Visualising Disruption Management: Integrating EDM and Justice Theory for Airport Rail Link Services

Abstract

This study investigates how Airport Rail Link (ARL) users without prior experience of service disruption evaluate disruption management strategies during unexpected disruptions. While previous studies have focused on passengers who have encountered disruptions, little is known about the expectations and perceptions of users who have never faced such events. Integrating the Expectancy Disconfirmation Model (EDM) with Justice Theory, this study examines the roles of normative expectations, perceived fairness and performance in shaping disconfirmation judgments. To address methodological challenges in capturing expectations for hypothetical scenarios, a comic-strip-based questionnaire was developed. This visual approach depicted realistic disruption scenarios and response actions, enabling respondents to assess fairness across distributive, procedural and interactional dimensions before comparing perceived performance with initial expectations. The instrument was pretested and piloted to ensure its clarity and feasibility in terms of timing. Data were collected from 290 ARL users who confirmed they had never experienced a service disruption. Responses were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to test hypothesized relationships and mediation effects. Results reveal that perceived fairness of response actions strongly influences disconfirmation and fully mediates the effect of expectations, highlighting the critical role of performance perception in shaping judgments. Importance-Performance Map Analysis further identified perceived fairness as the most influential construct. The findings underscore the importance of transparent communication and fairness-driven response actions in building trust among regular users who may hold idealized expectations. From a methodological perspective, the study demonstrates the value of visual stated preference instruments for eliciting meaningful responses in hypothetical contexts. Practical implications include designing proactive communication strategies and fairness-oriented response measures to enhance resilience and user confidence in the face of unexpected disruptions.