Reframing Women’s Retirement Adjustment: A Scoping Review Through a Resource-Based Perspective for Human Resource Development

Despite women’s growing participation in the workforce, their retirement experiences remain understudied and are often interpreted through male-centered frameworks. Using the Resource-Based Dynamic model this scoping review synthesizes evidence from 162 peer-reviewed studies on women’s retirement adjustment. The review identifies four key antecedents of resource accumulation and adjustment quality: pre-retirement occupational status, control over retirement decisions and planning, psychological disposition and values, and post-retirement social engagement. Findings indicate that caregiving responsibilities, career interruptions, and gender-based income disparities shape women’s access to critical resources and influence retirement outcomes. The review also reveals key gaps in the literature, including limited longitudinal research, insufficient intersectional analysis, and a lack of geographic diversity. Implications for Human Resource Development include adopting gender-sensitive retirement frameworks and targeted interventions that promote women’s financial, social, and psychological well-being while advancing equity and fostering more inclusive retirement policies and practices.