Empirical research on the effects of auto ownership on parents' time constraints and children's human capital investments

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K01677
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07040:Economic policy-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Matsuo Miwa 神戸大学, 経済経営研究所, 准教授 (80745042)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 交通行動 / 時間制約 / 移動制約 / 出張行動 / ビジネス・コミュニケーション理論 / ジェンダー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study focused on the time and travel constraints of households with children and analyzed the extent to which the adoption and use of digital technology have changed travel behavior. The researcher analyzed business travel behavior recorded in the National Household Travel Survey of the U.S. and to what extent it has alleviated the constraints associated with child-rearing. The study revealed that business trip frequency and distance varied significantly between occupations and between Internet-savvy and non-savvy users and that travel probability decreased from 2001 to 2017. The study also revealed that, in the past, there were substantial gender differences and with-and-without-children differences in sales and service occupations, but that the gap narrowed between 2001 and 2017. The study results were published in Travel Behaviour and Society and Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice.

Free Research Field

交通経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、これまで交通行動の分野で関心の低かった出張行動について、コミュニケーション理論やジェンダーの観点を導入しての知見を深めたことにある。ビジネス・コミュニケーション理論を出張行動と関連付けた研究は少なく、また、あってもそれらはジェンダーの視点からの分析がなされていなかったためである。また、本研究の社会的な意義は、ビジネスにおけるジェンダー差や子育て罰について、デジタル技術の活用を通じた是正の可能性を示した点にある。出張の忌避が職種選択の制約や昇進の遅れにつながることは知られているため、技術活用による出張制約の緩和は格差是正へとつながりうる。