Motivation Factors in Engaging into Bridge Employment: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Bridge employment is an act to work by an older worker after official retirement age begins and before engaging in full-retirement. Past researches have recognized that bridge employment has an important value to the organization as they provide a pool of experienced, knowledgeable and well-trained workforce to the organization. At the same time, it also provides an additional pool of funds for older workers to support their life in retirement. The decision to either retire or continue working is never a simple decision, so it is crucial to understand factors influencing retirees’ decision to engage in bridge employment. This study is a pioneer investigation in determining the key factors in influencing the engagement of bridge employment among working professionals in Malaysia via an in-depth interview with successful and unsuccessful retirees. Two key successful retirees or known as “Tokoh Pesara Malaysia†in the Malay language, and the President of Persatuan Persara were the main samples for this preliminary study. The findings of this research served as a basis for questionnaire development with regards to key factors influencing bridge employment adoption in Malaysia.