IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/transp/v48y2021i5d10.1007_s11116-020-10142-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A three-phase QFD-based framework for identifying key passenger needs to improve satisfaction with the seat of high-speed rail in China

Author

Listed:
  • Qiang Yang

    (Chongqing Jiaotong University
    Southwest Jiaotong University)

  • Catherine Y. P. Chan

    (Hong Kong QFD Association)

  • Kwai-sang Chin

    (City University of Hong Kong)

  • Yan-lai Li

    (Southwest Jiaotong University
    Liaoning University)

Abstract

This study aims to suggest a three-phased methodological framework based on the operational approach of quality function deployment (QFD) to improve the service quality and passenger satisfaction with China’s high-speed rail (HSR) by identifying the key passenger needs with regard the HSR seats. For the first phase, the collection of the voice of the customers/passengers (VOC), the processing of the collected VOC into need items and further into passenger needs of QFD would be explained in terms of knowledge management. For the second phase, a reference comparison-based fuzzy best–worst method is developed for determining the relative importance of passenger needs, with a particular purpose of coping with the uncertainty and ambiguity associated with qualitative assessment of respondents. For the third phase, the importance-performance analysis is performed to determine the improvement priorities for meeting passenger needs. Findings showed that Body-friendly seat structure and Reasonable layout of the seat are the two most important needs demanded by the passengers of second-class cabins, with the former being the top priority. The current study provides useful references for service operators of HSR to formulate development strategies for improving the seat comfortability, which subsequently contributes to improving HSR’s service quality and passenger satisfaction. Moreover, the proposed methodological framework for identifying the important passenger needs can be appropriately adjusted and expanded to similar transportation infrastructures and facilities.

