Abstract
Over the last decade, since homeowners in communities in China have actively begun to team up against the endless encroachment of developers, property management companies, and government, many researchers have been concerned with this topic. Much attention has been focused on the causes, processes, and effects of the safeguard of homeowners’ rights. Less attention has been paid on the management of the communities by homeowners’ association after its establishment. Therefore, the study addresses this problem with further discussions. Regarding the property management model of communities, it is commonly seen that most countries in the world allow homeowners to set up organizations for the management of property services within their communities. However, due to several reasons such as the large size of urban communities in China, the collapse of links between units after the reform, and the country’s discouragement of team collaboration, entrusting a property management company to manage communities is a rarely seen property management model in China. In this context, self-management of communities by homeowners’ association is a new phenomenon and a rare development. Therefore, the main question of this study is how can self-management be possible. In this study, comparative study was done between eight communities in two cities. Results showed accumulation of “Bonding Social Capital” between homeowners before and after the establishment of homeowners’ association, making it possible for homeowners’ association to negotiate with property management companies regarding the signing of property-related contracts. As a subject of contract, the homeowners’ association can entrust property services to a property management company or choose directly from the self-managed property services within the communities. In addition, since the external consultants and organizations of homeowners, actively or passive involved in governance of communities, have rich knowledge, experience and resources, the “Bridging Social Capital” between homeowners and consultants and organizations has become the driving force for the implementation of shared management that homeowners desire. Therefore, this study suggests that, under the interactions between “Bonding Social Capital” and “Bridging Social Capital,” it is possible to establish homeowners’ associations and obtain a body of management.