Title: Benefits and barriers of supply chain integration: empirical analysis of liner shipping

Authors: Jasmine Siu Lee Lam

Addresses: Division of Infrastructure Systems and Maritime Studies, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798, Singapore

Abstract: This paper aims to analyse the level of supply chain integration in liner shipping and test its relationship with supply chain value. It also aims to examine the barriers and problems to establish and maintain a partnership or collaboration among the members in a supply chain. Recommendations will be given on how to overcome these obstacles. Empirical investigation was conducted via semi-structured interviews which targeted professionals from the top 30 shipping lines. We estimate ordered probit/logit models to examine the relationship between the level of integration with supply chain members and the supply chain value, and find a positive relationship. Customer service and inventory management are the two most significant areas in affecting supply chain value. Findings reveal that individualism is a major obstacle to supply chain integration. The paper presents an original modelling approach and an empirical investigation based on theoretic foundation in estimating the effects of supply chain integration with the focus on shipping.

Keywords: supply chain integration; SCI; supply chain value; shipping lines; container shipping; shippers; terminal operators; supply chain partnerships; supply chain management; SCM; liner shipping; supply chain collaboration; container terminals; customer service; inventory management; individualism; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTL.2013.050553

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2013 Vol.5 No.1, pp.13 - 30

Received: 11 May 2011
Accepted: 18 Mar 2012
Published online: 28 Feb 2014 *

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