Suggested Citation

  • Qiang Yang & Catherine Y. P. Chan & Kwai-sang Chin & Yan-lai Li, 2021. "A three-phase QFD-based framework for identifying key passenger needs to improve satisfaction with the seat of high-speed rail in China," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(5), pages 2627-2662, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:48:y:2021:i:5:d:10.1007_s11116-020-10142-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11116-020-10142-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11116-020-10142-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11116-020-10142-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jaime Allen & Laura Eboli & Gabriella Mazzulla & Juan de Dios Ortúzar, 2020. "Effect of critical incidents on public transport satisfaction and loyalty: an Ordinal Probit SEM-MIMIC approach," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 827-863, April.
    2. Md Hadiuzzaman & Nahid Parvez Farazi & Sanjana Hossain & D. M. Ghius Malik, 2019. "An exploratory analysis of observed and latent variables affecting intercity train service quality in developing countries," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1447-1466, August.
    3. Wu, Xin & Nie, Lei & Xu, Meng, 2017. "Robust fuzzy quality function deployment based on the mean-end-chain concept: Service station evaluation problem for rail catering services," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 263(3), pages 974-995.
    4. Shapiro, Arnold F. & Koissi, Marie-Claire, 2017. "Fuzzy logic modifications of the Analytic Hierarchy Process," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 189-202.
    5. Celik, Erkan & Bilisik, Ozge Nalan & Erdogan, Melike & Gumus, Alev Taskin & Baracli, Hayri, 2013. "An integrated novel interval type-2 fuzzy MCDM method to improve customer satisfaction in public transportation for Istanbul," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 28-51.
    6. Wang, Rong-Tsu, 2007. "Improving service quality using quality function deployment: The air cargo sector of China airlines," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 221-228.
    7. Kheybari, Siamak & Kazemi, Mostafa & Rezaei, Jafar, 2019. "Bioethanol facility location selection using best-worst method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C), pages 612-623.
    8. Alpu, Ozlem, 2015. "A methodology for evaluating satisfaction with high-speed train services: A case study in Turkey," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 151-157.
    9. William Jen & Rungting Tu & Tim Lu, 2011. "Managing passenger behavioral intention: an integrated framework for service quality, satisfaction, perceived value, and switching barriers," Transportation, Springer, vol. 38(2), pages 321-342, March.
    10. Lai, Wen-Tai & Chen, Ching-Fu, 2011. "Behavioral intentions of public transit passengers--The roles of service quality, perceived value, satisfaction and involvement," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 318-325, March.
    11. Lam, Jasmine Siu Lee & Bai, Xiwen, 2016. "A quality function deployment approach to improve maritime supply chain resilience," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 16-27.
    12. Chin, Kwai-Sang & Yang, Qiang & Chan, Catherine Y.P. & Tsui, Kwok L. & Li, Yan-lai, 2019. "Identifying passengers’ needs in cabin interiors of high-speed rails in China using quality function deployment for improving passenger satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 326-342.
    13. Rezaei, Jafar, 2015. "Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 49-57.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. de Oña, Juan, 2020. "The role of involvement with public transport in the relationship between service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intentions," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 296-318.
    2. Sun, Shichao & Xu, Lingyu & Yao, Yukun & Duan, Zhengyu, 2021. "Investigating the determinants to retain spurious-loyalty passengers: A data-fusion based approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 70-83.
    3. de Oña, Juan, 2021. "Understanding the mediator role of satisfaction in public transport: A cross-country analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 129-149.
    4. Juan Oña & Rocío Oña, 2023. "Is it possible to attract private vehicle users towards public transport? Understanding the key role of service quality, satisfaction and involvement on behavioral intentions," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(3), pages 1073-1101, June.
    5. Nguyen-Phuoc, Duy Q. & Phuong Tran, Anh Thi & Nguyen, Tiep Van & Le, Phuong Thi & Su, Diep Ngoc, 2021. "Investigating the complexity of perceived service quality and perceived safety and security in building loyalty among bus passengers in Vietnam – A PLS-SEM approach," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 162-173.
    6. Machado-León, José Luis & de Oña, Rocío & Baouni, Tahar & de Oña, Juan, 2017. "Railway transit services in Algiers: priority improvement actions based on users perceptions," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 175-185.
    7. Niu, Zhipeng & Hu, Xiaowei & Qi, Shouming & Yang, Haihua & Wang, Siqing & An, Shi, 2021. "Determinants to parking mode alternatives: A model integrating technology acceptance model and satisfaction–loyalty model," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 216-234.
    8. Sarfaraz Hashemkhani Zolfani & Ramin Bazrafshan & Fatih Ecer & Çağlar Karamaşa, 2022. "The Suitability-Feasibility-Acceptability Strategy Integrated with Bayesian BWM-MARCOS Methods to Determine the Optimal Lithium Battery Plant Located in South America," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(14), pages 1-18, July.
    9. Machado-León, José Luis & de Oña, Rocío & de Oña, Juan, 2016. "The role of involvement in regards to public transit riders' perceptions of the service," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 34-44.
    10. Aleksandar Aleksić & Danijela Tadić, 2023. "Industrial and Management Applications of Type-2 Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Techniques Extended with Type-2 Fuzzy Sets from 2013 to 2022," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-24, May.
    11. Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim & Muhamad Nazri Borhan & Nur Izzi Md. Yusoff & Amiruddin Ismail & Muhamad Razuhanafi Mat Yazid & Nor Aznirahani Mhd Yunin & Sotaro Yukawa, 2021. "Gender and Age Do Matter: Exploring the Effect of Passengers’ Gender and Age on the Perception of Light Rail Transit Service Quality in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, January.
    12. Joewono, Tri B. & Tarigan, Ari K.M. & Susilo, Yusak O., 2016. "Road-based public transportation in urban areas of Indonesia: What policies do users expect to improve the service quality?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 114-124.
    13. Medi YARMEN & Sik SUMAEDI, 2016. "Perceived Service Quality of Youth Public Transport Passengers," Transport Problems, Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Transport, vol. 11(1), pages 99-111, March.
    14. Guirao, Begoña & García-Pastor, Antonio & López-Lambas, María Eugenia, 2016. "The importance of service quality attributes in public transportation: Narrowing the gap between scientific research and practitioners' needs," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 68-77.
    15. Harsha Cheemakurthy & Karl Garme, 2022. "Fuzzy AHP-Based Design Performance Index for Evaluation of Ferries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-27, March.
    16. Ahmad Nazrul Hakimi Ibrahim & Muhamad Nazri Borhan & Mohd Haniff Osman & Faridah Hanim Khairuddin & Nur Mustakiza Zakaria, 2022. "An Empirical Study of Passengers’ Perceived Satisfaction with Monorail Service Quality: Case of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-17, May.
    17. Mandhani, Jyoti & Nayak, Jogendra Kumar & Parida, Manoranjan, 2020. "Interrelationships among service quality factors of Metro Rail Transit System: An integrated Bayesian networks and PLS-SEM approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 320-336.
    18. Prajitmutita, Lyn Manassannan & Perényi, à ron & Prentice, Catherine, 2016. "Quality, Value? – Insights into Medical Tourists’ Attitudes and Behaviors," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 207-216.
    19. Md. Abdul Moktadir & Sanjoy Kumar Paul & Anil Kumar & Sunil Luthra & Syed Mithun Ali & Razia Sultana, 2023. "Strategic drivers to overcome the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for ensuring resilience in supply chains," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 466-488, March.
    20. Zhang, Long & Bai, Wuliyasu, 2021. "Sustainability of crop–based biodiesel for transportation in China: Barrier analysis and life cycle ecological footprint calculations," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 164(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:transp:v:48:y:2021:i:5:d:10.1007_s11116-020-10142-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.