Are Workers Attracted to Social Interaction Opportunities? A Study of Face-to-Face Contact Opportunities by Occupation and Industry. Issue 1 (2nd January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wessel, Nate; Farber, Steven; Widener, Michael
• Is Part Of: Professional geographer. Volume 71:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 83
• Page End: 95
• Publication Date: 2019-01-02
• Subjects: agglomeration, face-to-face, location preferences, productivity, social interaction potential.; 关键词：聚集 -- 面对面 -- 地点偏好 -- 生产力 -- 社会互动潜力。; Geography -- Periodicals; 910
• DOI: 10.1080/00330124.2018.1466715
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-0124

Abstract

Abstract : The spatial structure of a region is known to affect the degree of face-to-face interaction opportunities for a city's residents. These interaction opportunities are important building blocks in aspects of economic production. To date, though, there is scant empirical evidence linking interaction opportunities to worker locations. In this article, using a spatial measure of social interaction potential (SIP), we seek to discover whether, and by how much, opportunities for interaction differ at home and work locations for workers within different industry and occupation groups in U.S. metropolitan areas. Based on the time-geographic concept of joint accessibility, SIP is sensitive to population and employment densities, as well as travel times associated with worker commutes in a region. We compare SIP at the census tract level of geography both within and between Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) nationally and test SIP distributions by occupation and industrial categories using nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests. The study finds that several categories of higher skill and creative workers live and work in higher SIP areas. These findings provide evidence in support of theories of knowledge creation that rely on spontaneous face-to-face interaction and also indicate the effect of lifestyle preferences in location choices for highly skilled and arts workers.