The mediate and moderate emphases between service quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavior intention of fare-free bus.

• Main Authors: Tzu-yi Chen, 陳姿儀
• Other Authors: Huey-Kuo Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/10645176896668385455

碩士 === 國立中央大學 === 土木工程研究所 === 100 === In recent years, several types of fare-free bus services with varying service emphases have been established in many regions in Taiwan. However, the performance and effectiveness of these services have not been well understood. This master thesis research is aimed at investigating the factors affecting the perceived performance of the fare-free buses by utilizing the hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) approach. HLM is a multi-variate multi-level analysis approach that is a more advanced form of multiple linear regression models. HLM analysis allows variance in outcome variables to be analyzed at multiple hierarchical levels, whereas in multiple linear regression models all effects are modeled to occur at a single level. Thus, HLM is appropriate for use with nested data through the concept of so-called moderation and mediation effects. In this research work, fare-free buses offered in different regions were classified into different types according to their functional and service characteristics. In the HLM hierarchical structure, individual variables were aggregated by regions and represented in the higher level, and the relationships among different variables at same level as well the relationship between different levels were analyzed using HLM. This research utilized survey data collected through 1401 in-person interviews from 35 cities in Taiwan from a prior study. The questionnaire included four dimensions (variables) - service quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavior intention. The main research questions and hypotheses studied in this research focused on revealing the relationship between these four variables and different types of fare-free buses, and the mediation and moderation among these four variables. The analysis results showed that the type of fare-free buses significantly influences these variables; however, the fare-free bus type does not significantly influence how these four variables affect every other. Moreover, it was found that there exists a partial or complete mediation effect of individual and multilevel effects among the four variables. The aggregate variables can moderate the relationship among four variables.