Research in Transportation Business and Management最新文献

Importance-Performance analysis, an advantageous method for analysis and decision-making, has been widely applied to many fields. The advantages and disadvantages of Importance-Performance analysis have been reported in previous literature. Previous studies proposed some revised or integrated methods for combining Importance-Performance analysis and other techniques to overcome the weaknesses of Importance-Performance analysis to increase measurement accuracy. However, the calculation procedures of those revised and integrated methods, including several methodologies, usually are complex. In addition, Importance-Performance analysis only focuses on customers' demands and neglects the practical viewpoints of the service providers' capabilities, e.g., finance, feasibility, land and resource availability, etc. Therefore, this study proposes a new Importance-Unsatisfaction-Improvement theory for analyzing and determining the priorities of improvement alternatives. This new Importance-Unsatisfaction-Improvement theory not only takes into account both the demands of customers and the supply capabilities of service providers but also has a simple calculation procedure. Finally, this study applied the new Importance-Unsatisfaction-Improvement theory to prioritize improvement alternatives for upgrading from a traditional port to a sustainable port in Taiwan. The results show that the priority alternatives comply with the practices of the port authority. As noted above, the new Importance-Unsatisfaction-Improvement theory is an easy-applicability research methodology that can efficiently explain complex customer behaviors, provide easy-to-implement improvement strategies and recommendations, and have calculation simplicity. It can be applied to solve decision-making problems in various fields in future studies.

We estimate technical efficiency using stochastic frontier techniques, distinguishing between persistent and transient inefficiency. Previous studies in the port efficiency literature have accounted for firm heterogeneity and time-varying technical inefficiency. However, no port studies to date have accounted for heterogeneity, time-invariant (persistent) and time-varying (transient) inefficiency. Accounting for both types of inefficiency is important because addressing them requires different types of managerial measures. Using data from a sample of Spanish port authorities observed over the period 1993–2020, we estimate a stochastic output distance frontier with four error components which includes determinants of persistent and transient inefficiency. Port authorities show very low levels of transient inefficiency but higher levels of persistent inefficiency. Overall inefficiency is therefore basically due to persistent inefficiency. We find that port authorities managing more than a single port suffer from greater persistent inefficiency, whereas those located on the Mediterranean seaboard have a structural advantage over their Atlantic seaboard counterparts in terms of persistent inefficiency. The type of output and its share of national output also affect persistent inefficiency.

With the increasing airline business model hybridization, the difference in service sensitivity concerning financial conditions between low-cost carriers (LCCs) and legacy carriers remains to be determined. Considering the close connections between systematic economic factors and airline financial conditions, we focus on how fuel costs, the interbank lending rate, and market concentration affect the service failures of LCCs and legacy carriers. In the US domestic airline business context, the analysis is conducted using an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL)-bounds testing approach and time series data from June 2003 through May 2023. The results indicate that the long-run effects of the interbank rate and fuel costs on airline services vary across low-cost and legacy carriers. Despite the comparable service levels achieved by LCCs and legacy carriers, their service dynamics respond differentially to financial performance, a factor intricately linked to interbank rates and fuel costs. LCCs exhibit a superior proficiency in cost management, potentially contributing to their lower susceptibility to variations in financial performance compared to legacy carriers. Market concentration adversely impacts the service failures of LCCs and legacy carriers. Intense market competition, particularly when resulting in reduced pricing, may diminish the motivation for airlines to enhance their service quality. The research contributes to understanding the long-run relationship between financial performance and the service of LCCs and legacy carriers within the framework of business convergence. Such insights are of paramount significance for airline managers and policymakers. Furthermore, our research outcomes offer empirical evidence facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of the convergence of airline business models from a service perspective.

The aim of this study is to explore the factors influencing the intention to continually use dockless bike sharing connecting with metro in the context of various new convenient modes of transportation. Firstly, based on the questionnaires collected in Nanjing, China, basic attributes and travel characteristics of users who use dockless bike sharing to connect with the metro are compared and analyzed. Secondly, an ordered logit model is established to investigate the influencing factors of the continuous usage intention of the dockless bike sharing connecting with metro. The model results indicate that: (1) the increase in the monthly income and the education level has a restraining effect on the intention to continue using dockless bike sharing connecting with the metro, although this trend of reduced usage intention is less pronounced among users with higher education levels. (2) Travel duration and travel time also negatively affect the intention to continue using this mode. Interestingly, during peak hours on weekdays, users exhibit a higher willingness to use dockless bike sharing connecting with the metro. (3) Factors such as saving time, solving taxi availability issues, improving accessibility in remote areas, and users' environmental consciousness encourage the continued use of this travel mode. In contrast, high accessibility, network congestion, difficulties in finding parking lots, personal information security risks, high costs, imbalances in supply and demand during peak periods, traffic congestion, and bad weather discourage users to continuously use this mode. Finally, based on these findings, several policies and suggestions to promote the continuous use of dockless bike sharing connecting with the metro are proposed.

