Several trends, such as globalisation, the growth of shipping alliances, the growing
size of vessels and the development of intermodal transportation, have caused
competition amongst ports and terminals to become intense (Song, 2002, 2003, 2004;
Wortelboer-Van Donselaara and Kolkmana, 2010; Lee and Song, 2007). Nowadays, a
port cannot maintain a monopoly status as it did in the past. To adapt to increasing
competition, ports and terminals are forced to implement new strategies (Song, 2004).
One approach to remain competitive in the changing business environment is the
implementation of collaborative initiatives between ports. By collaborating with other
ports and terminals, benefits can be obtained that cannot be achieved alone. Due to
this relatively new development, literature regarding collaborative practices within the
port industry is quite rare. Detailed investigations regarding the drivers, benefits,
barriers and facilitators are, with a few exceptions, completely absent. In addition,
Song (2004) mentioned in his paper of port co-opetition, that a questionnaire survey
or interview-based research can overcome his content-analysis-based research and
help to build a solid theory. Due to the identified research gap, this dissertation aims
to make a contribution to the field of horizontal collaboration between ports and
terminals.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction
1.1. Research objective and questions
1.2. Dissertation structure
Chapter 2 - Literature review
2.1. Concept of collaboration
2.1.1. Definition
2.1.2. Ways of collaboration
2.1.3. Horizontal relationships
2.1.4. Horizontal collaboration
2.1.5. Horizontal collaboration in the maritime industry
2.2. Collaboration initiatives
2.3. Drivers
2.4. Benefits
2.5. Barriers
2.6. Effective management of collaboration initiatives
2.7. Conclusion
Chapter 3 - Methodology
3.1. Research structure
3.2. Research approach
3.3. Research strategy
3.4. Method choices
3.5. Timeline
3.6. Data collection
3.6.1. Secondary data
3.6.2. Primary data
3.7. Data analysis
3.8. Research quality
3.8.1. Reliability
3.8.2. Validity
3.9. Research limitations
3.10. Conclusion
Chapter 4 - Findings and results
4.1. Interview no. 1 - X
4.2. Interview no. 2 – X
4.3. Interview no. 3 – X
4.4. Interview no. 4 - X
4.5. Interview no. 5 - X
4.6. Interview no. 6 - X
4.7. Interview no. 7 – X
4.8. Conclusion
Chapter 5 - Content analysis of the interviews
5.1. Initiatives
5.2. Drivers
5.3. Benefits
5.4. Barriers
5.5. Effective Management
5.6. Conclusion
Chapter 6 - Analysis
6.1. Initiatives
6.2. Drivers
6.3. Benefits
6.4. Barriers
6.5. Effective management
6.6. Conclusion
Chapter 7 - Conclusion
7.1. Summary of findings and results
7.2. Further research opportunities
Research Objectives and Themes
The research aims to investigate and analyze horizontal collaboration initiatives within the maritime port and terminal industry, focusing on identifying the drivers, benefits, and barriers that organizations encounter, while also examining effective management practices for these collaborations.
- Identification of current collaboration initiatives in the port and terminal sector.
- Analysis of key drivers compelling organizations to form collaborative partnerships.
- Assessment of benefits and challenges experienced by participating companies.
- Evaluation of effective management strategies for maintaining successful collaborative initiatives.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.1. Definition
The literature provides several definitions for collaboration which varies to a certain extent. It has to be noted, that the term "collaboration" is used interchangeably with other terms like "co-operation" or "alliances".
According to Daugherty et al. (2006, p.61) "collaboration involves two or more independent companies working together to jointly achieve greater success than can be attained in isolation". This definition is clearly focused on the objective, which is supposed to be a "greater success". This focus is also part of the definition from Lupgens (2004 cited in Wortelboer-Van Donselaara and Kolkmana, 2010, p.271), which states that "co-operation is a relation between two or more parties with compatible or additional interests or aims where the relationship is foreseen to be of reciprocal advantage". Both definitions focus on the mutual gain as an output of the collaboration initiative. But a question has to be asked about the input of such initiatives as no definition mentioned this. The definition of UNCDAT (1996, p.3) helps to answer this question. The organization describes collaborations as "joint activities carried out by at least two parties who are reciprocally committed. Each party commits resources such as financial resources, know-how or time, etc., and draws advantages from the co-operation such as financial savings, improvements in quality of services, increased market share, etc.". In contrary to the other explanations, this definition describes the input and the output as "reciprocally committed" and therefore provides a comprised definition.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1 - Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of current trends in the maritime industry and introduces the research objectives and questions.
Chapter 2 - Literature review: This section reviews existing literature regarding theoretical concepts, collaboration initiatives, drivers, benefits, and barriers in the maritime sector.
Chapter 3 - Methodology: This chapter details the research methodology, including the chosen case study strategy, qualitative data collection through interviews, and the analysis process.
Chapter 4 - Findings and results: This chapter presents the raw evidence gathered from the primary research through condensed summaries of each conducted interview.
Chapter 5 - Content analysis of the interviews: This section utilizes content analysis to quantify and rank the findings gathered during the primary research phase.
Chapter 6 - Analysis: This chapter compares the empirical findings from the interviews with the theoretical frameworks established in the literature review.
Chapter 7 - Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes all research findings to answer the research questions and provides recommendations for future study.
Keywords
Horizontal Collaboration, Maritime Industry, Port Management, Terminal Operations, Co-opetition, Supply Chain, Logistics, Strategic Alliances, Joint Ventures, Port Performance, Efficiency, Sustainability, Market Position, Knowledge Transfer, Infrastructure
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This dissertation investigates the horizontal collaboration initiatives between ports and terminals, identifying the motivations, outcomes, and management factors involved in these partnerships.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
The research explores various initiatives, drivers for collaboration, experienced benefits and barriers, and strategies for effective management within the maritime sector.
What is the core objective of the dissertation?
The objective is to understand how horizontal collaboration can be effectively managed and to uncover the drivers and challenges that influence these organizational initiatives.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The study employs a qualitative, inductive case study approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with industry organizations to gather primary data.
What does the main body of the work address?
The body covers a comprehensive literature review, detailed methodology, presentation of interview findings, content analysis, and a comparative analysis between literature and field observations.
Which keywords define this research?
Key terms include horizontal collaboration, maritime industry, port management, co-opetition, and strategic alliances.
How do port authorities perceive political barriers?
The research notes that political boundaries are a significant hurdle for public port authorities, whereas private terminal operators are generally less affected by such political constraints.
Why are face-to-face meetings considered critical?
Interviewees consistently highlighted regular face-to-face meetings as one of the top factors for building trust and ensuring the effective management of collaboration initiatives.
How is the "spin-off" initiative classified?
The research introduces "spin-off" as a new category for initiatives where ports sell consultative knowledge and expertise to other ports, which was not explicitly covered in initial literature frameworks.
- Quote paper
- Christian Schwab (Author), 2012, Horizontal Collaboration in the Maritime Industry: Ports and Terminals, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/205848
