Zihui Ma’s Three Minute Thesis
Successful aging: Decision-making process of moving into a senior living community
Seniors are reshaping the consumer marketplace by not only increasing numbers in the elderly population but also by possessing significant purchasing power. One of the overlooked markets toward elderly population is senior living. The work I performed for my dissertation explores the business model of senior living from a hospitality viewpoint to (1) gain a better understanding of the aspects are important to selecting a senior living community and (2) identify how seniors evaluate and prioritize factors for moving into a senior living community. As the senior living industry transitions from a niche market to a major specialized market, the results of this research can heighten awareness of the importance of this emerging market to hospitality researchers and also provide the foundation for industry practitioners’ operational program, schematic design development and marketing plan.
About Zihui
Zihui Ma is a Ph.D. candidate in business administration with concentration in hospitality business management at WSU. Prior to beginning the Ph.D. program, Zihui received her master’s degree in accounting and information system from Virginia Tech. Her research interests include senior living, human resources management, and hospitality financial management education. She is teaching hospitality operational analysis with a focus on revenue management and managerial accounting.