IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transa/v118y2018icp759-775.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Trip stage satisfaction of public transport users: A reference-based model incorporating trip attributes, perceived service quality, psychological disposition and difference tolerance

Author

Listed:
  • Gao, Yanan
  • Rasouli, Soora
  • Timmermans, Harry
  • Wang, Yuanqing

Abstract

The concept of satisfaction reflects the extent by which a consumed product or service meets the expectations of an individual consumer. Generally, a smaller discrepancy between expectation and service delivery is associated with a higher satisfaction. Satisfaction ratings do, however, not purely reflect the mapping of experienced attributes on some (reference-based) satisfaction scale. The expressed satisfaction rating may also vary as a function of attitudes, personality traits and moods of the respondent at the time of measurement. Thus, in order to estimate unbiased satisfaction with the attributes of a choice alternative, one needs to control for attitudes, moods and personality traits. In contrast with the state of the art in travel behaviour research, which is almost invariantly based on linear regression and structural equations analysis, this study explores the performance of non-linear models of trip satisfaction for public transportation. Focusing on public transportation, we assume that trip stage satisfaction systematically varies in a non-linear fashion with the discrepancy between expectations and actual experienced attributes of the trip stage, controlling for perceived service quality, attitudes, moods and personality traits. In contributing to the rapidly growing literature on travel satisfaction in general and in the context of public transportation in particular, the aim of this study is to develop a reference-based model of trip stage satisfaction that takes perceived service quality, attitudes, moods, personality traits and difference tolerance into account. Difference tolerance refers to the notion that within some tolerance level, differences between service delivery and expectations do not have a major effect on satisfaction ratings. The data used to estimate the model were collected in January 2015 in Xian, China among a random sample of respondents. Results support the contentions underlying the study: several relationships between attributes and satisfaction appear non-linear. There is also evidence of difference tolerance, but results differ between attributes.

