TY - JOUR
T1 - Universities as Intermediary Organizations
T2 - Catalyzing the Construction of an Age-Friendly City in Hong Kong
AU - Chui, Cheryl Hiu Kwan
AU - Lu, Shiyu
AU - Chan, On Fung
AU - Cheung, Johnson Chun Sing
AU - Guo, Yingqi
AU - Liu, Yuqi
AU - Lum, Terry Y S
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.
PY - 2023/4/1
Y1 - 2023/4/1
N2 - Background and Objectives: The construction of an Age-Friendly City (AFC) requires active contribution from relevant interest groups including older adults, nonprofit organizations, and policy-makers. However, given that relevant interest groups may have limited resources, knowledge, and skills, as well as unique contextual factors, they often require help from intermediary organizations - actors that aim to build interest groups' capabilities. Our objectives were to examine the functions of universities, as an example of intermediary organizations, in facilitating the construction of an AFC, and identify critical factors that enable intermediary organizations to perform their functions.Research Design and Methods: We conducted three focus groups and one individual interview with multiple interest groups including older adults and social workers from nonprofit organizations and local government involved in a 6-year citywide AFC project in Hong Kong. Participants were asked to share their views on the role of universities in relation to their own experiences and roles in the project. Data generated from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Four themes pertinent to the functions of universities in facilitating development were identified: facilitating cross-sector collaborations, knowledge diffusion, interest-group building, and mediating divergent interests. We also found that neutrality and reputability are key characteristics for intermediary organizations to wield sufficient legitimacy to perform their functions efficiently.Discussion and Implications: Findings underscore the important yet overlooked role of intermediary organizations in bridging and mediating different interest groups to facilitate AFC development. We advance gerontological scholarship by providing insights into the theoretical mechanisms and practice implications for intermediary organizations in fostering an AFC.
AB - Background and Objectives: The construction of an Age-Friendly City (AFC) requires active contribution from relevant interest groups including older adults, nonprofit organizations, and policy-makers. However, given that relevant interest groups may have limited resources, knowledge, and skills, as well as unique contextual factors, they often require help from intermediary organizations - actors that aim to build interest groups' capabilities. Our objectives were to examine the functions of universities, as an example of intermediary organizations, in facilitating the construction of an AFC, and identify critical factors that enable intermediary organizations to perform their functions.Research Design and Methods: We conducted three focus groups and one individual interview with multiple interest groups including older adults and social workers from nonprofit organizations and local government involved in a 6-year citywide AFC project in Hong Kong. Participants were asked to share their views on the role of universities in relation to their own experiences and roles in the project. Data generated from the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Four themes pertinent to the functions of universities in facilitating development were identified: facilitating cross-sector collaborations, knowledge diffusion, interest-group building, and mediating divergent interests. We also found that neutrality and reputability are key characteristics for intermediary organizations to wield sufficient legitimacy to perform their functions efficiently.Discussion and Implications: Findings underscore the important yet overlooked role of intermediary organizations in bridging and mediating different interest groups to facilitate AFC development. We advance gerontological scholarship by providing insights into the theoretical mechanisms and practice implications for intermediary organizations in fostering an AFC.
KW - Civic engagement
KW - Conceptual development
KW - Organizational and institutional issues
KW - Policy
KW - Social networks
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85160800590&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/geroni/igad016
DO - 10.1093/geroni/igad016
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 37038553
AN - SCOPUS:85160800590
SN - 2399-5300
VL - 7
JO - Innovation in Aging
JF - Innovation in Aging
IS - 3
M1 - igad016
ER -
