Title: Supply chain management quality practices in container haulage industry: the mediating role of management professionalism vigilance for consignee service retention

Authors: D.N. Shariff; K. Jayaraman; Dahlan Abdullah; Yong Won Seo

Addresses: Faculty of Maritime Studies and Marine Sciences, University Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia ' Taylor's Business School, Taylor's University, 14500, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia ' Faculty of Hotel and Tourism Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Penang, Malaysia ' College of Business and Economics, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Seoul, South Korea

Abstract: The rapid evolution in maritime globalisation creates a real challenge for container haulage entrepreneurs to maintain the world class supply chain quality practices to retain manufactures, who seek third party logistics for cargo delivery services. The purpose of the present study is to examine the role of supply chain management quality practices and management professionalism rendered by container haulage industry in influencing the consignee service's (manufacturer's) retention. About 245 manufactures operating in Malaysia form the respondents of the current empirical study. The findings of the study reveal that competency, facility, human resource, reliability, and management professionalism have direct influence on consignee service retention. The management professionalism has been evinced as a pure mediating variable. Interestingly, the manufacturers opined that the infrastructure facilities offered by the container haulage entrepreneurs in Malaysia are at par with Singapore port. Further, the results of the study suggest that a substantial level of management professionalism has been expected from the haulage entrepreneurs on the proper maintenance and up to date of facilities, on-time delivery of cargos without damage, improvements in competency, 'win-win' bargaining of tariff rate and self-disciplined and responsive human resources to retain business from the manufacturers.

Keywords: container haulage industry; supply chain management; quality practices; management professionalism vigilance; consignee service retention; CSR.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBPSCM.2017.089059

International Journal of Business Performance and Supply Chain Modelling, 2017 Vol.9 No.3, pp.238 - 259

Received: 10 Oct 2016
Accepted: 13 Sep 2017
Published online: 04 Jan 2018 *

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