Employees' perceptions of cycle commuting: a qualitative study
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide an in‐depth individual level understanding of the psychological factors that affect cycle commuting.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 15 participants (eight cycle commuters and seven potential cycle commuters) from a “cycle‐friendly” employer based in a Scottish city took part in the study. Semi‐structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) were used to collect and analyse data.
Findings
The present study found that cyclists are more aware of the benefits of cycle commuting than potential cyclists. Those who did not currently cycle to work displayed a heightened awareness of the challenges of cycling to work, whereas cyclists reported more coping strategies for negotiating or overcoming the challenges involved in cycle commuting. These individual cognitions are potentially modifiable through psychological interventions.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should be carried out on samples in different contexts to examine whether some of the findings would be supported in other populations.
Practical applications
The findings from this paper suggest that psychological interventions based on challenging perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to cycling may have a valuable role to play in enhancing cycle commuting rates.
Originality/value
This study uses IPA to explore the complexities of perceptions in relation to cycle commuting. It also brings to light the types of coping strategies used to enable cyclists to overcome some of their challenges associated with cycle commuting.
Keywords
Citation
van Bekkum, J.E., Williams, J.M. and Graham Morris, P. (2011), "Employees' perceptions of cycle commuting: a qualitative study", Health Education, Vol. 111 No. 3, pp. 198-215. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654281111123484
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2011, Emerald Group Publishing Limited