For transporting cargo from an origin to a destination, there are several routes with various transport modes, but in practice, only one route should be selected. In this regard, one of the main activities of Logistics Companies (LCs) is to select an optimal route for transporting freight. This complexity intensifies in periodic transport across multiple origins and destinations. This paper aims to develop a dual-phase mathematical model for LCs, considering cost, time, reliability, and air and noise pollution. Indeed, in periodic transport, there is a possibility of merging the cargo with the next shipment, which can lead to lower total costs. Multimodality is also another important consideration for LCs that can reduce cost and environmental impacts. The model leverages Data Envelopment Analysis in the tactical planning phase to filter efficient routes and a multi-objective model in the operational phase for optimal route selection. The proposed approach is validated by the real case of Thailand and Vietnam, which presents practical and managing insights for LCs and shippers. The study underscores the significance of route adjustments in periodic transport and provides valuable insights for LCs and shippers, emphasising the benefits of multimodal solutions in optimising freight logistics.

Benchmarking container ports of different physical sizes and figuring out the relationship between size and efficiency is complex due to the heterogeneous environment. In dealing with heterogeneity, the selection bias is often overlooked. Therefore, this study proposes an integrated multivariate genetic matching and stochastic DEA algorithm to evaluate the efficiency of container ports. It paves the way for container ports that differ in a selected feature, such as size, to be benchmarked using well-balanced clusters. Thus, the port managers can identify the most similar-featured peers in benchmarking with DEA or alternative models to acquire robust estimates without dependence on a longitudinal data set. The results of the model applied to international container ports imply the increase in size impacts efficiency negatively, while connectivity does positively, which contradicts the commonly held perception of stakeholders that the larger the container ports, the more efficient. That is, well-managed small container ports can also be as efficient. Therefore, it is concluded that the results of integrating genetic matching into the performance measurement provide beneficial inferences. In future research, clustering the observed container ports according to a specific feature and balancing clusters with multivariate genetic matching can provide valuable insights into the industry.

Commercial vehicles are an indispensable part of logistics and public transport in India. It is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions too. Several countries across the world have implemented stringent statutory norms for vehicular emissions that all the automobile OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have to adhere to while designing, producing, and after-sales the vehicle. India has also mandated BS-VI (Bharat Stage- Six) emissions norms from April 2020. Though the motive of the implementation is commendable and will prove good to society at large in the years to come, its implementation of it has created enormous challenges for OEMs and users, particularly commercial vehicles. There are several reasons attributed to it. This paper is an attempt to identify and evaluate the challenges in the commercial vehicle transport business after the implementation of BS-VI emission norms. Various challenges are identified through literature and interactions with experts and users. The challenges are then ranked according to their significance using AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process). The challenges are then grouped into cause-and-effect categories using DEMATEL (Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory). The outcomes of the analysis would help OEMs, policymakers, and automobile users to take appropriate decisions and corrective actions for overcoming especially the maintenance and human related challenges.

Sedentary behaviour, including sitting in motorised vehicles, has been linked with negative physical and psychological health repercussions, even in sufficiently physically active individuals. It is therefore pivotal to identify factors and potential determinants associated with this sedentary behaviour, including the role of the urban environment. Within the plethora of studies analysing habits and experiences as psychological determinants, few have delved into the concept of laziness and car use. This research explores the phenomenon of laziness by measuring people's perceived physical exertion to walk for short-distance trips and applies the ‘Lazy User Theory’ to examine the constructs of people's lazy user behaviour in modal choice. Using questionnaires, interviews and workshops, the paper seeks to understand the link between laziness and car use for short-distance trips by using pedestrian intervention as a tool for analysis. The findings show significant links between higher frequencies of car use and increased perceived exertion of walking for short-distance trips. Although the preliminary application of the Lazy User Theory model was not able to fully explain the behaviour of car-use for short-distance commuting trips, the construct of mental effort provided the best explanation for this behaviour within this context. The paper concludes with policy-relevant feedback from the community on pedestrian interventions to encourage a shift to walking and the next steps for further research into understanding laziness as a determinant of travel behaviour.

Adoption of ride-hailing services today is on the rise, especially within emerging markets. This study examines the same within India's context, as there's limited research on this topic. In order to explore the relationship between consumer attitudes and the behavioral intentions to adopt these services, we use the Theory of Reasoned Action. Then, we investigate the impact of both utilitarian and hedonic values on consumers' attitudes. Using data from 390 Indian ride-hailing service users, we identify frugality and status consumption as key personality traits that effectively moderate the relationship between perceived value and attitude towards ride-hailing services. We also observe that both utilitarian and hedonic values significantly influence consumer attitudes towards these services, which in turn affect their intent to use them. Finally, the study derives several critical implications for academics, practitioners, and policymakers.

This paper presents a green fleet renewal decision model for carbon reduction technologies in the short and medium-term planning horizon. The objective is to explore the commercial decisions over green fleet renewal made by short-sea liner shipping companies in response to the carbon reduction targets set by the International Maritime Organization. To address the environmental constraints and uncertainty surrounding operational demand and fuel prices, a two-stage stochastic programming model was developed. This model integrates various factors including ship buying and selling, retrofitting, operation area allocation, and speed determination, intending to maximize expected profits. When it comes to fleet renewal issues involving investments in carbon reduction technologies, the conditional value at risk was utilized to manage the risk of bankruptcy. The study also examines the relationship between bankruptcy risk and expected profit, offering time- and risk-related strategies for liner shipping companies operating in short seas.