Suggested Citation

  • Gao, Yanan & Rasouli, Soora & Timmermans, Harry & Wang, Yuanqing, 2018. "Trip stage satisfaction of public transport users: A reference-based model incorporating trip attributes, perceived service quality, psychological disposition and difference tolerance," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 759-775.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:118:y:2018:i:c:p:759-775
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.10.029
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856417313344
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tra.2018.10.029?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. Alan G. Phipps, 1989. "Residential Stress And Consumption Disequilibrium In The Saskatoon Housing Market," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(1), pages 71-87, January.
    2. Manaugh, Kevin & El-Geneidy, Ahmed M., 2013. "Does distance matter? Exploring the links among values, motivations, home location, and satisfaction in walking trips," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 198-208.
    3. Ed Diener & Eunkook Suh, 1997. "Measuring Quality Of Life: Economic, Social, And Subjective Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 189-216, January.
    4. Finn, Adam, 2011. "Investigating the non-linear effects of e-service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 27-37.
    5. Maya Abou-Zeid & Satoshi Fujii, 2016. "Travel satisfaction effects of changes in public transport usage," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(2), pages 301-314, March.
    6. Moataz Mahmoud & Julian Hine, 2016. "Measuring the influence of bus service quality on the perception of users," Transportation Planning and Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(3), pages 284-299, April.
    7. Kwon, Hyungil & Trail, Galen, 2005. "The Feasibility of Single-Item Measures in Sport Loyalty Research," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 69-88, May.
    8. Ory, David T. & Mokhtarian, Patricia L., 2005. "When is getting there half the fun? Modeling the liking for travel," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 39(2-3), pages 97-123.
    9. K. S. Krishnan, 1977. "Incorporating Thresholds of Indifference in Probabilistic Choice Models," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(11), pages 1224-1233, July.
    10. Dan Wan & Camille Kamga & Wei Hao & Aaron Sugiura & Eric B. Beaton, 2016. "Customer satisfaction with bus rapid transit: a study of New York City select bus service applying structural equation modeling," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 497-520, December.
    11. Cao, Jason & Ettema, Dick, 2014. "Satisfaction with travel and residential self-selection: How do preferences moderate the impact of the Hiawatha Light Rail Transit line?," The Journal of Transport and Land Use, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, vol. 7(3), pages 93-108.
    12. 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.
    13. Richard E. Quandt, 1956. "A Probabilistic Theory of Consumer Behavior," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(4), pages 507-536.
    14. Jonas De Vos & Patricia L. Mokhtarian & Tim Schwanen & Veronique Van Acker & Frank Witlox, 2016. "Travel mode choice and travel satisfaction: bridging the gap between decision utility and experienced utility," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(5), pages 771-796, September.
    15. Hyungil Kwon & Galen Trail, 2005. "The Feasibility of Single-Item Measures in Sport Loyalty Research," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(1), pages 69-89, January.
    16. Susilo, Yusak O. & Cats, Oded, 2014. "Exploring key determinants of travel satisfaction for multi-modal trips by different traveler groups," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 366-380.
    17. Abenoza, Roberto F. & Cats, Oded & Susilo, Yusak O., 2017. "Travel satisfaction with public transport: Determinants, user classes, regional disparities and their evolution," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 64-84.
    18. Mao, Zidan & Ettema, Dick & Dijst, Martin, 2016. "Commuting trip satisfaction in Beijing: Exploring the influence of multimodal behavior and modal flexibility," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 592-603.
    19. Mouwen, Arnoud, 2015. "Drivers of customer satisfaction with public transport services," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1-20.
    20. Chen, Ching-Fu & Chen, Fu-Shian, 2010. "Experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioral intentions for heritage tourists," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 29-35.
    21. Zhang, Chunqin & Juan, Zhicai & Lu, Weite & Xiao, Guangnian, 2016. "Do the organizational forms affect passenger satisfaction? Evidence from Chinese public transport service," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 129-148.
    22. Wan, Dan & Kamga, Camille & Liu, Jun & Sugiura, Aaron & Beaton, Eric B., 2016. "Rider perception of a “light” Bus Rapid Transit system - The New York City Select Bus Service," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 41-55.
    23. Friman, Margareta & Gärling, Tommy & Ettema, Dick & Olsson, Lars E., 2017. "How does travel affect emotional well-being and life satisfaction?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 170-180.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Marek Bauer & Piotr Kisielewski, 2021. "The Influence of the Duration of Journey Stages on Transport Mode Choice: A Case Study in the City of Tarnow," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-15, May.
    2. Zhou, Yuyang & Wang, Peiyu & Zheng, Shuyan & Zhao, Minhe & Lam, William H.K. & Chen, Anthony & Sze, N.N. & Chen, Yanyan, 2024. "Modeling dynamic travel mode choices using cumulative prospect theory," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    3. Patricia Lippitt & Nadine Itani & John F. O’Connell & David Warnock-Smith & Marina Efthymiou, 2023. "Investigating Airline Service Quality from a Business Traveller Perspective through the Integration of the Kano Model and Importance–Satisfaction Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Xuan Li & Toshiyuki Yamamoto & Tao Yan & Lili Lu & Xiaofei Ye, 2020. "First Train Timetabling for Urban Rail Transit Networks with Maximum Passenger Transfer Satisfaction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-22, May.
    5. Rong, Rui & Liu, Lishan & Jia, Ning & Ma, Shoufeng, 2022. "Impact analysis of actual traveling performance on bus passenger’s perception and satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 80-100.
    6. Van Acker, Veronique & Ho, Loan & Mulley, Corinne, 2021. "“Satisfaction lies in the effort”. Is Gandhi’s quote also true for satisfaction with commuting?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 214-227.
    7. Miriam Pirra & Sofia Kalakou & Angela Carboni & Mariana Costa & Marco Diana & Ana Rita Lynce, 2021. "A Preliminary Analysis on Gender Aspects in Transport Systems and Mobility Services: Presentation of a Survey Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.
    8. Lades, Leonhard K. & Kelly, Andrew & Kelleher, Luke, 2020. "Why is active travel more satisfying than motorized travel? Evidence from Dublin," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 318-333.

