Homeowner participation in multi-owned housing governance: A multilevel analysis in Hong Kong and Macau

Yung YAU*, Daniel Chi Wing HO, Ruoshi LI

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Book Chapters | Papers in Conference ProceedingsBook ChapterResearchpeer-review

Abstract

A growing body of literature in community and housing studies recognizes the importance of resident participation for effective governance of multi-owned housing (MOH). MOH is commonly characterized with the co-existing of exclusively-used and shared elements in the housing development or community. This feature necessitates the social, legal and financial interdependence of all individual homeowners pertaining to the management, maintenance and usage of the co-owned properties. In this light, collective actions of the homeowners are necessary for the effective governance of the MOH development. In spite of the essentiality of resident participation, the seminal free-rider theorem put forward by Mancur Olson posits that collective action is not sustained or initiated unless it is profitable for each individual partaker. In reality, nonetheless, quite many residents in MOH enthusiastically take part in collective actions related to housing governance. This paradox calls for an explanation. Resorting to the findings of a survey-based study in Hong Kong and Macau, this paper investigates the effects of structural, intrapersonal and interpersonal constraints on homeowner participation and the moderating effects development attributes had upon the negative impacts of participation constraints on homeowners' participation intensity using a multilevel approach. Results show that in addition to development attributes such as development scale, development age, resident heterogeneity and governance quality, structural and interpersonal constraints were significant determinants of homeowner participation. The negative effects of these constraints on resident participation in MOH governance were weakened by development age. The analysis results provide strategic directions for the governments and resident associations to promote resident participation by considering the characteristics of a MOH development.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Sociology Research
EditorsJared A. JAWORSKI
PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter4
Pages89-116
Number of pages28
Volume23
ISBN (Electronic)9781536127195
ISBN (Print)9781536127188
Publication statusPublished - 2017
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameAdvances in Sociology
PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Volume23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Funding

The final form of this chapter owes much to the discussion at the 6th International Conference on Recent Developments in Social Sciences and Business Studies held in Singapore, March 25-26, 2017. The work described in this chapter was fully supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China [Project No. CityU 11410214].

Keywords

  • Constraints
  • Hong Kong
  • Housing governance
  • Macau
  • Multilevel analysis
  • Multiowned housing
  • Resident participation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Homeowner participation in multi-owned housing governance: A multilevel analysis in Hong Kong and Macau'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this