A Case Study on Logistics Services Preferences for Supply Chain Entities in Shandong Province, China

Woosuk Seo (Graduate School of Logistics, Incheon National University, Korea) *
Seung Bum Ahn (Graduate School of Logistics, Incheon National University, Korea)

Journal of International Logistics and Trade

ISSN: 1738-2122

Article publication date: 30 June 2019

Issue publication date: 30 June 2019

425
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Abstract

As the Chinese economy has grown rapidly and as its container throughputs has demonstrated a stark increase in recent decades, companies worldwide have developed stronger financial connections with supply chain entities in China, a huge “Production Factory” in the world. This global economic trend arouses significant attention to distinct preference of individual entities in supply chain. The primary goal of the study is to establish statistical understanding on factors of logistics service preferences of each supply chain of each supply chain entity in China, especially Shandong Province. Ultimately, the study aims i) to establish the solid framework for proper evaluation of logistics services in supply chains, ii) to enhance the preferences of logistics services as a differentiating feature on behalf of entities. The study utilizes a holistic approach in analyzing logistics service attributes which affect overall logistics entities in an effort to overcome the limitations of previous studies which failed to provide integrating viewpoint of supply chain entities. In this study, AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method is used as an analysis tool which allows an in-depth examination of the differences between factors and evaluations of customers regarding the logistics service attributes. The results clearly show distinctive service preferences for each four supply chain entities in Shandong Province of China such as 3PLs (forwarder, carrier, and warehouse), Customs (airport, seaport, and bonded area), Market channels (wholesaler, retailer, and e-retailer), and Manufacturers regarding the logistics service attributes.

Keywords

Citation

Seo, W. and Ahn, S.B. (2019), "A Case Study on Logistics Services Preferences for Supply Chain Entities in Shandong Province, China", Journal of International Logistics and Trade, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 55-66. https://doi.org/10.24006/jilt.2019.17.2.003

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019 Jungseok Research Institute of International Logistics and Trade

License

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited


Corresponding author

*Corresponding author: Graduate School of Logistics, Incheon National University,119 Academy-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, 22012, Republic of Korea; Email:

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