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The purpose of this paper is to report an explicit taxonomy of maritime operations (MO) to guide harbour masters (HMs) of smaller ports in planning more sustainable operations.

This research presents strategies for building theory to promote more sustainable port management in a two-stage research design. Starting from a base taxonomy in research Stage 1, ethnographic content analysis (ECA) of a sparse prior literature on MO generated a tentative taxonomy. In Stage 2, interviews to capture tacit practitioner knowledge refined the tentative taxonomy into a credible practitioner-informed final taxonomy.

ECA offers researchers a powerful tool to analyse complex operational problems. In this paper MOs are represented in an explicit taxonomy.

A final taxonomy of MOs guides sustainability strategy formulation by HMs and assists them to protect vital commercial revenues which serve supply chains and local communities.

An explicit final taxonomy of MO is derived using a novel methodology. The taxonomy guides sustainability strategy formulation and underpins subsequent planning of sustainable development policies.

The purpose of this study is to identify and evaluate supply chain strategies (SCSs) that drive financial performance to guide practitioners, especially in liquefied natural gas (LNG) networks, to review and adopt SCSs that drive competitiveness and value creation for investors.

Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was deployed to prioritise SCSs according to their relative impact on financial performance in LNG networks. Interviews with experts were analysed using template analysis to establish latent drivers of financial performance specific to LNG networks.

Results support the significant role of SCSs in improving financial performance. Although findings prioritised collaborative strategy as the most important driver of financial performance in LNG networks, to fully optimise financial outcomes, all the SCSs should be implemented across LNG networks as no single strategy in isolation is a standalone driver of financial performance.

The AHP model provides a novel ranking for SCSs and measures to guide decision-makers. LNG practitioners may exploit the results to make informed decisions.

The study extends previous literature by proposing a framework and a new LNG empirical model that facilitates understanding of how SCSs contribute positively to financial performance and support practitioners in making strategic supply chain decisions.

The purpose of this paper is to expand knowledge of supply chain management (SCM) by empirically testing the moderating effects of supply chain dynamism (SCD) on the association between supply chain integration (SCI) and logistics performance.

Survey methods were used to measure the perspective of South Korean manufacturers. Moderated hierarchical regression analysis was undertaken to test the proposed hypotheses empirically.

The findings suggest that SCI can enhance logistics performance when the level of SCD is high, but the effects of SCI on logistics performance are blurred at low levels of SCD.

This finding provides empirical evidence of the moderating effects of SCD on the SCI-logistics performance link and offers a new interpretation of the relationship. This work contributes to SCM disciplines by providing theory-driven and empirically tested explanations.

This chapter presents a framework which is accessible to port authorities to assess the potential environmental impact of maritime operations. Pursuant on globalisation, increased numbers of ship movements have generated more frequent routine maritime operations in ports but few formal approaches exist for assessing their environmental impact, which potentially could be significant. In a novel framing of environmental assessment a business process modelling technique is deployed in a systems approach which highlights inputs, service processes and outputs. In an initial focus, primary processes at strategic level are defined which affect the environmental assessment of present and future operations and their potential impacts. Later, tactical service processes define the integrity of processes that guarantee service level and quality. Finally, outputs are defined by operational processes. The contribution of applying the systems approach to plan more sustainable maritime operations is assessed in a case study of Falmouth Harbour Commissioners (FHC) which regulates much of Falmouth Harbour and hosts the UK's largest offshore marine bunkering operation. Following EU designation of a North Sea Sulfur Oxide Emissions Control Areas (SECA) Falmouth recently recorded a significant rise in the number of vessels calling, and volume of fuel sold as more passing vessels take onboard low-sulfur fuel. The systems approach which empowers FHC to mitigate potential risks and assess development proposals proactively is easily transferable to other ports.

Ponders the elemental role of professionally skilled logisticians on sustained corporate success in global supply chain networks and the obligation of human resources managers and academics to advance professional competence. Considers the perceived importance of enhanced knowledge and employment prospects in motivating logistics Master’s students in Great Britain. Investigates the appeal of Master’s qualifications to enrolled and latent logisticians at several British universities and reports a statistical discriminant analysis of previously unknown groupings of motivations for undertaking study. Contrasts the basic motivations of domestic students with the combined basic and academic motivations of non‐British Europeans and the concerns of non‐European students for reputation and teaching quality. Relates the discriminating power of the importance of study abroad and a practical course and the perceived influences of study in English, a relevant academic system, and teaching methods. Explores the implications of the findings for course planning and marketing, professional development and further research.

