Tripartite Efficacy Beliefs and Homeowner Participation in Multi-owned Housing Governance: An Empirical Study in Hong Kong and Macau

Collective actions of homeowners are essential for effective governance of multi-owned housing (MOH). Some homeowners actively participate in governance activities while homeowners are driven by rationality to free-ride on others’ efforts as posited by the classical collective-action theory. It is thus insightful to unpack why homeowners decide on participation. So far, little work has been done on how perceived efficacies of property management agents (PMAs) shape collective actions in MOH governance. In this light, this study aims to examine how proxy efficacy beliefs shape homeowner participation. A theoretical model for empirical analysis was built upon the collective interest model and social cognition theory. Specifically, a homeowner who had a stronger efficacy belief in his or her PMA was expected to participate more actively in MOH governance. Drawing on the findings of a survey on 2,035 homeowners in Hong Kong and Macau, this study explored the determinants of homeowner participation. It revealed that participation level correlated positively with self and group efficacy beliefs but negatively with perceived proxy efficacy. These results implied that homeowners participated in housing governance more actively in response to the poor performance or incapacity of the PMAs. The research findings have significant policy implications for promoting a better MOH upkeep culture.