Beyond silos: The relationship between cross-boundary competence and service quality among Chinese gerontological social workers

Against the backdrop of China’s rapid population ageing and fragmented elder care systems, this study examines the relationship between gerontological social workers’ cross-boundary competencies and service quality. Drawing on questionnaire data from 2,559 practitioners in the China Social Work Longitudinal Study, the analysis elucidates two synergistic mechanisms: cross-boundary competence effectively enhances service quality by mobilizing resources across institutional and community networks, and professional identity functions as an amplifier, intensifying the positive impact of cross-boundary competence on service quality. In contrast, work support did not exert a statistically significant moderating effect on the social network interaction–service quality association. The development of China’s social work workforce should prioritize cross-boundary competencies to help older adults mitigate ageing-induced social isolation while concurrently strengthening the cultivation of professional identity to synergistically enhance the efficacy of welfare provision for ageing populations.