Gaps in Performance between the Levels of Inter-corporate Relationships in Port Logistics Processes

Abstract

The objective of this research is to verify gaps in firm performance between the levels of relationships between international freight forwarders and port logistics service providers. To achieve the objective, this research developed the conceptual and operational definitions of the variables through prior research and the questionnaire was sent to the forwarders. The collected data were analyzed by cluster analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results are as follows. First, the high level of the inter-corporate collaboration is based on the high level of customer performance. In this regard, the forwarders have the need of operational collaboration with port logistics service providers and as a result, they achieve a high level of customer performance. Second, the high level of the inter-corporate commitment is connected to the high level of firm performance. The forwarders provide shippers with the quality of customer service through commitment with port logistics service providers and this is the cause of firm performance. Third, the high level of the inter-corporate communication is based on a gap in customer performance. The forwarders can achieve the needs of shippers through communication with port logistics service providers and this is connected with a high level of customer performance. Keywords: Maritime Risk, Seaport, RBV, TCE, Institutional Theory