{"title":"Planning decision alterations and container terminal efficiency","authors":"B. Weerasinghe, H. Perera, Phillip Kießner","doi":"10.1108/mabr-04-2021-0035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-04-2021-0035","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis paper examines how the altering nature of planning decisions affects operational efficiency in seaport container terminals. The uncertainty and the role of the planner were investigated considering the dynamic integrated planning function of the quay to yard interface.Design/methodology/approachA System Dynamics model has been built to illustrate the integrated dynamic environment. Data collection was conducted at a leading container terminal at a hub port. The model was simulated for different scenarios to derive findings.FindingsThe planner has been identified as the agent who makes alterations between the initial operational plan and the actual plan. The initial plan remains uncertain even when there is no impact from crane breakdowns, requiring a significant number of alterations to be made. The planner who had worked on the yard plan had altered (approximately 45%) the initial plan than the alterations done by the planner who had worked on the vessel plan. As a result, the feedback loop that is created by the remaining moves at each hourly operation influences the upcoming operation as much as crane breakdowns influence.Originality/value The uncertainty and the role of the planner were investigated considering the dynamic integrated planning function of the quay to yard interface. The findings of this study are significant since terminal efficiency is examined considering the quayside and landside as an integrated system.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43647951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Jeevan, R. A. Rahadi, Monizaihasra Mohamed, N. H. Mohd Salleh, M. R. Othman, Siti Marsila Mhd Ruslan
{"title":"Revisiting the marketing approach between seaports and dry ports in Malaysia: current trend and strategy for improvement","authors":"J. Jeevan, R. A. Rahadi, Monizaihasra Mohamed, N. H. Mohd Salleh, M. R. Othman, Siti Marsila Mhd Ruslan","doi":"10.1108/mabr-09-2020-0060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-09-2020-0060","url":null,"abstract":"Purpose This paper aims to explore the comparative analysis of marketing strategies between seaports and dry ports. Second, this paper proposes a recommendation to improve marketing approaches in both nodes.Design/methodology/approach This research analyzes current marketing approaches to improve the freight volume and enhance interrelation between them for a comprehensive collaboration in the freight supply chain. This research employed semi-structured interviews via an e-interview questionnaire.Findings The result shows that dry port and seaport practices a mixed marketing strategy. Some marketing elements that seaport applies are also applied by dry port, like focusing on the target customer, joining exhibitions and face-to-face meetings. Customized service to clients, frequent discussion on the effective marketing plans, increasing the facilities at the seaport and dry ports can improve the marketing strategies in dry port and seaports.Originality/value Seaports are the critical components in esteem-driven context, which add to supply chains by creating value-added services in the transport chain. Nonetheless, research between dry ports and seaports has increasingly drawn the attention of scholars during the last decade. Having said like that, there have not been any pragmatic studies undertaken in the Malaysian context that mainly discussing the marketing prospect of the dry ports and seaports especially during COVID-19 outbreak.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48652649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Shibasaki, M. Abe, Wataru Sato, Naoki Otani, Atsushi Nakagawa, Hitoshi Onodera
{"title":"Predicting African trade considering uncertainty by scenario planning","authors":"R. Shibasaki, M. Abe, Wataru Sato, Naoki Otani, Atsushi Nakagawa, Hitoshi Onodera","doi":"10.1108/mabr-07-2021-0056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-07-2021-0056","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study predicts the growth of Africa's international trade from 2011 to 2040 by accounting for the uncertainties in the continent.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a scenario planning method (SPM) to develop multiple future scenarios considering uncertainties inherent in African socio-economies related to the success or failure of economic and industrial policies (EIPs) and economic corridor development policies (ECDPs). Subsequently, based on these future scenarios, the growth of African international trade from 2011 to 2040 is predicted using the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP) model.FindingsThe predictions reveal that if the EIPs and the ECDPs are successfully implemented, Africa, as a whole, will experience a significant increase in trade, estimated at US$ 1,905 billion and US$ 1,599 billion for exports and imports, respectively, compared to the scenario in which they fail. However, the effects vary greatly by country or region and industrial sector. The results also show that African intra-regional trade is rapidly expanding and is the second-largest after trade with Europe followed by other continents.Originality/valueSPM, which allows us to reflect the uncertainties affecting African international trade prediction, is applied to build the future scenarios. The study comprehensively predicts African future international trade by setting a wide range of exogenous variables and parameters (input conditions for the GTAP model) related to EIPs and ECDPs.