IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v77y2019icp46-57.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Port governance revisited: How to govern and for what purpose?

Author

Listed:
  • Zhang, Qiang
  • Zheng, Shiyuan
  • Geerlings, Harry
  • El Makhloufi, Abdel

Abstract

This review paper investigates and presents generalized answers to the two basic questions of port governance, namely how to govern and for what purpose. The study is based on a total sample of 118 studies on port governance. The results from the analysis of these studies show that port devolution and port re-centralization are the main governance tools at the institutional level. At the strategical level, the main governance tools are port co-opetition, port regionalization, port integration, stakeholder management strategy, and corporate governance. While at the managerial level, the main governance tools are port pricing, port concession, port user/customer relationship management, monitoring and measuring, regulatory control, port security management, and information and communication technologies. The institutional governance tools are generally used by governmental organizations to set the fundamental regulative rules for the port governance system, while strategical tools are applied by port organizations in gaining competitive advantages and increasing market share in the long term. Managerial tools are related to the port business operations and management. Furthermore, The study clearly shows that the main objective of port governance is the improvement of port efficiency and port effectiveness. However, the choice of efficiency-oriented or effectiveness-oriented configuration is largely determined by the port organization's external operating environment, strategies and structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Qiang & Zheng, Shiyuan & Geerlings, Harry & El Makhloufi, Abdel, 2019. "Port governance revisited: How to govern and for what purpose?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 46-57.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:77:y:2019:i:c:p:46-57
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.03.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X18307066
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2019.03.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Coto-Millán, Pablo & Fernández, Xose Luis & Hidalgo, Soraya & Pesquera, Miguel Ángel, 2016. "Public regulation and technical efficiency in the Spanish Port Authorities: 1986–2012," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 139-148.
    2. Mary R. Brooks & Tony Schellinck, 2015. "Measuring port effectiveness: what really determines cargo interests' evaluations of port service delivery?," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(7), pages 699-711, October.
    3. Mary R. Brooks & Athanasios A. Pallis, 2008. "Assessing port governance models: process and performance components," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 411-432, August.
    4. Ha, Min-Ho & Yang, Zaili & Notteboom, Theo & Ng, Adolf K.Y. & Heo, Man-Wook, 2017. "Revisiting port performance measurement: A hybrid multi-stakeholder framework for the modelling of port performance indicators," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 1-16.
    5. Debrie, Jean & Lavaud-Letilleul, Valérie & Parola, Francesco, 2013. "Shaping port governance: the territorial trajectories of reform," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 56-65.
    6. Zhang, Qiang & Geerlings, Harry & El Makhloufi, Abdel & Chen, Shun, 2018. "Who governs and what is governed in port governance: A review study," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 51-60.
    7. Theo E. Notteboom * & Jean-Paul Rodrigue, 2005. "Port regionalization: towards a new phase in port development," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 297-313, July.
    8. Brooks Mary R., 2004. "The Governance Structure of Ports," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 3(2), pages 1-16, June.
    9. Ferrari, Claudio & Parola, Francesco & Tei, Alessio, 2015. "Governance models and port concessions in Europe: Commonalities, critical issues and policy perspectives," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 60-67.
    10. Jasmine Siu Lee Lam & Theo Notteboom, 2014. "The Greening of Ports: A Comparison of Port Management Tools Used by Leading Ports in Asia and Europe," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(2), pages 169-189, March.
    11. Theo E. Notteboom & Athanasios A. Pallis & Sheila Farrell, 2012. "Terminal concessions in seaports revisited," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 1-5, January.
    12. Notteboom, Theo, 2006. "Chapter 19 Concession Agreements as Port Governance Tools," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 437-455, January.
    13. Liu, Liming & Wang, Kelly Yujie & Yip, Tsz Leung, 2013. "Development of a container port system in Pearl River Delta: path to multi-gateway ports," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 30-38.
