Be prepared for the unexpected: The gap between (im)mobility intentions and subsequent behaviour of recent higher education graduates

Abstract

AbstractResearch on the relationship between mobility intentions and actual mobility behaviour is scarce. This study analyses the factors explaining the gap between (im)mobility intentions and behaviour of recent higher education graduates in the Euregio Meuse‐Rhine, a cross‐border region spanning the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. The analysis is based on mixed methods, including survey data collected in 2015 and 2017 as well as semistructured interviews to find out more about respondents' personal mobility trajectories and the extent to which their behaviour reflects their actual (im)mobility preferences. The findings indicate that location‐specific capital impacts the probability to realise one's (im)mobility intention, as do other forms of capital, such as previous mobility experience and an internship during the study. Furthermore, personality traits and unexpected events, such as a change in relationship status, influence if respondents realise their initial (im)mobility intention.