Socially Sustainable Development of China’s Aged Care Public–Private Partnership Projects
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2022
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This study aimed to establish a socially sustainable development process for aged care PPP projects in the Chinese context. There were three research questions: a) What are the indicators to measure the social sustainability of aged care PPP projects; b) What behaviours and decisions should be adopted in the project lifecycle to achieve social sustainability; and c) What are the realisation processes and managerial implications for government and private investors to achieve social sustainability.
A preliminary social sustainability indicator framework was established based on a literature review, stakeholder theory, and the characteristics of aged care projects in China. Two focus group meetings and two rounds of online Delphi surveys were conducted to finalise the framework and evaluate the indicators. Employees, the elderly and their relatives, and local community and society were identified as definitive stakeholders. Twenty-one indicators were confirmed.
A multiple case study was conducted to identify the critical practices that should be adopted in the project lifecycle. A total of 42 first-level critical practices were identified. Government departments, private investors, and Special Purpose Vehicles were the most important decision-makers in the preparation, procurement and implementation phases respectively, adopting the most critical practices in each phase.
Twenty-one realisation paths and a consolidated realisation path were then proposed. The preparation phase was crucial. Ten of the 21 more important critical practices (i.e., critical practices that appear in all realisation paths) were adopted at this phase. In addition, the behaviours and decisions of government departments played a key and decisive role. Eighteen more important critical practices were adopted by them alone. A series of managerial implications were proposed.
This study provides a more complete picture of the social sustainability of aged care PPP projects in China. The proposed indicator framework and the realisation paths with corresponding behaviours and decisions at different project stages can enable both public and private sectors to calibrate their policies and contracting behaviours to deliver aged care PPP projects successfully. The empirical data shows the applicability of stakeholder theory in social sustainability research on aged care.
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