Knowledge Resource in Maritime Transport Industry : A Case Analysis

In recent years, maritime transport operators (i.e. port operators, shipping lines and freight forwarders) have been faced with a rapidly changing business environment. As a result of this, they have been forced to make complex decisions in ways that will allow them to effectively respond to these environmental challenges. This paper attempts to examine which environmental challenges maritime transport operators consider to be most serious, and tries to determine what resource may help the maritime transport operators to successfully cope with these dynamic environmental challenges. Drawing from key theories and practices in strategic management, this paper suggests that knowledge resource would be a key resource that may help maritime transport operators to survive in the dynamic marketplace. A case analysis which targets Korean maritime transport companies is conducted in order to empirically examine the effectiveness of knowledge resource, in both reducing environmental uncertainty and in helping companies to flexibly respond to the environmental challenges with which they are faced. Following this, propositions for maritime operators will be then suggested. Key words : knowledge resource, environmental challenge, maritime transport industry