Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics最新文献

The analysis of research trends in papers published in academic journals can help establish the identity of a field by discovering the research content and characteristics conducted from the past to the present. This study aimed to establish research trends among publications in the Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics (AJSL). This study implemented the social network analysis (SNA) method using three approaches (degree centrality, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality) to highlight the connections between research keywords published from 2009 to 2022. This study divided the publications into three periods (2009–2014, 2015–2018, and 2019–2022). The degree centrality analysis of SNA for the period 2009–2014 shows that the keywords “container shipping,” “logistics,” and “port” ranked first, second, and third, respectively. The analysis for 2015–2018 shows that the keywords “analytic hierarchy process,” “China,” and “logistics” ranked first, second, and third, respectively. Finally, the analysis for 2019–2022 shows that “DEA,” “Vietnam,” and “container terminal” ranked first, second, and third, respectively. It is noteworthy that attention in the final period switched from China to Vietnam.

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) stands as Russia’s most extensive administrative region. However, the logistics system in Yakutia faces significant challenges stemming from issues of accessibility, climatic conditions, and regulatory constraints. This study employs the Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relation (CFPR) method, providing a structured framework to prioritize key factors crucial for improving logistics decision-making. The findings reveal that the most prioritized factors were “national and regional financial support” (importance weight: 0.143) and “legislative and regulative support” (importance weight: 0.117), both falling under the principle factor category of “financial and legislative support.” By delineating industrial implications through the proposed decision-making strategies, this study offers a foundational reference for addressing the logistics landscape requirements, actionable by both government bodies and stakeholders.

This exploratory study delves into the factors influencing digital technology adoption and the dynamics of its institutionalization within the Thai maritime industry, a key sector underpinning Thailand's economic expansion. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with executive leaders from seven Thai shipowners, utilizing a snowball sampling method. The study reveals that digital technology adoption is driven by a complex interplay of factors including reliable IT infrastructure, perceived technological benefits, organizational culture, top management support, IT skills and support, legal, regulatory, and policy requirements, social pressure influence, and varying degrees of government support. Additionally, the institutionalization of such technologies within the maritime sector is heavily reliant on well-defined organizational rules and the establishment of trust in technological advancements. These findings not only enrich the theoretical landscape regarding digital adoption but also offer practical insights for industry stakeholders, paving the way for more nuanced interventions and policy formulations aimed at enhancing digital integration in this traditionally conservative sector.

This study aims to assess the container terminal choice from the perspective of shipping lines. The method incorporates the technique for order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) under fuzzy environmental conditions, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and cumulative prospect theory (CPT) to address the problem while accounting for both quantitative and qualitative criteria as well as the risk attitude of the decision-makers. This paper evaluates six container terminals in Vietnam as a case study to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. A summary of the assessment of shipping lines shows that operational efficiency is the most crucial criterion for the terminal’s choice; the Cat Lai terminal is considered the most appropriate terminal in Vietnam. In addition, prospect parameters have an impact on the best alternative. The findings could offer valuable insights for container terminal operators to enhance their competitiveness. Simultaneously, liner shipping companies stand to benefit by making informed and strategic decisions in their port selection processes.

Lean strategy, aimed at optimizing resources, minimizing energy usage, and achieving zero waste in the production process, has been increasingly embraced to reduce systemwide costs in manufacturing. However, practitioners in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often lack the necessary expertize to implement lean strategies successfully. This study systematically examines the impact of lean strategy on the financial performance of Chinese SMEs. Specifically, we categorize lean strategy into two components: inventory leanness and operational leanness. We introduce a novel measure, the empirical production leanness indicator (EPLI), to quantify systematic production practices aimed at waste reduction. Drawing on a large sample of SMEs, our empirical findings suggest that both inventory leanness and operational leanness exhibit an inverted U-shaped relationship with an SME’s financial performance. In conclusion, this study contributes to the lean literature and offers significant practical implications for SMEs seeking to benefit from adopting lean strategies.

According the Resource Based View (RBV) theory and the sustainable development goals (SDG) framework, this study investigates the structural relationships between sustainable development goals, supply chain collaboration, and sustained competitive advantage. Data were collected from a survey of 359 firms in Thailand's coffee and tea supply chains and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings show that partnership is the most influential aspect of the SDG, whereas resource sharing is the most influential aspect of supply chain collaboration. Findings also show that supply chain collaboration has more influence than capability to enhance sustained competitive advantage. This research sheds light on the linkage between sustainable development goals and supply chain collaboration and capability, which affects the firm's sustained competitive advantage.

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of trust and communication on flexibility and customer relationships between port logistics firms and shippers. In order to achieve this objective, the study collected questionnaires from 238 port logistics firms and conducted analyses. The results are as follows: First, the trust of port logistics firms has a positive effect on both flexibility and customer relationships. When there is a high level of mutual trust between port logistics firms and shippers, the firms can provide flexible services and work towards a common goal by sharing information and resources based on a strong understanding. Second, port logistics firms that engage in frequent communicate with shippers are more likely to provide flexible services. By exchanging information with shippers, port logistics firms can establish service processes that align with the specific needs of the shippers, ultimately leading to the provision of superior services. Third, the flexibility of port logistics firms enhances customer relationships with shippers. By offering flexible services, port logistics firms can build strong relationships with shippers and work together towards common goals. Fourth, trust and communication of port logistics firms further reinforce the relationship between flexibility and customer relationships. When there are trust and effective communication between the firms and shippers, the positive effect of flexibility on customer relationships is amplified.

This study examines the effect of macroeconomic shocks on the shipping market using time-series data by comparing the periods of the COVID-19 and traditional crises. A structural vector autoregressive model and forecast scenario were applied for the analysis. The results can be summarized as follows. First, the response of freight rates to macroeconomic shocks in the shipping market was consistent with the theoretical predictions. Second, the freight rates were the most affected by VIX shock during the global financial crisis, by fleet development shock during the period of overbuilt shipping capacity, and by the oil price during the periods of instability in the oil market. In particular, we found that businesses recovered more quickly from the shock during the COVID-19 compared to other periods, implying that the uncertainty had a greater influence than real economic factors during the pandemic. Finally, forecast scenario analysis showed that freight rates fell sharply immediately after the global financial crisis and during COVID-19 but the pace of recovery was faster during the COVID-19 than the global financial crisis. This study is significant as it empirically shows that the main factors affecting the shipping market and its transition process differ according to the characteristics of episodes.