    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. Lades, Leonhard K. & Kelly, Andrew & Kelleher, Luke, 2020. "Why is active travel more satisfying than motorized travel? Evidence from Dublin," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 318-333.
    2. De Vos, Jonas & Witlox, Frank, 2017. "Travel satisfaction revisited. On the pivotal role of travel satisfaction in conceptualising a travel behaviour process," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 364-373.
    3. Dong Wei & Xiaoshu Cao & Miaomiao Wang, 2019. "What Determines the Psychological Well-Being during Commute in Xi’an: The Role of Built Environment, Travel Attitude, and Travel Characteristics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, March.
    4. Mouratidis, Kostas & Ettema, Dick & Næss, Petter, 2019. "Urban form, travel behavior, and travel satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 306-320.
    5. Ni, Anning & Zhang, Chunqin & Hu, Yuting & Lu, Weite & Li, Hongwei, 2020. "Influence mechanism of the corporate image on passenger satisfaction with public transport in China," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 54-65.
    6. Van Acker, Veronique & Ho, Loan & Mulley, Corinne, 2021. "“Satisfaction lies in the effort”. Is Gandhi’s quote also true for satisfaction with commuting?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 214-227.
    7. Guan, Xiaodong & Wang, Donggen, 2024. "Examining the roles of transport captivity and travel dissonance in travel satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    8. De Vos, Jonas & Singleton, Patrick A., 2020. "Travel and cognitive dissonance," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 525-536.
    9. de Oña, Juan & Estévez, Esperanza & de Oña, Rocío, 2021. "How does private vehicle users perceive the public transport service quality in large metropolitan areas? A European comparison," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 173-188.
    10. Ingvardson, Jesper Bláfoss & Nielsen, Otto Anker, 2019. "The relationship between norms, satisfaction and public transport use: A comparison across six European cities using structural equation modelling," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 37-57.
    11. Wang, Fenglong & Mao, Zidan & Wang, Donggen, 2020. "Residential relocation and travel satisfaction change: An empirical study in Beijing, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 341-353.
    12. Jesper Bláfoss Ingvardson & Sigal Kaplan & João de Abreu e Silva & Floridea Ciommo & Yoram Shiftan & Otto Anker Nielsen, 2020. "Existence, relatedness and growth needs as mediators between mode choice and travel satisfaction: evidence from Denmark," Transportation, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 337-358, February.
    13. Abenoza, Roberto F. & Liu, Chengxi & Cats, Oded & Susilo, Yusak O., 2019. "What is the role of weather, built-environment and accessibility geographical characteristics in influencing travelers’ experience?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 34-50.
    14. 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.
    15. De Vos, Jonas, 2018. "Do people travel with their preferred travel mode? Analysing the extent of travel mode dissonance and its effect on travel satisfaction," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 261-274.
    16. Navarrete-Hernandez, Pablo & Christopher Zegras, P., 2023. "Mind the perception gap: The impact of bus rapid transit infrastructure on travelers’ perceptions of affective subjective well-being," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    17. De Vos, Jonas & Mouratidis, Kostas & Cheng, Long & Kamruzzaman, Md., 2021. "Does a residential relocation enable satisfying travel?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 188-201.
    18. Roberto F. Abenoza & Oded Cats & Yusak O. Susilo, 2019. "How does travel satisfaction sum up? An exploratory analysis in decomposing the door-to-door experience for multimodal trips," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(5), pages 1615-1642, October.
    19. Gang Cheng & Jiayao Wang, 2023. "How Underlying Attitudes Affect the Well-Being of Travelling Pilgrims—A Case Study from Lhasa, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-14, July.
    20. Abenoza, Roberto F. & Ettema, Dick F. & Susilo, Yusak O., 2018. "Do accessibility, vulnerability, opportunity, and travel characteristics have uniform impacts on the traveler’s experience?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 114(PA), pages 38-51.

    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:eee:transa:v:118:y:2018:i:c:p:759-775. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/547/description#description .

    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.