Development and validation of the Commuting Satisfaction Scale with a sample of German Foreign Service employees worldwide

Abstract

Commuting satisfaction is a crucial factor influencing individuals’ well-being and travel behaviour, with important implications for policy making and traffic planning. However, validated scales for measuring individuals’ satisfaction with their daily commute to work are scarce in the literature. This paper presents and validates the Commuting Satisfaction Scale (CSS), which was developed using data from a cross-sectional survey of German Federal Foreign Office employees from various missions around the world. The scale covers seven key aspects of commuting satisfaction: duration, comfort, crowding/congestion, reliability, safety, risk of accidents, and the behaviour of others. In addition, the scale is relevant to different modes of travel: car, public transport, and walking/cycling. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed a one-factor structure for the CSS, and the scale is highly reliable. Consistent with theoretical assumptions and previous literature, commute duration, commute length, and travel mode are statistically significantly related to the CSS. Furthermore, higher commuting satisfaction is statistically significantly associated with higher subjective well-being, better health, and lower stress levels. This indicates high construct and criterion-related validity for the CSS, suggesting that it is a valid measure of commuting satisfaction.