The antecedents and contingency factors for seaport users’ time efficiency: resource-based view perspective

Seaport efficiency is an important driver for seaport selection. Studies have identified two types of seaport efficiency, namely, production efficiency and seaport users’ time efficiency. While the former has received much research attention, scant attention has been directed at port users’ time efficiency. Using an ordinary least squares linear regression, this study examined the factors influencing seaport users’ time efficiency in the cargo clearance process. The empirical evidence from 145 freight forwarders revealed that improvement in order picking efficiency, inter-institutional information sharing, service quality, and investment in seaport resources have positive influences on seaport users’ time efficiency. The results further demonstrated that the increase in cargo clearance process complexity weakens the positive effect of investment in seaport resources on seaport users’ time efficiency. These findings underscore the need for policymakers and seaport management to consider both tangible and intangible resources in improving seaport users’ efficiency. Ignoring the intangible resources may lead to the failure of the tangible resources to make a meaningful contribution to improving seaport users’ efficiency.