Attitude; Interactive Theory of Planned Behaviour; Perceived Behavioural Control; Subjective Norms; Retirement Savings Behaviour
Abstract
Insufficient retirement savings continue to undermine the financial security of Malaysians in old age. This issue has become more pressing as the population ages, living costs rise, and civil servants depend heavily on pension schemes. However, empirical evidence on the determinants of retirement saving behaviour among Malaysian civil servants remains limited, particularly from the perspective of the Interactive Theory of Planned Behavior. This study examines the factors that influence retirement saving behaviour among Malaysian civil servants. It also tests interactive perceived behavioural control as a moderating variable in the relationships of attitude and subjective norms with retirement saving behaviour. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional design and collected data through an online questionnaire from 275 permanent civil servants in Grades 9 to 15 who had income tax files. The researchers applied purposive sampling and analysed the data using SPSS version 29 and SmartPLS 4.0. The findings show that attitude significantly affects retirement saving behaviour, whereas subjective norms do not. In addition, perceived behavioural control does not moderate the relationships of attitude and subjective norms with retirement saving behaviour. These findings underscore the role of psychological factors in shaping retirement saving behaviour among Malaysian civil servants. Future research should use mixed methods that combine survey data with in-depth interviews or focus group discussions to identify additional psychological and contextual factors that quantitative analysis may not fully capture.