Evaluating Third Party Logistics Relationships: When Provider Size Matters

This paper examines the influence of selected relationship marketing characteristics and customer attributes on outcomes of third-party Logistics relationships, and the extent to which provider size affects these relationships. An online survey was conducted, aimed at professionals working in German firms engaged in third-party logistics relationships. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares path modelling. The results indicate that provider size has only a limited impact on third-party relationship performance: Where an influence was observed, it appears that size has a negative effect on the relationship, particularly for customer referrals and retention. Implications are formulated

Rail Freight in Europe: Different Perspectives on Achieving Higher Service Levels

Despite European Commission studies and recommendations to improve the share of freight carried by rail in its member countries, the share of goods traveling by rail has declined since the 1990s. Although absolute volume has risen, market share is dropping. Incumbent operators are reluctant to make assets available to newcomers, and country-specific requirements hamper efforts to operate across borders. Manufacturers are experiencing difficulty responding to orders from clients other than the traditional incumbents, which ordered in large volumes and according to set specifications that varied little. Availability of resources, the influence of government policies, and marketing strategies are also analyzed for their role in the situation. Cooperation to ease the transition of freight from road to rail should be combined with competition to increase efficiencies and lower rates. More burdens on road operators could steer freight toward rail, but cooperation between road and rail will lead to greater success. A table shows the stakeholders consulted and their perspectives

Sustainability segmentation of business students: toward self-regulated development of critical and interpretational competences in a post-truth era

This article adds insights in students' attitudes toward sustainability, with specific focus on students in business management/marketing. It builds upon a number of conceptual interpretations and barriers for change in higher education for sustainable development, followed by the concept of sustainability competences and the students’ perspectives. A segmentation study is developed in order to frame the variety of student dispositions of sustainability attitudes, based on a survey among 458 students in business management/marketing. Four different segments of students are discovered, according to their attitudes toward sustainability issues: moderate problem solvers; pessimistic non-believers; optimistic realists; and convinced individualists. The results of the segmentation study reveal that a one-fit-for-all approach in acquiring sustainability competences is not feasible. This calls for a diversity in approaches to prepare students in dealing with the complexity and uncertainty of sustainability issues, oriented toward more self-regulated learning, and developing critical and interpretational competences