Title Page
ABSTRACT
Contents
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 16
1.1. Introduction 16
1.2. Background 16
1.3. Problem Statement and Research Gap 18
1.4. Research Aim and Research Questions 22
1.5. Scope of the Study 23
1.6. Significance of the Study 26
1.7. Operational Definitions of Key Terms 28
1.7.1. Elderly Entrepreneurship 28
1.7.2. Hospitality and Tourism Industry 29
1.7.3. Active Ageing 29
1.8. Organisation of Chapters 29
CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 31
2.1. Introduction 31
2.2. Elderly and Elderly Entrepreneurship 31
2.3. Elderly Entrepreneurs and Their Characteristics 33
2.3.1. Terminology, Age Group, and Definitions 33
2.3.2. Typological Categorisations of Elderly Entrepreneurs 35
2.4. Internal Motivations and External Variables of Elderly entrepreneurship 37
2.4.1. Influence of Internal Motivations 38
2.4.2. Impact of External Variables 39
2.4.3. The Entrepreneurial Process 40
2.5. Necessities and Possibilities of Elderly Entrepreneurship 41
2.5.1. Individual Possibilities and Necessities 41
2.5.2. Social Possibilities and Necessities 43
2.6. Constraints and Barriers of Elderly Entrepreneurship 44
2.7. Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and Tourism 45
2.7.1. Motives to Start a Business in Hospitality and Tourism 46
2.7.2. The Three Domains of Hospitality and Tourism 47
2.7.3. The Attractiveness of Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and Tourism 49
2.8. Theoretical Approaches to Examine Elderly Entrepreneurship 50
2.8.1. Push and Pull Approach and its Application in Elderly Entrepreneurship 50
2.8.2. Theory of Human Capital and its Application in Elderly Entrepreneurship 52
2.8.3. SST and its Application in Elderly Entrepreneurship 54
2.8.4. Theory of Continuity and its Application in Elderly Entrepreneurship 56
2.9. Conceptual Framework 58
2.10. Summary 59
CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 61
3.1. Introduction 61
3.2. Research Philosophy 62
3.3. Research Approach 65
3.4. Research Method 67
3.5. Research Strategy 69
3.6. Time Horizon 72
3.7. Data Collection 73
3.7.1. Sampling and Participants Recruitment 74
3.7.2. Data Collection Technique 79
3.7.3. Pilot Study 82
3.7.4. Data Collection Process 83
3.7.5. Data Recording Procedure 88
3.8. Data Analysis 89
3.8.1. Data Analysis Process 92
3.8.2. Trustworthiness 105
3.8.3. Reflexivity 109
3.9. Research Ethics 110
3.10. Summary 113
CHAPTER 4. FINDINGS OF THE RESEARCH 114
4.1. Introduction 114
4.2. Overview of Interview Responses 114
4.3. Physical/Demographic Factors 117
4.3.1. Health 117
4.3.2. Educational Background 119
4.3.3. Working Experience 121
4.4. Psychological Factors 127
4.4.1. Perceived Age and Future Time 127
4.4.2. Personality Traits 132
4.5. Sociological Factors 140
4.5.1. Entrepreneurship Policy and Training 140
4.5.2. Entrepreneurial Environment and Climate of the Community 148
4.5.3. Attitudes of Family and Friends towards Entrepreneurship 152
4.6. Economic Factors 158
4.6.1. Physical Infrastructure and Prices 158
4.6.2. Labour Market Conditions 165
4.6.3. Sources of Start-up Capital 171
4.7. Reasons to Trigger Entrepreneurship 175
4.8. Entrepreneurial Goals 185
4.9. Type of Businesses 190
4.10. Working Hours 195
4.11. Hiring of Staff 201
4.12. Business Performance and Financial Income 204
4.13. Difficulties, Barriers, and Challenges 213
4.14. The Impacts on Physical / Demographic Dimension 224
4.15. The Impacts on Psychological Dimension 228
4.16. The Impacts on Sociological Dimension 234
4.17. The Impacts on Economic Dimensions 239
4.18. Respondents' Recommendations 242
4.19. Conclusion 252
CHAPTER 5. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 253
5.1. Introduction 253
5.2. Review of the Rationale for the Current Study 253
5.3. Determinants of Elderly Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and Tourism 255
5.3.1. Intrinsic Factors: Pull and Non-Financial Motivations 256
5.3.2. Extrinsic Factors: Push and Financial Motivations 259
5.3.3. Three Types of Elderly Entrepreneurs in Hospitality and Tourism 263
5.4. Actual Performance of Elderly Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and Tourism 267
5.4.1. Performance in the Commercial Business Domain 267
5.4.2. Performance in the Private Domestic Domain 269
5.4.3. Performance in the Socio-Cultural Domain 272
5.4.4. Elderly Entrepreneur's Growth Motives 273
5.4.5. Risks and Barriers of Elderly Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and Tourism 275
5.4.6. Advantages of Elderly Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and Tourism 277
5.5. Impacts of Elderly Entrepreneurship in Hospitality and Tourism 281
5.5.1. Impacts on Individual Dimension 281
5.5.2. Impacts on Economic Dimension 283
5.5.3. Impacts on Sociological Dimension 285
5.6. Conclusion 288
CHAPTER 6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 289
6.1. Introduction 289
6.2. Summary of Research Findings 289
6.3. Contribution of the Study 300
6.4. Limitations of the Study 303
6.5. Recommendations for Future Research 305
6.6. Final Remarks 306
References 308
Appendices 15
APPENDIX I. Consent Form (English Version) 341
APPENDIX II. Consent Form (Chinese Version) 343
APPENDIX III. Participant Information Sheet (English Version) 345
APPENDIX IV. Participant Information Sheet (Chinese Version) 348
APPENDIX V. List of Main Questions of Interview (English Version) 350
APPENDIX VI. List of Main Questions of Interview (Chinese Version) 353
APPENDIX VII. An Example of a Transcribed Interview 356
Table 3.1. Themes for Semi-structured Interviews 84
Table 3.2. Excerpt from the Analysis Memo Table of Coding Development Steps 96
Table 4.1. Demographic Information of the Participants 115
Table 5.1. Summary of Findings of Research Question One 266
Table 5.2. Summary of Findings of Research Question Two 279
Table 5.3. Summary of Findings of Research Question Three 287
Table 6.1. Summary of Contributions to Theory and Practice 300
Figure 1.1. The Location of Ma'anshan in China Map 25
Figure 2.1. Conceptual Framework of the Current Study 59
Figure 3.1. The Research Onion 62
Figure 3.2. Data Collection Activities 73
Figure 3.3. Interview Protocol 81
Figure 3.4. The Data Analysis Spiral 91
Figure 3.5. Four Steps to Qualitative Data Processing with the Assistance of Nvivo12 Adapted from: (Adu, 2019) 93
Figure 3.6. Codes under "EE Decision Determinants (RQ1)" 99
Figure 3.7. Codes under "EE Actual Performance (RQ2)" 100
Figure 3.8. Codes under "EE Impacts (RQ3)" 101
Figure 3.9. Codes under "Other Issues" 101
Figure 3.10. The Theme "Physical/Demographic Factors" and Its Supporting Codes 103
Figure 3.11. The Theme "Psychological Factors" and Its Supporting Codes 103
Figure 3.12. The Theme "Sociological Factors" and Its Supporting Codes 104
Figure 3.13. The Theme "Economic Factors" and Its Supporting Codes 104
Figure 3.14. The Description of the Research Logic of the Study 112