Freight transporation between the United Kingdom and Western Russia: modal choice.

Cave, Peter. 2007. Freight transporation between the United Kingdom and Western Russia: modal choice. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

This study investigated modal choice and why shippers confronted with explicit favourable data do not automatically select more environmentally acceptable and, potentially, cheaper modes of freight transport, namely sea and rail. The experiment was carried out in the context of the trade between the UK and Western Russia. The decision maker's typology was proposed as the principal differentiating variable. Corresponding cognitive strategies, such as maximizing, satisficing, and the application of decision-making heuristics (availability, confirming, conjunctive, representitiveness, risk attitude and vividness), were considered. The phases of the decision-making process were explored, including the stimulus for change (trigger), buy-class, predecisional information gathering, ranking of options according to determinants of choice, and the ultimate modal choice decision. A Web-based questionnaire was used to elicit preferences from the respondents, applying a combination of techniques including adaptive stated preference and psychometric testing. The study concluded that buy class, information gathering strategies and resistance to change are governed by the decision-maker's typology. A significant association was found between determinants of choice and those of dissatisfaction, indicating the importance of context. It was not possible to predict the modal choice decision based on particular typologies but it was noted that even when the service attributes favour sea or rail, road transport is often preferred, especially for one-off shipments.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
ISBN:	9781303181849
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	19 Aug 2024 14:55
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/55660

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