Marjo Ring

Marjo Ring is a Senior Researcher at the Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at the University of Eastern Finland. Her work focuses on aging-related social policies, healthcare workforce dynamics, and organizational challenges in eldercare. Her research integrates qualitative and quantitative methods to explore issues such as nursing retention, ethical burdens in caregiving, and the impacts of New Public Management reforms on healthcare practices.

Research Interests: Gerontology, Healthcare Policy, Social Work, Public Management, Nursing Workforce, Aging Studies. Ring’s studies often address systemic issues in eldercare, including resource allocation, workforce precarity, and ethical dilemmas faced by care providers. She emphasizes the intersection of organizational policies and frontline worker experiences.

Recent Research Trends: Her articles highlight structural challenges in eldercare systems, such as workforce shortages, measurement-driven practices undermining care quality, and the ethical burdens on nurses. She critiques how New Public Management reforms prioritize efficiency over humanistic care values.

Grants & Projects: Funded by the Finnish Work Environment Fund and Research Council of Finland, her projects include studies on driving cessation in older adults and interventions for social exclusion in home care. She collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, including sociologists and healthcare professionals.

Labs/Teams: Member of the Social Work Research and Education team at the University of Eastern Finland. Her work contributes to evidence-based policy recommendations for improving eldercare service delivery and workforce well-being.