Determinants of Post-Retirement Satisfaction among Ghanaian Teachers

The purpose of this study was to find out why so many Ghanaian teachers retired voluntarily in the late 1990's, whether those who retired were feeling happy, and what factors determined the retirees' satisfaction with life after retirement. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires were used to collect data from a non-probability sample of 225 retirees. Multiple regression procedures were used as the major analytical tools. The results of the study indicated that the teachers sought and obtained voluntary retirement as an escape from an impending government policy to withdraw End of Service Benefits for retirees. It was found that majority of the retirees were happy and satisfied with their post-retirement lives, and that having a network of friends and relatives, having a viable income, being engaged in an activity one was enthused in, and having an accommodation one liked, made a retiree satisfied with his or her post-retirement life. Implications for employers and government have been drawn. (IFE PsychologIA: 2003 11 (1): 12-22)