There are many uncertain factors in the global supply chain, such as the Israel–Hamas war and the Ukraine–Russia war. To effectively manage this uncertainty, multimodal transport operators (MTOs) should implement supply chain management (SCM) through collaboration with shippers. In this context, the objective of this study is to examine the impacts of the internal influencing factors of supply chain collaboration (SCC) on performance of MTOs.
This study uses a survey to collect data (quantitative research). The population of this study consists of MTOs in South Korea, and the analysis is 163 sets of data collected from them. Reliability and validity are tested by Cronbach’s alpha, correlation analysis, and confirmatory factor analyses. The hypotheses are verified through analyzing structural equational modeling (SEM).
From the perspective of MTOs, information systems (IS) within MTOs are directly linked to SCC through information sharing between departments and communication with shippers. Managers play a significant role in fostering SCC by emphasizing and encouraging it. A decentralized decision-making authority and greater staff participation in decision-making facilitate information exchange between departments and flexible collaboration with shippers. MTOs can achieve a high level of SCC if they implement a reward procedure for SCC and actually pay rewards. Through SCC, they promote performance improvement.
MTOs should establish collaborative systems with shippers in the global supply chain and reinforce their internal capabilities as specialized MTOs. They implement global SCM of shippers using IS and their expertise in global logistics. When decentralized, they can enhance collaboration with shippers and among departments, leading to cost savings and service improvements.
