Development of a Multilevel Conceptual Model of the Antecedents and Consequences of Early Retirement Using a Meta-Synthesis Approach
Keywords:
Early retirement, Antecedents, Consequences, Meta, synthesis, Conceptual modelAbstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of developing a multilevel conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of early retirement using a meta-synthesis approach. This research is applied in nature and was designed within a qualitative paradigm, employing the meta-synthesis method proposed by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007). The research data consisted of documents and texts published during the period 2010–2025 in Persian databases (Noormags, IranDoc, SID, and Civilica) and during the period 2000–2025 in international databases (Web of Science, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Emerald, and Scopus). After the screening process, 99 sources were selected as the final sample. The data analysis process was carried out based on the three-stage approach of Strauss and Corbin (1998), including open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The findings indicated that the antecedents of early retirement comprised 53 open codes, 12 axial codes, and 5 selective codes, the dimensions of which were identified respectively as individual, family, occupational, organizational, and supra-organizational. Furthermore, the consequences of early retirement consisted of 26 open codes, 7 axial codes, and 4 selective codes, with dimensions including individual, family, organizational, and supra-organizational levels. To assess the reliability of the extracted codes, Cohen’s kappa coefficient was employed. The kappa agreement coefficient was 0.530 for the antecedents and 0.669 for the consequences, indicating that the extracted codes demonstrate acceptable reliability. Finally, the findings suggest that early retirement is the result of a complex interaction of individual, family, occupational, organizational, and supra-organizational antecedents, and that its consequences are dual in nature, context-dependent, and shaped by cultural, social, and economic conditions.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Bahman Gharacheh (Author); Vahid Chenari; Rahim Ghasemiyeh, Fouad Makvandi, Mohammad Tamimi (Author)
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