ABSTRACT
This last empirical chapter brings together the whole theoretical framework to find in what way the different forms of diffusion work together to explain participation. Here, I aim to compare and discuss the findings that have been reported and discussed up to now. Findings and conclusions are thus revisited and then combined. Furthermore, the chapter deals with results of additional analyses: the effects of the different indicators of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal diffusion are combined in new analyses here. Although the different measures of diffusion are all supposed to be indicators of the general concept of authority dispersion, and results may therefore not always be as straightforward as reported in previous chapters, it is nonetheless attempted to combine the several indicators. I proceed as follows: first I will recall the general expectations that had been put forward in chapter 3, and will discuss to what extent the hypotheses were supported by the findings discussed in chapters 4 to 6. Furthermore, indicators for horizontal, vertical, and diagonal diffusion are combined and compared in additional analyses. The results of these are presented and discussed.
