Aleid Brouwer

Religious Pluralism and Organizational Diversity: An Empirical Test in the City of Zwolle, the Netherlands, 1851–1914

We explore the effect of population heterogeneity on organizational diversity. We do so in the context of a city community. Our argument is that organizational diversity will be positively affected by heterogeneity within the city’s population. We focus on a key aspect of population heterogeneity: religious pluralism. We test our logic with time series data for the Dutch city of Zwolle in the 1851-1914 period and find clear evidence for our key logic.

Residential Mobility of Older Adults in the Dutch Housing Market: Do Individual Characteristics and Housing Attributes Have an Effect on Mobility?

Residential Mobility of Older Adults in the Dutch Housing Market: Do Individual Characteristics and Housing Attributes Have an Effect on Mobility? The ageing of the population will change many societies in unprecedented ways. The changing age composition does not only create a burden on existing income systems and health care systems, but also affects the geographical mobility of populations. The objective of this paper is to provide some first insights into the moving behaviour of older adults in the Netherlands. By using data of the Housing Research Netherlands (HRN) 2009 survey, it was possible to investigate whether or not later-life residential mobility is influenced by individual characteristics and housing attributes. The responses of migrants and non-migrants are compared by conducting several two-way-chi-square analyses. The results of these descriptive analyses demonstrate that migrants indeed differ from non-migrants and that these differences are mostly related to housing attributes.

Housing Preferences of an Ageing Population: Investigation in the Diversity Among Dutch Older Adults

Mobility on the housing market strongly declines with age. In contrast to younger age groups, older adults show a tendency to ‘stay put’. There is little evidence whether this immobility of older adults is due to choice or to constraint. This study makes an empirical analysis of the underlying preferences for housing of Dutch older adults by reporting the stated preferences of Dutch older adults for bundles of housing characteristics. It offers insight in the relative importance of various aspects of housing and explores whether these preferences are stable for different age groups. The study found a strong preference for the current dwelling (i.e. staying put), especially for the older age groups. Running separate models for different age groups results in an improvement of the log likelihood, indicating the presence of heterogeneity among Dutch older adults. The heterogeneity among older adults is further analyzed by differentiating older adults on their attitudes and personality traits. This results in the identification of five groups of older adults who have (more or less) the same view, motivations and attitude with respect to housing. Between these five groups the heterogeneity in housing characteristics is apparent.

The Old and the Stubborn? Firm Characteristics and Relocation in the Netherlands

The Old and the Stubborn? Firm Characteristics and Relocation in the Netherlands This study gives some insight into the relationships between the spatial environment, firm characteristics and long term existence of firms in the Netherlands. A logit model is employed to investigate the locational difference of firms, considering firm characteristics such as age, size, region and network. The main findings are that (long-term) continuation of the location and firm size are positively associated with long-term existence of firms.

The development of trade blocs in an era of globalisation

This study investigates the economic geography of international trade during the period 1950–2005. We introduce a new trade bloc variable that relies on the intramax hierarchical clustering technique to identify endogenous trade blocs with annual trade flows. Multivariate analysis with gravity-equation-based variables is used to explain how mechanisms of globalisation have affected trade patterns over the past half century. In particular, proximity and economic integration agreements are key to explaining the persistence of region-based trade blocs in a globalising world economy.

Introduction: geographies of ageing and well-being

Introduction

Demographic Change, Ageing and Societal Challenges in Europe

Demographic Change, Ageing and Societal Challenges in Europe

‘The older adult’ doesn’t exist: using values to differentiate older adults in the Dutch housing market

Abstract To date most prognoses of older adults in the housing market have been based on average housing preferences and average housing market behaviour of all persons in a certain age cohort. Due to socialcultural and social-economic dynamics, the relationship between age and housing is expected to change for successive cohorts. This study sets out to improve housing preferences estimates by recognizing the growing differentiation among older adults. This heterogeneity is analysed by differentiating older adults on their lifestyles (operationalized as values), using latent class analysis as a clustering technique. These analyses result in older adults being classified into five segments on the basis of their viewpoints, motivations and attitude. Next, for each lifestyle segment a separate discrete choice model is estimated, offering insight in the relative importance that these segments give to various housing attributes. The findings demonstrate advantages over a traditional, single model approach and can be helpful in formulating contemporary housing policy.