Impact of IT Capability on the Performance of Port Operation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Wang, Ziping; Yao, Dong-Qing; Yue, Xiaohang; Liu, John J.
• 署名单位: Morgan State University; University System of Maryland; Towson University; University of Wisconsin System; University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
• 刊物名称: PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1059-1478
• DOI: 10.1111/poms.12663
• 发表日期: 2018
• 页码: 1996-2009
• 关键词: IT capability; port governance mode; TRANSACTION COST ECONOMICS; heterogeneous supply chain; IT-enabled transaction cost frontier model

摘要

Based on the resource-based view (RBV) and the transaction cost economics (TCE) theories, we study the impact of IT capability on the performance of port supply chain using an IT-enabled transaction cost frontier model where the IT capability is modeled as a unique production input and as an endogenous transaction attribute as well. By examining the optimal levels of IT capability for different port systems from the viewpoint of production cost and transaction cost, we find theoretical evidence to explain why a port system with a horizontal competitive governance mode is less successful at integrating a port IT system in practice. Moreover, we find that the optimal IT capability of an individual port operator is lower than the IT capability in an integrated heterogeneous system. We further investigate how to improve IT capability to the desired system level through different forms of an incentive system that includes a subsidy offered by the port authority to coordinate the entire port system. The fixed subsidy is found to be the most cost-effective and the easiest to implement. In addition, considering that information about effort cost for IT capability can be private under a market or hybrid governance mode, we study the performance of a direct revelation mechanism when revealing the port operator's private information and true cost to the port authority.