Analysing the Hidden Relationship between Long-Distance Transport and Information and Communication Technology Use through a Fuzzy Clustering Eco-Extended Apostle Model

Panayotis Christidis, Juan Carlos Martín () and Concepción Román
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Juan Carlos Martín: Institute of Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas, Spain
Concepción Román: Institute of Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35017 Las Palmas, Spain

Mathematics, 2024, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: The study analyses the hidden relationship between transport and ICT use for an extensive sample of 26,500 EU citizens. To that aim, a fuzzy clustering Eco-extended apostle model is applied to both latent variables: interurban transport trips and ICT use. The interurban long-distance trip (LDT) latent variable is measured by four different indicators (long- and medium-distance trips for work and leisure in the past twelve months), and the ICT use is based on a ten-item scale that provides information on different transport modes. The fuzzy Eco-extended apostle model is compared with the classical apostle model, translating the satisfaction and loyalty dimensions to our case. The fuzzy clustering model shows that most EU citizens are similar to the representative citizen who moved and used ICT at very low rates (56.5 and 50.4 per cent, respectively). The classical apostle model shows that the quadrants low LDT–high ICT and low LDT–low ICT are more represented by 38.5 and 35.2 per cent, respectively. However, the Eco-extended apostle model reinforces the results of the quadrant of low LDT–low ICT (40.22%) but softens those obtained in the quadrant of low LDT–high ICT (21.01%). Interesting insights of the effects of gender, age, education, and employment status are discussed.

Keywords: interurban transport; ICT use; fuzzy logic; fuzzy clustering; apostle model; fuzzy clustering Eco-extended apostle model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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