Taih-Cherng Lirn

Green shipping management capability and firm performance in the container shipping industry

This study empirically identifies crucial green shipping management capability and examines its impact on firm performance using survey data collected from container shipping firms, including shipping companies and agencies. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis is performed to identify three critical green shipping management capability dimensions, namely, greener policy, greener ships, and greener suppliers. In this study, firm performance is categorized into environmental performance and financial performance. The results indicate that a greener policy has a direct and positive influence on both the greener ships and the greener suppliers factors. Greener ships and greener suppliers are found to have an indirect and positive influence on financial performance through environmental performance. Accordingly, this study suggests that container shipping managers could focus on organizational green shipping management capability, specifically regarding policies, ships, and suppliers, to improve their environmental and financial performance. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings for container shipping firms have been discussed.

Market segmentation of airline cargo transport

This study evaluates the market segmentation of airline cargo transport according to service requirements of air freight forwarders. Data obtained using a questionnaire survey reveal that cargo safety is perceived as the most important service attribute, followed by freight rate, cargo tracking, and flight punctuality. Factor analysis is employed to group service attributes into six categories, namely assurance, promptness, empathy, convenience, value added, and customization. According to these service attributes, users of airline cargo transport are then classified into three market segments, namely professional service-oriented, empathy-oriented, and express service-oriented air freight forwarders. Suggestions on marketing strategy formulation for each respective segment are also provided as references to airlines.

Revisiting the resource-based view on logistics performance in the shipping industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate empirically the impact of intrafirm resources, interfirm relationships, and logistics service capabilities on logistics performance (LP) in the context of container logistics. Design/methodology/approach Factor analysis was employed to identify the key intrafirm resources (i.e. tangible assets and intangible assets), interfirm relationships (i.e. communication (COM) and long-term relationships), logistics service capabilities (i.e. service efficiency, service reliability, service flexibility, and value-added service), and LP dimensions. Data were collected from a survey of container shipping service providers, and were analyzed by a structural equation model to test the research hypotheses. Findings The findings show that interfirm relationships and logistics service capabilities act as mediator variables between intrafirm resources and LP. Research limitations/implications The results of this research support the application of the general theory on firm-level performance and the resource-based view (RBV) as a lens through which LP can be achieved via logistics service capabilities. In addition, the findings lend empirical support to the capability-building view, which asserts the importance of resource investment and relationship maintenance, and the development of distinctive capabilities to enhance performance. Practical implications Container logistics operators should not view their intrafirm resources (including logistics information technology and teamwork organizational culture) or interfirm relationships (including informal COM with key stakeholders and evergreen relationship with key stakeholders) separately; instead, a systems approach should be used. Originality/value This research updates the RBV theory by clearly indicating that the overall performance of shipping firms cannot be decided solely by the firm’s own resources. Interfirm relationships and logistics service capabilities are found to be powerful moderators which help shipping firms allocate their resources effectively and thus improve their LP.

An Evaluation of Free Trade Port Zone in Taiwan

Abstract This study focused on the development of FTPZs in Taiwan and examined factors influencing business activities in FTPZs and their degree of importance for improving the operational environment in FTPZs. A performance assessment of companies since operating their businesses in FTPZs was also undertaken. Data for the study were obtained from a questionnaire survey distributed to MNCs operating in FTPZs in Taiwan. The importanceperformance analysis (IPA) technique was employed to analyse the survey results. Five factors were found to have a high degree of importance for business operations in FTPZs: government administration efficiency, cheap rates and charges, simplified customs procedures, clear regulations, and free tax incentives. Further, results indicated that firms in FTPZ had increased their performance in terms of reputation, investment, customer satisfaction, and revenue. The study provides insight into the evaluation and policy suggestions of FTPZ for government in Taiwan.

Determinants of grain shippers’ and importers’ freight transport choice behaviour

To understand grain shippers’ and importers’ freight transport choice behaviour, this research employed a questionnaire survey and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique to ascertain the level of importance they attached to service criteria. A hierarchical structure of 3 service dimensions and 12 service attributes was built. ‘Overall cost’ was found to be the most important service dimension influencing freight transport choice behaviour. The four most important service attributes were all in the overall cost service dimension, namely: grain market value, inventory holding cost, transport cost and the in-transit inventory cost. In the cargo and quality control dimension, cargo damage ratio was perceived to be the most important attribute. Grain shippers’ and importers’ overall satisfaction with bulk carriers’ service was slightly higher than their overall satisfaction with container carriers’ service. Understanding the level of importance grain shippers and carriers attach to service attributes and dimensions can assist container importers in improving their performance, increase shippers’ and importers’ patronage and improve containers’ flow imbalance across the Pacific Ocean.

The application of personality traits model on the freight forwarding service industry

Purpose The purpose of this study aims to investigate the relationship between employees’ personality traits and their job performances (including task performance and contextual performance) of Taiwanese freight forwarders by using responses from a NEO Personality Inventory-Revised Form (NEO-PI-R) questionnaire survey. Design/methodology/approach One of the most popular personality trait model is the five-factor model (FFM), which includes the big five domains, namely, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism (OCEAN). Each of these five domains includes six facets. Previous researchers have used OCEAN factors to describe the relationship between human personality and job performance. NEO Personality Inventory is a professional psychological assessment instrument published by psychological assessment resources. Multivariate analysis technique and regression technique are used to analyze surveyees’ responses. Findings Research results reveal the following four issues. The seniority of employees in a company has a positive relationship with their conscientiousness. Employees with higher score on the facets of the neuroticism domain have a negative correlation with their task performance and contextual performance. The relationship between employees’ openness to experience and job performance (both task performance and contextual performance) is not significant. Employees’ seniority has a positive correlation with both their task performance and contextual performance. In a nutshell, freight forwarding industry in Taiwan can use the facets in the neuroticism domain to screen and recruit appropriate job applicants. In addition, retaining senior employees could increase a forwarder’s task performance and contextual performance by their high degree of conscientiousness. Originality/value FFM model is a psychological theory dealing with the personality traits and human behavior. Freight forwarding is a labor-intensive business and is one of the most important sectors in the logistics industry. According the authors’ knowledge, the application of FFM on the logistics industry is simply not existed.

Identifying Green Assessment Criteria for Shipping Industries

This study empirically identifies critical assessment criteria used by tramp shipowners and container shipowners in Taiwan, and how they perceived the importance of the criteria to their operations. Through an extensive literatures review, twelve green performance indicators are categorized into four underlying assessment criteria, namely shipowners’ green policy, cooperation between green shipping stakeholders, reverse logistics management, and green design and promise. An Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) approach was employed to pairwisely compare the degree of importance of these major green assessment criteria and used by the shipping industry. Further analysis by ranking the weight of each of the four major criteria indicated that shipowners’ green design and promise is the most important criteria in the shipowners’ context, followed by, shipowners’ green policy, cooperation among shipping stakeholders, and reverse logistics management. Differences between container shipowners’ and tramp shipowners’ perceptions on the importance level of the twelve green performance indicators are found. This study advances knowledge by empirically and theoretically validates the degree of importance of green shipping assessment criteria. Institutional theory has greater importance on shipowners’ green practices than the stakeholders theory does.