SELF-CONCEPT AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS CORRELATES OF PRE-RETIREMENT ANXIETY AMONG NON-TEACHING SENIOR STAFF OF UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

Abstract

The study investigated self-concept and emotional intelligence as correlates of pre-retirement anxiety among non-teaching senior staff of University of Port Harcourt. The study adopted correlational research design research design. The sample for this study was 286 non-teaching staff who had 6 years, 4 years, and 2 years to retirement using the purposive sampling technique. Three instruments were adapted and used for this study. They include; Pre-retirement Anxiety Scale (PAS), Emotional Intelligence Scale, and Self-Concept Scale. The reliability of the instruments was Emotional Intelligence Scale 0.68, Pre-retirement Anxiety Scale (PAS) 0.76, Self-Concept Scale 0.69 respectively. Three research questions as well as three corresponding hypotheses were formulated and used for the study. The data was analyzed with mean, standard deviation and independent t-test statistics, ANOVA and multiple regression statistics. From the analysis, the result revealed that self-concept significantly correlated with pre-retirement anxiety among non-teaching senior staff of University of Port Harcourt, whereas emotional intelligence did not. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others, that civil servants should start preparing for retirement as soon as they are employed because it is a fact that as one enters the service, he or she will one day leave the service either voluntary or compulsorily.