    14. Brooks, Mary R. & Cullinane, Kevin, 2006. "Chapter 18 Governance Models Defined," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 405-435, January.
    15. Woo, Su-Han & Pettit, Stephen J. & Kwak, Dong-Wook & Beresford, Anthony K.C., 2011. "Seaport research: A structured literature review on methodological issues since the 1980s," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(7), pages 667-685, August.
    16. Serebrisky, Tomás & Sarriera, Javier Morales & Suárez-Alemán, Ancor & Araya, Gonzalo & Briceño-Garmendía, Cecilia & Schwartz, Jordan, 2016. "Exploring the drivers of port efficiency in Latin America and the Caribbean," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 31-45.
    17. Dooms, Michael & Verbeke, Alain & Haezendonck, Elvira, 2013. "Stakeholder management and path dependence in large-scale transport infrastructure development: the port of Antwerp case (1960–2010)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 14-25.
    18. Patrick Verhoeven & Thomas Vanoutrive, 2012. "A quantitative analysis of European port governance," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 14(2), pages 178-203, June.
    19. Patrick Verhoeven, 2010. "A review of port authority functions: towards a renaissance?," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 247-270, May.
    20. Shiyuan Zheng & Chuanzhong Yin, 2015. "Technical, allocative and cost efficiencies of Chinese ports," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(8), pages 746-758, November.
    21. Baltazar, Ramon & Brooks, Mary R., 2006. "Chapter 17 Port Governance, Devolution and the Matching Framework: A Configuration Theory Approach," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 379-403, January.
    22. Wang, James J. & Ng, Adolf Koi-Yu & Olivier, Daniel, 2004. "Port governance in China: a review of policies in an era of internationalizing port management practices," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 237-250, July.
    23. Pauline Wortelboer-Van Donselaar & Joost Kolkman, 2010. "Societal costs and benefits of cooperation between port authorities," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(3), pages 271-284, May.
    24. Anthony M. Pagano & Grace W.Y. Wang & Onésimo V. Sánchez & Ricardo Ungo, 2013. "Impact of privatization on port efficiency and effectiveness: results from Panama and US ports," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(2), pages 100-115, March.
    25. Kevin Cullinane & Dong-Wook Song, 2002. "Port privatization policy and practice," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 55-75, January.
    26. Paul Tae-Woo Lee & Matthew Flynn, 2011. "Charting a New Paradigm of Container Hub Port Development Policy: The Asian Doctrine," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(6), pages 791-806.
    27. Rodrigue, Jean-Paul & Notteboom, Theo, 2010. "Foreland-based regionalization: Integrating intermediate hubs with port hinterlands," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 19-29.
    28. Heather Mclaughlin & Colm Fearon, 2013. "Understanding the development of port and regional relationships: a new cooperation/competition matrix," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 278-294, May.
    29. Hsiao-Chi Chen & Shi-Miin Liu, 2015. "Optimal concession contracts for landlord port authorities to maximize traffic volumes," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(1), pages 11-25, January.
    30. Merkel, Axel & Holmgren, Johan, 2017. "Dredging the depths of knowledge: Efficiency analysis in the maritime port sector," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 63-74.
    31. Larissa M. van der Lugt & Peter W. de Langen & Lorike Hagdorn, 2017. "Strategic beliefs of port authorities," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(4), pages 412-441, July.
    32. Talley, Wayne K., 2006. "Chapter 22 Port Performance: An Economics Perspective," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 499-516, January.
    33. Dong-Wook Song, 2003. "Port co-opetition in concept and practice," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 29-44, January.
    34. Mary R. Brooks & Tony Schellinck & Athanasios A. Pallis, 2011. "A systematic approach for evaluating port effectiveness," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 315-334, May.
    35. Vitor R. Caldeirinha & J. Augusto Felício & Sandra F. da Cunha & Luís Machado da Luz, 2018. "The nexus between port governance and performance," Maritime Policy & Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(7), pages 877-892, October.
