An investigation of household interactions in daily in-home and out-of-home maintenance activity participation and social behavior in Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

This study is an empirical investigation of household interactions in joint in-home and out-of-home daily maintenance activity participation. Intra-personal trade-offs between solo and joint in-home and out-of-home maintenance activity participation decisions, and the possible substitution and/or complementary patterns between them were examined. Additionally, inter-personal trade-offs between solo and joint ''with whom'' out-of-home maintenance activity participation decisions were explored. Finally, the role of social roles, mobility resources, and internet availability in individuals' daily joint maintenance activity participation was analyzed. The analyses included the following two dimensions: (1) modeling the choice behavior of solo and joint in-home and out-of-home maintenance activity participation, and (2) modeling the choice behavior of solo and joint ''with whom'' out-of-home maintenance activity participation. Two mixed multinomial logit (MMNL) models were developed using two-day activity and travel diary data from Cairo, Egypt. The MMNL model structure offers several advantages over other types of discrete choice models. First, it can accommodate intra-individual variations (i.e. heterogeneity) in joint activity participation. Also, it is capable of determining possible sources of any solo and joint preference heterogeneity that may exist. Finally, correlations due to shared unobservable factors among solo and joint activity participations can be captured within the model. Empirical evidences support many of the research hypotheses regarding joint ''with whom'' maintenance activity participations. Household traditions, social roles, and life style were found to be the main factors that affect joint activity participation. © 2013 W. S. Maney & Son Ltd.