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47725263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimization of fleet structure and investment evaluation – the cargo owner's fleet perspective","authors":"Zhihong Jin, Xiaohan Wang, Jiaqing Sun, Qi Xu","doi":"10.1108/mabr-07-2021-0054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-07-2021-0054","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeEnergy groups are cargo owners with large amounts of energy sources (such as coal) to transport. To achieve a satisfactory tradeoff between the reliability requirements of the sea transportation process and the need to control the investment cost, they usually set up a self-owned fleet supplemented by a chartered fleet. This paper aims to investigate the best fleet structure and to evaluate the investment scheme under volatile circumstances in the shipping market.Design/methodology/approachThe authors construct a mathematical model to determine the ratio of the self-owned fleet to the total fleet to minimize fleet operating costs. The volatility of both freight rates and oil prices is taken into consideration. The CPLEX solver is used to empirically analyze real data from an energy group in China, and the ship investment plan is evaluated considering the technical and economic feasibility.FindingsIf the ratio of the self-owned fleet to the total fleet is increased to the optimal of 90.40%, the total operating cost is reduced by 33.98%. Thus, the energy group should increase its capacity with a Panamax vessel of approximately 82,000 DWT. Purchasing a 5-year-old secondhand ship and building a new ship both have good investment return indicators.Originality/valueFor cargo owners engaging in transporting bulk cargo domestically in China, the suggested fleet ratio can provide a reference with a universal application scale, given the boundary economic conditions (including the volatility of freight rates and oil prices in the shipping market) in the paper.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42990409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cláudio de Jesus Marques Soares, A. C. Paixão Casaca
{"title":"Assessment of port governance model: evidence from the Brazilian ports","authors":"Cláudio de Jesus Marques Soares, A. C. Paixão Casaca","doi":"10.1108/mabr-03-2021-0026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-03-2021-0026","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeSince enacting Act 8630/93, Brazilian port activities have been going through significant modifications, changing from the public port service management to the landlord model. Act 12815/2013 enforced a new regulatory framework increasing Port Authorities' dependence on the Federal Government. Since 2019, the Government has attempted to elaborate a Port Authorities' identity based on the private port governance model inspired by the Australian and United Kingdom ones. This paper assesses Brazilian's Port Authorities management models from 1993 to 2020 and considers the Australian, the United Kingdom and Antwerp port governance models as benchmarks.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a two-step methodological approach, namely a combined desk and field research methodological approach and considers three essential resources: government legislative acts and published data available online; ports' data and information issued by governments' agencies, academic papers and national and international ports' websites; and a semi-structured questionnaire survey targeting the leading associations representing port users, foreign trade and stevedoring companies.FindingsThe outcome shows that the solutions to overcome the existing Brazilian Port Authority governance problems remain in the Federal Government's hands by (1) removing its control through bureaucracy, (2) preventing the party-political influence following in the public ports and (3) decentralising port management by chief executive officers named by Port Authority Councils.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper does not explore the regulatory frameworks underlying the “Lease Terminal” and “Private User Terminal”.Originality/valueThis paper assesses the management models that led Brazilian's Port Authorities from 1993 to 2020, comparing them with the UK and Australian private service port and Antwerp landlord model.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45964057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thanh-Thuy Nguyen, Dung Thi My Tran, T. Duc, V. Thai
{"title":"Managing disruptions in the maritime industry – a systematic literature review","authors":"Thanh-Thuy Nguyen, Dung Thi My Tran, T. Duc, V. Thai","doi":"10.1108/mabr-09-2021-0072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-09-2021-0072","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis paper presents a systematic review of the literature in the domain of maritime disruption management, upon which future research framework and agenda are proposed. Two review questions, i.e. the measures that are employed to manage disruptions and how these contribute to resilience performance, were pursued.Design/methodology/approachThe systematic literature review procedure was strictly followed, including identification and planning, execution, selection, and synthesis and analysis. A review protocol was developed, including scope, databases and criteria guiding the review. Following this, 47 articles were eventually extracted for the systematic review to identify themes for not only addressing the review questions but also highlighting future research opportunities.FindingsIt was found that earlier studies mainly focused on measures, which are designed using mathematical models, management frameworks and other technical support systems, to analyse and evaluate risks, and their impacts on maritime players at the levels of organisation, transport system and region in which the organisation is embedded. There is, however, a lack of research that empirically examines how these measures would contribute to enhancing the resilience performance of maritime firms and their organisational performance as a whole. Subsequently, a Digitally Embedded and Technically Support Maritime Disruption Management (DEST-MDM) model is proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThis review is constrained by studies recorded by the Web of Science only. Nevertheless, the proposed research model would expectedly contribute to enhancing knowledge building in the specific domain of maritime disruption management and supply chain management overall while providing meaningful managerial implications to policymakers and managers in the maritime industry.Originality/valueThis research is perhaps one of the first studies which presents a systematic review of literature in maritime disruption management, and proposes a future research framework that establishes the link between disruption management and resilience and organisational performance for empirical validation.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43201343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influencing factors of crude oil maritime shipping freight fluctuations: a case of Suezmax tankers in Europe–Africa routes","authors":"Jihong Chen, Renjie Zhao, Wenjing Xiong, Zheng Wan, Lang Xu, Weipan Zhang","doi":"10.1108/mabr-04-2021-0033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-04-2021-0033","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>The paper aims to identify the contributors to freight rate fluctuations in the Suezmax tanker market; this study selected the refinery output, crude oil price, one-year charter rate and fleet development as the main influencing factors for the market analysis.