    36. Wilmsmeier, Gordon & Monios, Jason, 2016. "Institutional structure and agency in the governance of spatial diversification of port system evolution in Latin America," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 294-307.
    37. Guilherme Bergmann Borges Vieira & Francisco José Kliemann Neto & Fernando Gonçalves Amaral, 2014. "Governance, Governance Models and Port Performance: A Systematic Review," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(5), pages 645-662, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Qiang & Yang, Dong & Chen, Yang, 2021. "Port integration on the Yangtze River: Does it follow an "interest balance" pattern?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 83-94.
    2. Peter W. de Langen & Henrik Sornn-Friese & James Hallworth, 2020. "The Role of Port Development Companies in Transitioning the Port Business Ecosystem; The Case of Port of Amsterdam’s Circular Activities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Johansen, Elias, 2023. "A Study of the Impacts of E-Governance on the Economy, Trends, and Perspective," MPRA Paper 116884, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Yoshihisa Sugimura & Kazuhiko Ishiguro & Azuma Kato, 2022. "Possibility of Sustainable Entry into Overseas Port Operation Markets by Japanese Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, September.
    5. Gang Dong & Jing Zhu & Jin Li & Handong Wang & Yuvraj Gajpal, 2019. "Evaluating the Environmental Performance and Operational Efficiency of Container Ports: An Application to the Maritime Silk Road," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-15, June.
    6. Edvard Tijan & Marija Jović & Ana Panjako & Dražen Žgaljić, 2021. "The Role of Port Authority in Port Governance and Port Community System Implementation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, March.
    7. Zhang, Qiang & Yan, Kai & Yang, Dong, 2021. "Port system evolution in Chinese coastal regions: A provincial perspective," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. Zheng, Shiyuan & Luo, Meifeng, 2021. "Competition or cooperation? Ports’ strategies and welfare analysis facing shipping alliances," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    9. Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Guido Salazar-Sepúlveda & Nicolás Contreras-Barraza & Lorena Araya-Silva, 2021. "Port Governance and Cruise Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    10. Zhou, Yutao & Li, Zhenfu & Duan, Wei & Deng, Zhao, 2023. "The impact of provincial port integration on port efficiency: Empirical evidence from China's Coastal Provinces," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    11. Han, Wenqing & Liu, Shi-Miin & Chen, Hsiao-Chi, 2020. "Optimal concession contracts for landlord port authorities under incomplete information," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 113-127.
    12. Elżbieta Szaruga & Zuzanna Kłos-Adamkiewicz & Agnieszka Gozdek & Elżbieta Załoga, 2021. "Linkages between Energy Delivery and Economic Growth from the Point of View of Sustainable Development and Seaports," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-61, July.
    13. Jiang, Xiaodan & Fan, Houming & Luo, Meifeng & Xu, Zhenlin, 2020. "Strategic port competition in multimodal network development considering shippers’ choice," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 68-89.
    14. Guo, Liquan & Ng, Adolf K.Y. & Jiang, Changmin & Long, Jiancheng, 2021. "Stepwise capacity integration in port cluster under uncertainty and congestion," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 94-113.
    15. Sugimura, Yoshihisa & Akakura, Yasuhiro & Yotsushima, Tatsuki & Kawasaki, Tomoya, 2023. "Evaluation of Japanese port policies through network analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 59-70.
    16. Cheng, Jiannan & Lian, Feng & Yang, Zhongzhen, 2022. "The impacts of port governance reform on port competition in China," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhang, Qiang & Geerlings, Harry & El Makhloufi, Abdel & Chen, Shun, 2018. "Who governs and what is governed in port governance: A review study," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 51-60.
    2. Theo E. Notteboom & Hercules E. Haralambides, 2020. "Port management and governance in a post-COVID-19 era: quo vadis?," Maritime Economics & Logistics, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME), vol. 22(3), pages 329-352, September.
