over work and lifestyle, Having flexibility and choice in work, Belonging to supportive workplaces. Stress, lack of support, physical demands, and overemphasis on qualifications seen as barriers to participation	Australia, suburbs of Brisbane. The largest group were professionals with tertiary education. Conducted by an occupational therapist	Motives connected with having something to do, using skills, pursuing an interest (doing). Reasons to retire were also connected with having (or not having) something to do. Work provided an identity and a purpose (being). Social aspects of work and belonging to supportive workplaces also described (belonging)	8
Friedrich et al., 2011	Discover what rewards and inspires registered nurses (RNs) to continue working beyond retirement age in the acute care environment. Comparison with data from nurses anticipating retirement	Focus groups. 13 nurses (1 male, 12 female) meeting the retirement criteria (over 62 years old) and 12 nurses approaching retirement (55-62 years old; 2 male, 10 female). Only data for the older cohort used	Motives included appreciation for learning, experience, culture of the workplace, and love of nursing. Reduced pressure was important to continuing to work. Felt they were experts in their specialty but possessed a shrinking area of confidence outside of it. Described meeting important personal and professional needs by working: exercising the mind and body, finances, and camaraderie. Sharing expertise and making a difference were also important. Overall impression: nurses loved their work, recognized they made unique contributions and made a difference in people’s lives, sense of accomplishment and pride in their work	United States. A 500-bed medical centre in the Midwestern. The demographics of RNs employed were similar to demographics of RN workforce in the US. All Caucasian. Conducted by an RN	Doing a job they loved, exercising body and mind (doing). Being appreciated by others, being an expert in your speciality, feeling proud and accomplished, being a teacher and a mentor (being). Continuous learning (becoming). Belonging to a team, having a sense of camaraderie were also present (belonging)	8
Grah et al., 2019	Examine the most important factors encouraging an older employee to remain in the labour market	Single case study. 1 female fashion designer and business owner, with > 50-year work history (aged 74 years)	Main factors connected with continued work were vitality, intrinsic motivation, ability to adapt, lifelong learning, and positive emotions. Enjoying knowledge transfer (teaching others) also mentioned	Slovenia. Luxury, high-end fashion industry. Authors with interest in age management	If she did not have work, she would no longer exist (being). Life-long learning and growth and being able to adapt (becoming). Doing different occupations to maintain vitality and health, namely doing yoga and exercising (doing)	8
Hovbrandt et al., 2019	Describe incentives behind an extended working life among people over age 65	Six focus groups. 24 participants (19 male, 5 female), aged 66-71 years (mean age 67)	Two themes: (1) Prerequisites included health, manging health, and being able to balance work, family life, and other occupations; (2) Driving forces included: ‘to be challenged’ (the stimulation of work, experiencing self-fulfilment, enjoying work while being able to stop working at will), ‘to be included’ (an important part of the organization), and ‘better personal finances’. Participants described that money was less important than the other two categories	Sweden. Two medium-sized companies and four municipalities. Included two different work domains: predominantly male construction and technical companies, and the municipal elderly care sector, which has a higher percentage of women	Fear of not having anything to do if retired (doing). Work provided stimulation that contributed to identity and self-fulfilment (being, becoming). Being a part of a team of colleagues (belonging)	8
Hutchings et al., 2020	Understand the drivers for older academics to continue working after they meet retirement criteria	Interviews. 23 academics (18 male, 5 female) aged mid-60s to mid-80s who self-identified as regular international business travellers	Four general drivers were: (1) Financial reasons, (2) Time to do non-work activities, (3) Health and (4) Family/relationships/personal (waiting for the partner to retire). Six drivers associated with identity: (1) the occupation itself, (2) choice of type of work, (3) social aspects of being at the workplace, (4) being good at scholarly work/academia as the only focus, (5) the work being well regarded and travelling to places to present the work and (6) giving back to the academic or broader community	Academia in the UK, NZ, and Australia. Participants took at least two international trips per year. Conducted by academic researchers	Strong identification with their work occupation (being) and enjoyed having more time for research (doing, becoming). Social aspects of work and collaboration with colleagues plus a sense of camaraderie and contribution (belonging)	9
Nobahar et al., 2015	Explore experiences of retired nurses about their decision to continue working	Interviews. 20 nurses (10 male, 10 female), aged 50-60 years, who retired but continued to work (as nurses or in other fields)	Two themes: Motivational factor - serving society, maintaining and promoting health, tendency toward flexible work, and maintaining the role and activity (meaning in life, routine), and Forcing factors - ardent desire to work as pluralistic ignorance (expectations of others) and financial need	Iran. Exploring bridge employment – returning to work post retirement from a nursing perspective	Wanted to keep their role and achieve a balance in life (being). Strong motive to contribute to society (belonging). Engaging in similar occupations as prior to retirement (doing) More content due to increased work flexibility (becoming)	8
Reynolds et al., 2012	Explore people’s experiences of working beyond 65	Interviews. 30 participants (20 male, 10 female), aged 65-91 years (median age 71)	Continued working to increase financial security (to support a more varied, satisfying lifestyle or to support other family members). Work helped them maintain health and offered opportunities for continuous personal development. Very few were working to provide for everyday needs	UK. 14 participants worked full-time, 17 part-time. First author - health psychology and counselling	For some, work became “serious leisure” through which they could reach self-actualization and develop (being, becoming). Connections with others and helping others to live better (belonging). Some were developing new businesses (doing, becoming)	8
Sewdas et al., 2017	Gain insight into reasons for working beyond the statutory retirement age from older people’s perspectives	15 individual interviews, 3 focus groups. 33 participants (22 males, 11 females) aged over 65 years	Motives and preconditions included good health, flexible work arrangements, work characteristics, skills and knowledge, and social and financial factors. One unexpected theme - purpose in life	The Netherlands. Workers in paid employment (n=23) or self-employed (n=10). Most worked part-time (n=31). Study connected to the Study on Transitions in Employment, Ability and Motivation (STREAM)	Importance of maintaining routines and having flexible work arrangements (doing). Purpose in life (being). Skills and knowledge acquisition and maintenance (being, becoming)	8
Ulrich & Brott, 2005	Explore factors contributing to older workers’ decision-making process to take bridge employment, strategies that help with the transition, and challenges	Interviews. 24 workers (13 male, 11 female), aged 62-78 years, retired from a long-term career and employed in a bridge job (the majority stayed within their occupational categories)	Post-retirement employment motives were financial, looking for meaningfulness (meaningful use of time), filling time, having control of what you do (autonomy), and keeping connected with their career. Credited bridge jobs with helping them enjoy their work and making them feel better about themselves because they continued to learn, made a difference to others, demonstrated their competency, and felt healthy. Several highlighted the opportunity to help others in their careers (i.e., mentoring). Described a balanced life with more time for themselves, a structure, an expanded support system, and added financial resources	United States. Exploring implications for career counselling. Participants mostly came from two occupation categories: (a) management, business and financial operations and (b) professional and related	Wanted to use time in a meaningful way (doing, being). By staying employed, they redefined retirement as an opportunity (becoming). Felt better about themselves (being) by continuing to learn (becoming)	6

