SSCR PhD Student
gxu377@student.bham.ac.uk
Career to date: 10+ years IT Consultant; 20+ years Business School academic specialising in Strategy; currently 2nd year PhD student analysing Age Friendly Communities
Host university: University of Birmingham
Project title: How can effective inter-organizational relationships be developed that facilitate independent living in age-friendly cities and communities?
Project summary: A combination of increasing longevity and falling birth rates has caused the global proportion of people 65 and older to double in the last 50 years, and it is projected to double again in the next 50 years (UNFPA, 2025). Long term health and social care is costly for government, and older people much prefer to live independently while they are able (Bosch-Farré et al., 2020). However, this necessitates intervention by multiple organizations across different sectors including health care, social care, transportation, housing and community support (WHO, 2007).
This research synthesises interdisciplinary literature relating to gerontology, organizational studies and strategy, to develop a conceptual framework which guides the data gathering and analysis. Case study strategy is used to examine three instances of age friendly communities in England exploring the co-creation of community solutions and how organizational interrelationships can be identified, maintained and managed to enhance ageing in place (WHO, 2020).
Anticipated completion date: September 2027
PhD supervisors: Dr Kelly Hall & Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer
