A relationship approach to the marketing of professional ship management services

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/449 on 01.02.2017 by CS (TIS)Professional ship management, i. e. the management of ships by third parties on behalf of their owners, has grown in importance in international shipping. This research investigates the relationship between professional ship managers and their clients in order to lay down the foundations for optimal marketing strategies directed towards retention of current clients and prospects over the long-term. Professional ship management has been described as an efficient organisational. adjustment to the needs of the global shipping market and a way by which western countries have been trying to sustain their global maritime dominance (Sletmo 1989). Despite this, ship management has received little attention from academia. The importance of the subject area and the limited scientific attention it has received, make professional ship management worthy of scholarly consideration. A review of ship management was undertaken in order to ascertain current marketing policies and problems faced by the industry. Frequent client defections and client uncertainty and dissatisfaction coupled with marketing directed towards client attraction (mainly promotion) resulted in identifying that application of relationship marketing may be beneficial for professional ship management. A review of the relationship marketing literature supported the application of the concept in a ship management context and assisted in developing a conceptual model. The conceptual model aimed towards identifying the dimensionality of ship manager-client relationships and their classification. Classification involved carrying out tests to identify whether ship management companies may be assembled into segments on the basis of their client relationships, and if so, whether particular characteristics of the interacting organisations may be found in particular relationship segments. Analysis of the data obtained from telephone interviews with a sample of ship managers in the United Kingdom and Cyprus resulted in the identification of the dimensions in ship manager-client relationships. A subsequent questionnaire to the respondents aimed at identifying the organisational characteristics of the companies and obtained structured responses to the relationship dimensions. Application of cluster analysis indicated the existence of four segments of ship management companies on the basis of their client relationships. The clusters obtained were validated and also supported on a theoretical basis from the relationship marketing literature. Preliminary investigation between organisational, characteristics and cluster membership indicated that companies in particular relationship segments share certain similar organisational characteristics. Multiple discriminant analysis assisted in identifying those organisational characteristics that are more strongly associated with cluster membership. A discussion of the results provides serious implications for practitioners, be it professional ship management companies or their clients. The research shows that ship management companies may be facing problems due to their client relationship attitudes, that the ship management industry is segmented in terms of service providers and that clients can have a choice of ship manager based on their individual needs. Companies with particular client relationships may face problems like short-term contracts and client defections. Based on the study, ship management companies will be able to address and combat such problems. Furthermore, implications for theory development, research methodology in a maritime context and scope for further research in professional ship management are discussed

Economic organization of intermodal transport

The paper considers in detail strategic changes occurring in the organizational context of intermodal transportation and discusses the application of economic approaches (primarily transaction-cost economics) for assessing the effectiveness of the appropriate governance structure in organizing the intermodal transport economic system. The paper reviews the developments in intermodal transportation, particularly in the context of logistics and supply chain management, and recognizes the trend for the formation of one-stop shopping megacarriers spurred by deregulation and market requirements. This culminates in the need to consider how companies should organize the economic governance of the intermodal transport system. The main governance structures include market (subcontracting) or hierarchy (internal organization). The transaction-cost economics approach is reviewed and applied at a conceptual level to provide the core basis upon which the assessment of the optimal governance structure in intermodal transport can be based. The review of the core economic principles indicates that the governance structure in intermodal transport is dependent on transaction costs, production costs and strategic considerations that a particular structure might entail and the policy implications thereof. The potential for empirical research in the application of the transaction-cost economics approach to intermodal transport is discussed and detailed direction for further empirical research is provided as well as discussion of policy implications particularly with respect to competition and antitrus

Maritime logistics and global supply chains: towards a research agenda

The derived demand for maritime transport has evolved from a demand for the possession of goods to an integrated demand for the possession of goods that have been added value, timely, reliably and cost-efficiently. This has given rise to the concept of maritime logistics, which represents the theme of the special issue of Maritime Economics and Logistics. This paper discusses the evolution of the maritime logistics concept, reviews the contributions in maritime logistics made by the best papers on the topic presented at the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) 2005 Conference and highlights areas for further researc

