%0 Journal Article
%T Organizational Characteristics Associated With the Predicted Sustainability of Villages
%A Amanda J. Lehning
%A Andrew E. Scharlach
%A Carrie L. Graham
%A Emily A. Greenfield
%A Joan K. Davitt
%J Journal of Applied Gerontology
%@ 1552-4523
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0733464817690676
%X Guided by resource dependence theory, this mixed-methods study examined organizational characteristics contributing to the perceived sustainability of Villages, a rapidly proliferating grassroots approach for promoting social participation and service access for community-dwelling older adults. Surveys conducted with leaders of 86% of Villages in the United States in 2012 found that higher predicted confidence in their Village¡¯s 10-year survival was associated with greater financial reserves, human resources, number of Village members, formal policies and procedures, and formal collaboration agreements. Respondents¡¯ explanations of their confidence ratings revealed additional themes of organizational leadership and perceived community need. Member resource inputs were not found to be as salient for Village leaders¡¯ perceptions of sustainability as was anticipated given the Village model¡¯s emphasis on consumer involvement. Despite the lack of longitudinal prospective data, study findings suggest potential limitations of consumer-driven organizational models such as Villages, including the need for a more stable resource base
%K community-based programs
%K consumer direction
%K organizational sustainability
%K Village model
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0733464817690676