Page 14 - Accelerating Research and Impact - Issue 6

Psychological
distance reduces Hong Kong people’s
intention to live in GBA cities
A survey “Understanding Hong Kong working adults’ aspiration for taking up residence in the Greater Bay Area cities”, conducted by the School of Graduate Studies (GS), found that the psychological distance definitely reduces people’s intention to move to the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The research team noted an urgent need for policymakers to raise public awareness of the positive aspects of the GBA and its future development.
Survey results show that over 60 per cent of the respondents indicated that they had visited GBA cities in the past 12 months. With regard to people’s concerns about moving to GBA cities, respondents were worried about low wages, internet restrictions and high tax rates in the GBA. Respondents took a relatively neutral position on whether they would consider moving to GBA cities to live and work with an average score of 2.5 (out of 5).
• Dr Genghua HUANG,
Research Assistant Professor of GS
Prof Alex Yuefeng ZHU, Research Assistant Professor of GS, said that the survey results indicate a significant relationship between psychological distance and people’s perception of the GBA. “Psychological distance is composed of temporal, spatial and social distances. Uncertainty about the GBA’s future produces a sense of temporal distance; the border control between Mainland China and Hong Kong creates a sense of spatial distance, and the different institutional arrangements and lifestyles of the two regions lead to social distance, which inevitably reduces positivity and any intention to move to the GBA.”
Prof Joshua Ka Ho MOK, Vice-President, who led the study, urged policymakers to encourage people to work or move to GBA cities by eliminating the psychological distance. “The most important thing is to raise public awareness of the positive aspects of the GBA’s future and development, as this may minimise situational concerns and increase the likelihood of their visiting a GBA city, which may encourage them to move. We highly recommend field visits and face-to-face exchanges between high-income individuals in Hong Kong and GBA cities, as the high-income group was more interested in visiting the GBA.”
This survey was published in the international academic journal Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy in January 2021.
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