Maritime policy, management and research : role and potential

This special issue of Maritime Policy and Management includes a collection of the best papers presented at the recent conference of the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) 2005. On the basis of a review and conceptual synthesis of the six papers selected for the special issue, this paper provides a discussion of the role and potential of research in informing managerial decision-making and policy-making in the context of the maritime industry and makes recommendations for elevating the discipline-related credentials of the maritime area as a field of stud

Identification of strategic groups using relationship marketing criteria: A cluster analytic approach in professional services

The integration of marketing and strategy advocated by contemporary marketing thought permeates the underlying objectives of this article. These objectives include the identification of strategic groups on the basis of marketing relationships in a professional service context and the making of inferences with respect to achieving a competitive advantage as expounded by the resource-based view. The article reviews the concepts under scrutiny prior to applying qualitative and quantitative techniques to identify the existence of four strategic groups in the context of professional ship management firms. Practice and research implications for marketing and competitive advantage of professional service firms are thereby discussed

Enhancing innovation capability through relationship management and implications for performance

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the antecedents and consequences of innovativeness or innovation capability of logistics service providers (LSPs). In particular relationship orientation is examined as an antecedent to innovativeness that will in turn lead to higher levels of logistics service quality and firm performance. The outcomes aim at contributing towards understanding the main drivers of innovativeness and the outcomes of developing the capability to innovate. Design/methodology/approach - Data to empirically analyze the four research hypotheses on the relationships between relationship orientation, innovativeness, logistics service quality and firm performance are collected via a survey of a random sample of LSPs in Hong Kong and analyzed using structural equation modelling via LISREL 8.52. The LISREL diagnostics indicated good fit of the measurement and structural models, providing supporting evidence to the hypothesized causal relationships. Findings - The empirical findings indicate that relationship orientation in the LSP-client relationship will lead to higher levels of innovativeness, improvement in the quality of logistics service and improved performance for the LSP. Research limitations/implications - The study has indicated that innovativeness is influenced by relationship orientation between two partners in a business-to-business setting. The findings add credence to the relational paradigm, which suggests beneficial performance outcomes of strong relational ties. In addition, that innovativeness is an important determinant of logistics service quality and in consequence customer value and firm performance. Future research may address the issue by adopting a longitudinal rather than a cross-sectional approach and also extend the study to other industrial and cultural contexts. Practical implications - Managers should emphasize the development of client relationships and inter-organisational capabilities that can lead towards higher levels of innovativeness. The study supports the notion that the ability to provide high quality logistics services and fulfil customer requirements requires building client relationships and introducing innovations in processes and techniques. Originality/value - The originality of the paper arises from the fact that innovativeness is examined for the first time as a consequence of relationship orientation and a contributing factor to logistics service quality and performance. In this regard, the paper extends theoretical knowledge and also provides valuable managerial implications to LSP

Economic organization of intermodal transport

The paper considers in detail strategic changes occurring in the organizational context of intermodal transportation and discusses the application of economic approaches (primarily transaction-cost economics) for assessing the effectiveness of the appropriate governance structure in organizing the intermodal transport economic system. The paper reviews the developments in intermodal transportation, particularly in the context of logistics and supply chain management, and recognizes the trend for the formation of one-stop shopping megacarriers spurred by deregulation and market requirements. This culminates in the need to consider how companies should organize the economic governance of the intermodal transport system. The main governance structures include market (subcontracting) or hierarchy (internal organization). The transaction-cost economics approach is reviewed and applied at a conceptual level to provide the core basis upon which the assessment of the optimal governance structure in intermodal transport can be based. The review of the core economic principles indicates that the governance structure in intermodal transport is dependent on transaction costs, production costs and strategic considerations that a particular structure might entail and the policy implications thereof. The potential for empirical research in the application of the transaction-cost economics approach to intermodal transport is discussed and detailed direction for further empirical research is provided as well as discussion of policy implications particularly with respect to competition and antitrus