Abstract:
The purpose of this research was to identify factors which influence
decisions concerning significant career moves among older workers and
women returners.
A questionnaire survey of older workers was conducted in order to elicit
the salient attitudes to, experience of, and satisfaction with work of
job changers and non-changers aged 50 years and over, employed within a
nationwide retail organisation.
Results were based on 228 questionnaires. Respondents ranged in age
from 50 to 73 years, 54% were female, 46% male. Respondents
demonstrated a significant increase in self-perception the perceived
benefits of working far outweighed perceived difficulties. There were
differences between men and women in the prompts to change employment
and in salient attitudes to work.
A questionnaire survey of women returners was conducted to explore
items women considered when embarking on college courses, their
experience of these same items while at college, and the relationship
between the decision considerations and subjective well-being.
The results of 336 questionnaires were analysed. Respondents ranged in
age from 16 to 62 years. The expected benefits of attending college
were given greater consideration than expected risks, confirming work by
Janis and Mann (1977). Actual benefits and actual problems were overall
the most useful predictors of college related well-being.
There were differences between young and mature students, women with
and without partners, and those with and without dependents in terms
of items on the motivator for college attendance, expected benefit and
risk and actual benefit and problem scales.
The Warr Subjective Well Being (SWB) scale was shown to be a reliable
measure of college related well-being. The wide age range and life
experience of respondents in both studies confirms the utility of life
event models of development and the desirability of developing a
flexible person-centred counselling model for decision making.