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>The paper used the vector error correction model to evaluate the degree of impact of each influencing factor on Suezmax tanker freight rates, as well as the interplay between these factors.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>The conclusion and results were tested using the 20-year data from 1999 to 2019, and the methodology and theory of this paper were proved to be effective. Results of this study provide effective reference for scholars to find the law of fluctuations in Suezmax tanker freight rates.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>This paper provides a decision-making support tool for tanker operators to cope with fluctuation risks in the tanker shipping market.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":"25 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138512801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Monopoly in the container shipping market: an econometric approach","authors":"Takuma Matsuda, Enna Hirata, Kawasaki Tomoya","doi":"10.1108/mabr-12-2020-0071","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-12-2020-0071","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeSince the 2010s, market conditions for container shipping companies have been deteriorating owing to decreasing container cargo trade and increasing supply capacity. This study aims to contribute to the empirical literature on the container shipping industry market structure. Specifically, this study aims to investigate the extent of market competition.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes the market structure and evaluates the market power of shipping companies through a non-structural test.FindingsThe H-statistic for the entire period of 2004–2018 was 0.37, which is significantly different from zero. This indicates the absence of monopoly pricing throughout the entire period. For the time-phased estimates, the H-statistic between 2004 and 2008 is 0.15, which is not significantly different from zero. On the other hand, the H-statistic from 2009 to 2018 was 0.40, which differs significantly from zero.Originality/valueAs the Far East Freight Conference had released tariffs and charge rates by item for container shipping routes, monopolistic pricing is said to have appeared until the European Union abolished the European Economic Community (No. 4056/86) in 2008, before the economic crisis. However, this study indicates that pricing in the container shipping industry has been distinctly non-monopolistic; further, competition seems to have intensified since 2008. Industry competitiveness is of interest not only to academics but also to practitioners, including policymakers, especially when considering competition policies.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45327152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A study of univariate forecasting methods for crude oil price","authors":"Mei-Ling Cheng, C. Chu, Hsiu-Li Hsu","doi":"10.1108/mabr-09-2021-0076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-09-2021-0076","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis paper aims to compare different univariate forecasting methods to provide a more accurate short-term forecasting model on the crude oil price for rendering a reference to manages.Design/methodology/approachSix different univariate methods, namely the classical decomposition model, the trigonometric regression model, the regression model with seasonal dummy variables, the grey forecast, the hybrid grey model and the seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), have been used.FindingsThe authors found that the grey forecast is a reliable forecasting method for crude oil prices.Originality/valueThe contribution of this research study is using a small size of data and comparing the forecasting results of the six univariate methods. Three commonly used evaluation criteria, mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute percent error (MAPE), were adopted to evaluate the model performance. The outcome of this work can help predict the crude oil price.","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46094177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of the stranded seafarers","authors":"Chun Pong Wong","doi":"10.1108/mabr-07-2021-0049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/mabr-07-2021-0049","url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\u0000<p>This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being and mental health of the seafarers who had to overstay on ships after their contracts expired, identifies topics that affect their mental distress and recommends measures to overcome these.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\u0000<p>Four research questions about the impacts on the seafarers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were raised. A literature review and a questionnaire survey were conducted to find answers. Ship officers were asked to assess and fill in the questionnaires for the stranded seafarers onboard in order to collect sufficient samples rapidly for this study.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Findings</h3>\u0000<p>Despite the guidelines provided by the shipping companies being adequate to protect the seafarers from COVID-19, their mental distress levels have been worsened under the pandemic. The crew change crisis causes anxiety and negatively impacts on their working performance; however, the repatriation expectation of the stranded seafarers is of the highest concern. Three topics were identified as having impacts on the mental health of the stranded seafarers: crew change crisis, low vaccination rate and the lack of key worker recognition. While international stakeholders are advocating for support in these issues, the shipping companies and the seafarers need to do their parts to exacerbate the mental distress, and to survive and thrive beyond the pandemic.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\u0000<h3>Originality/value</h3>\u0000<p>The findings of this study will help the shipping companies to navigate the challenges and the seafarers to overcome issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":43865,"journal":{"name":"Maritime Business Review","volume":"67 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138512792","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}