When do committed employees retire? The effects of organizational commitment on retirement plans under a defined‐benefit pension plan

The question of when committed employees retire is important to consider under a defined‐benefit pension plan, which credits employees with benefits of lower overall value for retiring either too early or too late. We find employees with higher levels of affective commitment more likely to plan to retire later and past the age when it is most financially attractive for them to leave the organization. In contrast, employees with moderate to high levels of continuance commitment plan to retire earlier and at ages when it is most attractive for them to do so. Implications for HR policy and practice are discussed.