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Barriers to supply chain integration in the maritime logistics industry

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Maritime Economics & Logistics Aims and scope

Abstract

Supply chain integration (SCI) is a management philosophy that centres on intra- and inter-firm coordination and collaboration. The aim of this study is to identify and discuss the underlying barriers that inhibit SCI in the maritime logistics industry. A list of barriers was identified from literature and interviews. Subsequently, surveys on the barriers were administered on 172 container shipping firms. From exploratory factor analysis, the results suggest that the extensive barriers can be parsimoniously represented by five factors. The first factor relates to the lack of trust and commitment because of the display of scepticism and opportunistic behaviour. The second factor is related to resistance to change which is a result of complacency and individualism. The third factor corresponds to the incompatibility of operating and strategic goals, which is caused by inadequate supply chain leadership and poor partner selection. The fourth factor pertains to the lack of resources. This issue is pertinent to small firms and those operating in numerous parallel logistics chains. Finally, the last factor relates to measurement failure. The inability to accurately measure and assign cost to the activities that are necessary for the completion of a maritime logistics service prevents the equitable distribution of rewards, which is a critical success factor for SCI.

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Notes

  1. The articles that were reviewed include those obtained from Maritime Economics and Logistics, Decision Sciences, International Business Review, International Journal of Logistics: Research and Applications, International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Journal of Operations Management, International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, Journal of Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Infrastructure Systems & Maritime Studies, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Ave, 639798, Singapore, Singapore

    Kum Fai Yuen

  2. School of Business IT & Logistics, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe St, Melbourne, 3000, VIC, Australia

    Vinh Thai

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  1. Kum Fai Yuen
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Correspondence to Kum Fai Yuen.

Appendix

Appendix

Survey questionnaire

Section A: Background

Supply Chain Integration (SCI) refers to the adoption of collaborative and coordinating structures, processes, technologies and practices among supply chain partners for building and maintaining a seamless conduit for the precise and timely flow of information and materials.

In today’s global market, competition is between supply chains and the success of a firm is dependent on its ability to integrate its intra- and inter-firm processes and coordinate the intricate network of business relationships among supply chain members.

For the maritime logistics industry, tighter integration between shipping firms, port operators and freight forwarders lowers costs and improves service responsiveness. These contributions are increasingly recognised by manufacturers (shippers) to strengthen their own competitive advantage.

Although there are numerous benefits to be gained from SCI, studies have shown that it is difficult to implement in practice. Therefore, the objective of this survey is to (i) identify the critical success factors of SCI, (ii) identify and examine the barriers and solutions to SCI and (iii) measure the degree of SCI in the maritime logistics industry.

The targeted group for this survey is container shipping lines. The survey questionaire will take less than 20 min to complete. All information provided will be kept strictly confidential. Your participation in the survey is greatly appreciated.

Section B: Survey questions (partial)

Please indicate the extent to which you disagree or agree with the following issues experienced by your firm. If you strongly disagree, tick ‘1’; if you strongly agree, tick ‘5’.

illustration

figure a

Section C: Demographic information

General information on the respondents’ job title, department, years of experience working in the firm and personal email was collected in this section.

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Yuen, K., Thai, V. Barriers to supply chain integration in the maritime logistics industry. Marit Econ Logist 19, 551–572 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1057/mel.2016.10

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