The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to measuring container port competitiveness, a key but neglected element of channel management in a complex and dynamic logistics environment underpinned by commercial confidence and trust in European supply chains fed with goods from container ports in Northeast Asia.

This study applies a fuzzy methodology to measure port competitiveness based on the expert judgements of logisticians. It applies a trapezoidal fuzzy number to measure their perceptions. The method accepts a linguistic expression of their judgements of five of the world's top six container ports in terms of container through‐puts, including Hong Kong, Busan, Shanghai, Kaohsuing, Shenzhen. Qindao ranked 16th and Tokyo ranked 20th were also analyzed.

Hong Kong achieved the highest score on port service but on hinterland conditions Shanghai scored highest and Busan the lowest. Hong Kong topped the ratings on the availability factor and the convenience factor, but scored the lowest on logistics cost.

This research reports the factors which influence container port competitiveness in Northeast Asia and provides a structure for measuring them. The approach offers a unique insight for stakeholders and logisticians seeking to develop more effective channel management strategies.

Before China's opening and reform policy transformed foreign trade, personal relationships characterised mainly domestic trade. Burgeoning international supply chains (ISC) require efficient document transfers to accompany large cargo shipments, but China's users of bills of lading (BOLs) increasingly experience delays or fraud. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential for an internet‐based, third‐party (IBTP) internet service provider (ISP) offering electronic (e)BOLs and shipping documentation services.

An exploratory attitude survey of BOL users compared trader, middlemen and shipping group perceptions’ of current problems and potential for eBOLS.

Accuracy, security and speed subsumed cost considerations for BOL users. Major concerns were delays, typing errors and excessive paperwork. EBOLs proffer speedier documentation, better management information and savings on postage. Concerns for secure data with legal integrity signify mistrust, favouring electronic data interchange (EDI).

This work studied BOL users in Shanghai. Future comparisons of how trust develops as other ISCs adopt eBOLS should identify groups with particular interests and potential industrial partners, evaluate user‐costs, savings and ability to surmount existing problems.

More traders trusted eBOLS but extensive training is required through state support or partnerships with internet‐based, third‐party internet service providers (IBTPIS) to establish infrastructure, knowledge, confidence and trust amongst potential local users. EBOL data is considered insecure. Its legal status must be clarified.

This paper alerts participants in China's ISCs that trust suffuses trade. It quantifies user valuations of electronic systems that accelerate shipping documentation processes and advocates training of shipper and middlemen groups to dispel mistrust.

This purpose of this paper is to study the impact of innovativeness on supply chain integration (SCI) and supply chain performance (SCP) and the role of SCI in mediating between innovativeness in the supply chain and SCP. Innovativeness is an accepted driver to leverage firm performance. SCI and SCP require innovativeness in the supply chain, but their interrelationships have rarely been researched empirically.

A questionnaire survey and structural equation modelling were used in this work. After a structural and measurement model was devised from existing supply chain literature, the main data were collected in a web-based questionnaire survey of South Korean manufacturers. Structural equation modelling was applied to test proposed hypotheses on the associations between variables, following a hierarchical analysis process.

Innovativeness in the supply chain had a positive impact on both SCI and SCP. However, the direct impact of innovativeness on SCP disappeared when the model included SCI as a mediator. In specific, internal and supplier integration fully mediated innovativeness–SCP relationships, whereas customer integration had no mediating role on those relationships. The findings suggest that innovativeness can influence SCP only when the manufacturer’s level of SCI is sufficiently effective in developing necessary supply chain practices.

In this work, innovativeness in the supply chain effectively influenced SCP through the mediation of SCI. However, cross-sectional analysis in one nation using one response per organisation invites validation embracing other geographical areas and longitudinal studies.

Design of an innovative culture within a firm and along a supply chain can enhance SCI practices by stimulating innovativeness. A high level of SCI should be pursued to effectively transform innovativeness into performance.

This work seminally examines the effect of innovativeness in the supply chain on SCI and SCP as well as the mediating role of SCI in the relationships between innovativeness and SCP.