International Journal of Fuzzy Systems, Vol. 4, No. 4, December 2002 ou Fuzzy Factor Analysis for Selecting Service Quality Factors -A Case of the Service Quality of City Bus Service Gwo-Hshiung Tzeng, William Jen, and Kai-Chieh Hu Abstract Service quality is basically determined by subjective perceptions and feelings towards each of the evaluated attributes, so the results of evaluation are usually different according to individual habits and preferences. Thus, it would be more reasonable to deal with this data by applied fuzzy theory, while the vagueness and uncertainty of individual perception should be considered in the responsive performance data of service quality. As a result, the fuzzy data is calculated with the fuzzy computation proposed by Nakamori et al. in 1997. The purpose of this study is to conduct fuzzy factor analysis for service quality, so as to clarify the relationship between each of the attribute factors, as well as the characteristics of the factors evaluated. First, this study reviews the materials and methods of factor analysis, then selects a proper illustration according to factors of service quality so as to explain the operation of factor analysis for fuzzy data. The ‘empirical case takes the service quality of a city bus system as an example in order to illustrate the feasibility and practicality of this method. In the results from factor analysis and fuzzy factor analysis, four factors of city bus service quality of perception by the passengers are extracted, “interaction with passengers,” “tangible service equipment”, “safety and convenience of bus riding,” and “operation of network systems”. It is found from this study that fuzzy factor analysis is more suitable for human behavior, more effective in practical problems and can provide more flexible factor loading for researchers. Thus, fuzzy factor analysis can render classification of service quality factor more reasonable and acceptable than that of the conventional method. Keywords: fuczy data, factor analysis, service quality, subjective perceptions, city bus service. Conesponding Author: Professor Gwo-Hishiung Tzeng i with Institute of ‘Technology Manogerent, 1001, ‘Tefisuch, Ré, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan, Fax: +886-3-5726749; Emil: ghizeng@conet.edutw 1. Introduction In selecting the factors of service quality, factor analysis is the method most often employed. Its most, important mechanism is to cut down the many initial relative observation factors into a few mutually independent factors, and at the same time maintaining, excellent ability to conduct justification for the original problem, However, since service quality is a subjective perception, with individual perceptions for each of the attributes evaluated, the evaluation is greatly affected by individual preference in response to the data. Considering the vagueness and uncertainty of subjective feelings, fuzzy justification is statistically more suitable to handle such iarge variations. Thus, the purpose of this, study is to use fuzzy computation of fuzzy data to conduct fuzzy facto analysis for service quality, and thus to evaluate the relationship between each of the attribute factors and the characteristics of the factors evaluated. ‘Nakamori et al. (1997 (11]) proposed the notion of a factor space model for fuzzy data and developed fuzzy factor analysis. However, since the use of fuzzy correlation coefficients and fuzzy eigenvalues cannot, meet the requirements of the research data model, this, study proposes using fuzzy operations to determine the, fuzzy correlation coefficient in direct terms. After this, the resolution for fuzzy eigenvalue by Nakamori et al. is, modified, and fuzzy factor snalysis is employed to evaluate service quality. This study first reviews the ‘materials and methods of factor analysis, using the factor selection for city bus service quality as an illustration. We then explain the operation of factor analysis of fuzzy Gata, Because the service quality of city bus service is derived from the subjective perception of passengers and is thus affected by individual preferences, the data is, inherently vague, and is more appropriate to be analyzed by a fuzzy method. In the empirical example of this, research, in order to show the feasibility and