Are port authorities limiting their activities to the landlord functions? If not, which other strategies do they develop? And to what extend are they different in different parts of the world?
Up to now, strategic management perspectives to port authorities (PAs) are limited and mostly consists of specific case studies or comparative analyses of Port Authorities in a specific geographical area.
In response, the port study of PortEconomics co-director Peter De Langen, PortEconomics associate member Larissa Van der Lugt joineed by Lorike Hagdorn (VU Amsterdam), published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, offers a worldwide survey of 94 PAs. The results of the survey address their strategic scope, i.e., the set of activities, these PAs undertake.
While many PAs are described as ‘landlords’, they often provide services that are not generally associated with this landlord role. A factor analysis of the survey results shows consistent and recurring patterns of strategic activities. Statistical analysis, explores the relationship between PA’s institutional position and strategic scope, indicates that PAs with more autonomy and a more business-like structure and have a wider strategic scope and more business-like goals. At the same time, this might imply a shift in focus from goals at the macro level to goals at the firm level, as well as PAs moving from a more facilitating role towards a more entrepreneurial role.
The authors’ version of the study is available for free downloading @PortEconomics.
