Enhancing port competitiveness through service and security excellence: a case of Vietnam

Purpose This study examines how port service quality (SER), port security quality (SEC), and customer satisfaction (SAT) interact to influence port competitiveness (COM) in the context of Vietnam's container port industry. It seeks to provide new theoretical and empirical insights into how ports can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage by integrating service excellence and security within a customer-centric framework. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4 to test the proposed model. A structured survey was conducted with 259 valid responses collected from key stakeholders in Vietnam's port sector, including shipping lines, logistics service providers, and cargo owners, between October 2024 and January 2025. Data collection employed a mixed-method strategy, combining online and face-to-face outreach with support from relevant industry associations. Findings The findings confirm that SER is a core driver of both SAT and COM, functioning through direct and mediated pathways. SEC, while not directly influencing competitiveness, significantly affects customer satisfaction, which in turn fully mediates its impact on competitiveness. These results highlight the indirect yet strategic role of security in shaping customer perceptions and trust, reinforcing the centrality of satisfaction as a conduit linking both service and security to competitive outcomes. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by integrating service and security dimensions within a unified model of port competitiveness. It reframes port security from a regulatory necessity into a strategic enabler of perceived value. By emphasizing the mediating role of customer satisfaction, it extends service-dominant logic and customer value theory into a maritime logistics context, offering practical implications for ports in emerging economies to evolve into service-oriented, security-aware competitive hubs.