Existential Driving Forces to Work after Retirement: The Example of Physicians’ Mentoring

Abstract

The article addresses physicians who work as group supervisors or mentors in a training program after having formally retired. The driving forces to continue to work are analyzed in terms of the development of existential meaning of work at a particular stage of the life cycle. We argue that a deeper understanding of the existential driving forces, that both cause physicians to accept post-retirement mentoring tasks and that is awakened and developed in this specific work, would contribute to a deeper understanding of why individuals continue working into old age. However, in political discussions of an extended working life, similar aspects tend to be disregarded. Understanding the existential driving forces that cause an individual to continue working after retirement may be crucial to comprehending how we can take advantage of the resources of the older workforce and, thus, realize human potential at a later stage of the life cycle.

Renteneintrittswünsche und mögliche Determinanten bei Hausärztinnen und Hausärzten

“…Umfangreiche Studien zu Gründen und Determinanten des Ruhestandes bei Hausärzten in Deutschland fehlen und lassen daher keinen Vergleich zu. Dennoch wird argumentiert 6 20 , dass einerseits das Maß an Anerkennung der eigenen Arbeit bereits vor dem regulären Ruhestand ausschlaggebend für den Zeitpunkt der (selbst gewählten) Berentung ist und gleichzeitig die Art der Tätigkeit altersbedingten Gegebenheiten entsprechen sollte. So eignen sich beispielsweise besonders Mentoring-Tätigkeiten im ärztlichen Setting, um Ärztinnen und Ärzte auch über den Ruhestand hinaus am Arbeitsleben teilhaben zu lassen.…”

Overage labor, value perceptions, and happiness in urban older adults’ lives: Empirical evidence from China

“…Secondly, With the extension of human life span, the problem of aging is no longer just a matter of physical health and life security, but a problem of value perception. The conclusion that overage work can bring positive personal value perception shows that, under the condition of physical permit, older adults people can participate in social and economic activities according to their own abilities, needs and preferences, and achieve a higher sense of personal accomplishment, which helps older adults people to affirm their self-worth [ 45 ], promote them to have a more positive attitude towards aging [ 46 ], and then make them have a more positive outlook on life. Therefore, the active aging attitude of the urban older adults brought about by overage work can prompt them to pay more attention to the pursuit of personal value and tend to engage in higher self-care.…”

Საპენსიო Ასაკის Აკადემიური Პერსონალის Გამოწვევები Გენდერული Ნიშნით

“…There are numerous publications on the issues confronting retired professors [6,7]. Among them are studied gender-related difficulties.…”