Table 4. Synthesis of motives for prolonged work activity from the workers’ perspective

Theme / motivational factor	Description of theme/motive for work	Code examples from text	Doing, being, becoming, belonging	Studies where present
Maintaining health	Helps to maintain physical and mental health by encouraging people to be active. Can also be a prerequisite to continue working	Health, vitality, exercising of the body and mind	Primarily: doing (activities) and being (healthy)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Dorfman, 2000; Fraser et al., 2009; Friedrich et al., 2011; Grah et al., 2019; Hovbrandt et al., 2019; Hutchings et al., 2020; Nobahar et al., 2015; Reynolds et al., 2012; Sewdas et al., 2017; Ulrich & Brott, 2005
Finances	Financial reasons: Provide for yourself or your family; secure a better lifestyle	Security, finances, satisfying lifestyle	Primarily: doing (the visible dimension of occupation)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Dorfman, 2000; Fraser et al., 2009; Friedrich et al., 2011; Hovbrandt et al., 2019; Hutchings et al., 2020; Nobahar et al., 2015; Reynolds et al., 2012; Sewdas et al., 2017; Ulrich & Brott, 2005
Achievement and growth	Personal achievement, giving the worker a sense of pride, identity, expertise, abilities. Includes continuous professional development connected with growth and active ageing as well as the freedom to cease work at any moment	Being good at, being an expert, learning, having autonomy, skills	Primarily: being (i.e., identity) and becoming (through growth)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Fraser et al., 2009; Friedrich et al., 2011; Grah et al., 2019; Hovbrandt et al., 2019; Hutchings et al., 2020; Reynolds et al., 2012; Sewdas et al., 2017; Ulrich & Brott, 2005
Positive relationships	Encompasses positive relationships with co-workers, employer factors that support prolonged employment and relationships with family and others that encourage work (e.g., waiting for spouse to retire)	Camaraderie, expectations of others, supportive workplace, extended support system	Primarily: belonging (to groups and relationships)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Dorfman, 2000; Fraser et al., 2009; Friedrich et al., 2011; Hovbrandt et al., 2019; Hutchings et al., 2020; Nobahar et al., 2015; Sewdas et al., 2017; Ulrich & Brott, 2005
Helping others and society	Working for the greater good and passing on your knowledge to younger generations; serving others	Teaching others, contributing to the society, serving, giving back, making a difference	Primarily: belonging (to something greater than yourself)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Dorfman, 2000; Fraser et al., 2009; Friedrich et al., 2011; Grah et al., 2019; Hutchings et al., 2020; Nobahar et al., 2015; Ulrich & Brott, 2005
Enjoying work	Loving and enjoying work; work is a reward in itself	Love for work, enjoyable work, pursuing an interest, stimulation, travelling to places	Primarily: doing (work you love) and being (yourself)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Dorfman, 2000; Fraser et al., 2009; Friedrich et al., 2011; Hovbrandt et al., 2019; Hutchings et al., 2020; Ulrich & Brott, 2005
Purpose in life	Gives purpose and meaning to life and is a source of self-actualization	Self-fulfilment, vocation, self-transcendence, finding meaning	Primarily:being and becoming (who you are meant to be)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Dorfman, 2000; Fraser et al., 2009; Hovbrandt et al., 2019; Sewdas et al., 2017; Ulrich & Brott, 2005
Keeping familiar patterns	Provides a familiar pattern of life that is difficult to replace. It also provides balance between different areas of life	Routine, roles, balance, a structure, not knowing what else to do	Primarily: doing (performance patterns) and being (roles)	Bratun & Zurc, 2020; Fraser et al., 2009; Hutchings et al., 2020; Nobahar et al., 2015; Ulrich & Brott, 2005

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