practicality of the method, a questionnaire for the service quality attributes based on Parasuraman et al. (1985°[12)) is ‘employed. The results are initially processed by anelysis. with conventional factor analysis after field investigation. Then, passenger perception regarding the performance data of service quality is quantified with © 2002 CFSATaIOUL sIskTeUL IojoRy AZZNJ SYeU 0} JOpO Ul sonfeAUDSIO AZZN} pue syUOLOYJI09. UOTJe[a1109 AZZny Jo uoyenopeo oY} 0} sjustsn [pe sUOS oye om “WoT, ‘UoKeoysnl 10F pesodwoosp st ([]1] L661) ‘Te 39 LoureyeNy ur passnosip se eyep Azzny Jo stskfeur Iojoey oy) ‘Te JO ISI eqyeg Azzny jo sishjeny 10}9eg *¢ “popueluap se UOL|Da9s Jo Io}ORy Ayenb so1AJes oy} Jo SI YOIyM ‘sarjotea Surpeol-Jojoey YSty Jo uoNNjYsUCS ou} 0} souRplo;oe “Ul. pawieu ole susayed soy} Udy, “PeALap aq usy ue somNqUye Ajjenb so1Ases jo suajjed 10,08} ot) ‘poyjoU! pouonUs-sA0ge oY} WoL, (2) Woe TI=PIN TIHt (U)= ‘oq pinom ("7 = LE pue- yp=_) uoyejor sioye Bulpro] s0joe oy, w Wee CI=MT (CO=L ‘aq pINOA poureigo XLQeU O1}e}01 ST “PsyejoI SIX 1OJOR] OU] YIM pue LONe}OI xeUITEA OY} UO posed fore = y &q Ayrpeuouraros jo anjea oq} aynduros 01 sea aq Pinos 1: “([91] 9661 ‘euteys) ssurpeoj Joyous Jo arenbs dU}. se sues. ay) ATTensn st omMonNS oy] pue SUIPeOT AINJOILYs ayy JO ozenbs ay} o} yenbe st AyTeEUoUTUIOD sous Ny (9) ty \74 y ‘aq pinom pourejqo AiT[BUOWTHOD ay} HOY], Gy Wee Zap oN TTS ‘("v)=V ‘aq pynom ('2 ty S = "py “a't) BuIpeo] JOLORy sit yeu} POLoJUt St 11 ‘( Wi T= aw Jaquinu J0j9R} aprosp 0} SB OS PAMOT[OF aq PThoys azis anpea Jo Ayionid oy} JT F Waty), NN? a tN TNY (p) : Tgty = Ny NY. wy Wy gly Hg Ny . ty oy voy} Wo @ wererart= Pll ep 41 a ‘$1 ONTEAUOSIA O} yoadsal YL JOPOBAUASIO OY] UAT AA, DM Yer Wei Y< ¥ pue A TL=4 cy é Z00Z 4equacag ‘p ON ‘“p J04 ‘suajsdy Azzny fo [puoyniusaquy ‘aq P[NOA (ay = ay pur O = agY-y) “9D yw xieur UOTE[aL09 sy] WO pore[noyeo st yey onpeausdio sy” © NO OTS hn (sa ‘s2 poye[no[eo SI wep Jo SUIS} 9sou BUISN XLYRU JUSTOYJa09 UOTE[OLI09 sy} pue ‘Aytjenb aolAias 0} UsAIS Hpaso oy st T ‘{7 “TPS “SO st gidutes yoro Jo wep ou (A “*z'T=u ore sanguine Ajenb aolales am {gf *Z Jaa St opdures Jo Jequinu ayy, “POUTaU SIU} 204] “Cst] 6661 ‘seazy, pue [[eaurslis ‘[el] 8861 “Te 49 ‘ueuemnsezey “[6] 6661 “Te 19 sozjuey ‘[g] 9661 “a. “Ze pue “vy “2ieW “[9] 9661 Seqoyged ‘[s] 8661 ‘AeWeT pu Aqs035 ‘[¢] 2661 ‘a[aLM pure uBUINOg’ ‘{1] Z66T “ITO pue smyeqeg “at) SISA[eUe JOJOR] JOT SLOJeNTeAS SUE SOXL}CLU UOTL[OL00 oy, ayerado 0} sayeos paxiy ul Ayyenb so1AJos “jo [eAg] ONsINSuT] oy} UO ATOI yeu] sorpmys AUeUL o7e OJOYT, ‘yeos PouoyUoUIoIOJe ay} Aste Oo} pesn sf sisAjeue JopoRy jo anbrayoay ayy ‘sry suatqoud ayy, sajoser djey Jou [1 sisdyeue uotssargar Jo yuoutXojdua ay pue ‘stLis} yop Ul pasn pue paarasqo aq A[duiis jouUed s10jORF asay] ‘IXASMORT “SoTqeLIeA ay] JO UoWeAIssqo BULIMp Pa}Boo] Oq UBS sa[GULIEA IAzTe [ITM Jey} S40joBy perUE}od yeu) padoy st yr ‘stskfeue Jeonsnieis Supnp suIoulos ‘uOHENeAd sAyeulaye Jo siskjeue wolqoid sump uonemofes Jo Aynoyjip pue Ayxorduoo oy) Sulonpar snyj ‘swayqoid yeurstio Aynsnf 0} Aqpiqe Aroyeunjdxo Y8Iy Unelor.(s1ojoRy) SorquueA AjolueA asayl ‘outy owes am yy ‘(siojoey juepuedeput “at) sonolea SAISnyoxa Aqjennur Mey B OV uORAIesqo Joy sotouea Kueur OZISUMOP 0} 9q P[NOAL sIsAfeuR JOJO JO WisTUeYSOUT Jueyodwy sour ayy, “siojoey yenusjod ow sjunowe suyenony jo eyep payepauios’ Aljengnur ourpweays ued Jey} SpoIal [oysHE}s oy Jo ouo st pue “([ZT] 7061) ueuueds. fq padojaasp Ayjenmm sem sisAyeue Joye spomnayA SIsA[VUY 10998,] JO MATAZY ‘7 ‘poyjau [euoTUaAUD ayy Aq yey} ey} a[qeuosear ‘agout Joyory Aypenb sorazas Jo UONLITJISSE[O DY} SAYCUL IT IVY} OS BUIPLOT 101927 9[QIKXe]y SIOW YIM siayoivesar sapiaord osye 3 Inq ‘yeoyowd puke sanoaya ssour Ajuo you si sisAjeue Joyoey Azzry yey} aJeoIpur szNser oy, * ,LWwsysAs yIOMJoU Jo uonerado,, pur ‘,SUIpU snq Jo sousTUSAUOS pue Ajayes,, ‘,Jusutdinba aolazas «= gjqisuey,, ‘,sloSuessed = yjimM uoTOeIOIUL,, peulia} om yorum ‘pajoenxa aq uevo uondaoiod ra8uassed Jo siojory Ajtjenb aoraros moj ‘oszo yeotmdura oy Wo puNoy sy ‘UONOETAs JoOR] JonPUOd 0} peojdwia si sisATeue sojoey Azang ‘Ayjeug ‘suoyeisdo Azzny Aq eyep oy} 0} SurpuodsaLiog pajeso] aie sjuslolya0o uoyepai0s Azany yey} Ioyy “poyejnojes usy) axe Aen gotalas AZZIY JO s}nse1 ay) pue ‘sjuowemseau Azzny C16