The impact of supply chain relationship quality on performance in the maritime logistics industry in light of firm characteristics

Purpose: Anchoring on configuration theory, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate how supply chain relationship quality (SCRQ) differs across firm characteristics (FC) in the maritime logistics industry. In addition, it utilises transactional cost theory to establish the relationship between SCRQ and supply chain performance (SCP). Design/methodology/approach: The data were obtained from a survey with 205 maritime logistics service players (shipping firms, shippers and freight forwarders) in Singapore. MANOVA and t-test analyses are used to examine the difference in SCRQ (i.e. trust and commitment) across FC which includes firm types and ownership types. Thereafter, structural equation modelling is employed to examine the influence of SCRQ on SCP. Findings: The results indicate that the effects of trust and commitment on SCRQ vary significantly. It was also found that trust as an aspect of SCRQ has a significant impact on SCP, whereas commitment does not. Research limitations/implications: As the field data were obtained from only one industry, future replication of the findings to other industries should consider industry-specific factors, if applicable. Practical implications: It is suggested that maritime logistics service players should carefully manage trust and commitment to simultaneously enable SCP. By identifying the various aspects of FC that contribute to SCRQ, maritime logistics service providers could devise appropriate strategies for different customer segments more effectively. Originality/value: This study expands current supply chain research by linking two dimensions of SCRQ in relationship marketing with SCP in supply chain management. It is also one of the first empirical attempts to explore the role of FC in the linkage between SCRQ and SCP in the maritime logistics industry.