    3. Monios, Jason, 2019. "Polycentric port governance," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 26-36.
    4. Sheng-Che Lin & Hsien-Kuo Chang & Ying-Feng Chung, 2022. "Exploring the Impact of Different Port Governances on Smart Port Development Strategy in Taiwan and Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Parola, Francesco & Pallis, Athanasios A. & Risitano, Marcello & Ferretti, Marco, 2018. "Marketing strategies of Port Authorities: A multi-dimensional theorisation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 199-212.
    6. Edvard Tijan & Marija Jović & Ana Panjako & Dražen Žgaljić, 2021. "The Role of Port Authority in Port Governance and Port Community System Implementation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, March.
    7. Zhang, Qiang & Yan, Kai & Yang, Dong, 2021. "Port system evolution in Chinese coastal regions: A provincial perspective," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. Castillo-Manzano, José I. & Castro-Nuño, Mercedes & González-Laxe, Fernando & Pedregal, Diego J., 2018. "Legal reform and the devolution of the Spanish Port System: An econometric assessment," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 73-82.
    9. Su-Han Woo & Stephen Pettit & Anthony Beresford & Dong-Wook Kwak, 2012. "Seaport Research: A Decadal Analysis of Trends and Themes Since the 1980s," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 351-377, January.
    10. Debrie, Jean & Lavaud-Letilleul, Valérie & Parola, Francesco, 2013. "Shaping port governance: the territorial trajectories of reform," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 56-65.
    11. R. B. Castelein & H. Geerlings & J. H. R. Van Duin, 2019. "The ostensible tension between competition and cooperation in ports: a case study on intra-port competition and inter-organizational relations in the Rotterdam container handling sector," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 1-25, December.
    12. Alejandro Vega-Muñoz & Guido Salazar-Sepúlveda & Nicolás Contreras-Barraza & Lorena Araya-Silva, 2021. "Port Governance and Cruise Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    13. Fernando González Laxe & Ricardo J. Sánchez & Lorena Garcia-Alonso, 2016. "The adaptation process in port governance: the case of the Latin countries in South America and Europe," Journal of Shipping and Trade, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 1-20, December.
    14. Moreira, Paulo Pires, 2012. "A Análise De Sines Como Ativo Geoestratégico Nacional: Um Cluster Suportado Nas Redes Marítimas Mundiais [The Analysis of Sines as a Geostrategic Asset: A Cluster Supported in the Maritime Chain]," MPRA Paper 47694, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 04 Oct 2012.
    15. Zheng, Shiyuan & Luo, Meifeng, 2021. "Competition or cooperation? Ports’ strategies and welfare analysis facing shipping alliances," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    16. Dong, Gang & Zheng, Shiyuan & Lee, Paul Tae-Woo, 2018. "The effects of regional port integration: The case of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 1-15.
    17. Ng, Adolf K.Y. & Ducruet, César & Jacobs, Wouter & Monios, Jason & Notteboom, Theo & Rodrigue, Jean-Paul & Slack, Brian & Tam, Ka-chai & Wilmsmeier, Gordon, 2014. "Port geography at the crossroads with human geography: between flows and spaces," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 84-96.
    18. Sakalayen, Quazi & Chen, Peggy Shu-Ling & Cahoon, Stephen, 2022. "A place-based approach for ports' involvement in regional development: A mixed-method research outcome," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 16-31.
    19. Zheng, Shiyuan & Ge, Ying-En & Fu, Xiaowen & Nie, Yu (Marco) & Xie, Chi, 2017. "Modeling collusion-proof port emission regulation of cargo-handling activities under incomplete information," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 543-567.
    20. Zheng, Shiyuan & Negenborn, Rudy R., 2014. "Centralization or decentralization: A comparative analysis of port regulation modes," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 21-40.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:77:y:2019:i:c:p:46-57. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.