Evaluating determinants of attractiveness and their cause-effect relationships for container ports in Taiwan: users’ perspectives |
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Authors: | Ji-Feng Ding Jung-Fong Kuo Wen-Hwa Shyu Chien-Chang Chou |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Aviation and Maritime Transportation Management, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan;2. Ph.D. program in Business and Operations Management, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan;3. Department of Shipping Technology, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan |
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Abstract: | The attractiveness of ports is usually a pre-requisite and necessary condition for ports to achieve competitiveness, as well as the springboard to explore the competitive advantages of ports. To determine whether a port is competitive, it is necessary to explore whether it boasts certain factors that make the port attractive to users. The main purpose of this article is to apply the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique to evaluate key determinants of attractiveness and their cause/effect relationships for container ports in Taiwan. The empirical results showed that: (1) Top six determinates of attractiveness for container ports are ‘ample cargo sources,’ ‘favorable port charges,’ ‘dense ship network and routes,’ ‘low transshipment costs,’ ‘efficient wharf operations,’ and ‘adequate wharfs and back-line land,’ respectively. (2) Among the above six determinants of attractiveness, ‘ample cargo sources’ is the cause determinant. Three determinants of port attractiveness, ‘favorable port charges,’ ‘dense ship network and routes,’ ‘low transshipment costs,’ which are the effect determinants. They are affected by the determinants of attractiveness of ‘ample cargo sources’. In addition, this study discusses the above findings and expects to provide the study results to Taiwan’s port authorities for reference. |
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Keywords: | Container port port attractiveness cause-effect relationship Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) |
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