A new governance perspective on port–hinterland relationships: The Port Hinterland Impact (PHI) matrix

Elvira Haezendonck, Michael Dooms and Alain Verbeke
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Elvira Haezendonck: 1] Department of Business, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, B-1050 Belgium. E-mails: elvira.haezendonck@vub.ac.be; michael.dooms@vub.ac.be; alain.verbeke@vub.ac.be[2] Department of Management, Faculty of Applied Economics, University of Antwerp, Belgium
Michael Dooms: Department of Business, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, B-1050 Belgium. E-mails: elvira.haezendonck@vub.ac.be; michael.dooms@vub.ac.be; alain.verbeke@vub.ac.be
Alain Verbeke: 1] Department of Business, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, B-1050 Belgium. E-mails: elvira.haezendonck@vub.ac.be; michael.dooms@vub.ac.be; alain.verbeke@vub.ac.be[2] Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary, Canada

Maritime Economics & Logistics, 2014, vol. 16, issue 3, 229-249

Abstract: We develop a new governance perspective on port–hinterland linkages and related port impacts. Many stakeholders in a port’s hinterland now demand tangible economic benefits from port activities, as a precondition for supporting port expansion and infrastructural investments. We use a governance lens to assess this farsighted contracting challenge. We find that most contemporary economic impact assessments of port investment projects pay scant attention to the contractual relationship challenges in port-hinterland relationships. In contrast, we focus explicitly on the spatial distribution of such impacts and the related contractual relationship issues facing port authorities or port users and their stakeholders in the port hinterland. We introduce a new concept, the Port Hinterland Impact (PHI) matrix, which focuses explicitly on the spatial distribution of port impacts and related contractual relationship challenges. The PHI matrix offers insight into port impacts using two dimensions: logistics dedicatedness, as an expression of Williamsonian asset specificity in the sphere of logistics contractual relationships, and geographic reach, with a longer reach typically reflecting the need for more complex contacting to overcome ‘distance’ challenges with external stakeholders. We use the PHI matrix in our empirical, governance-based analysis of contractual relationships between the port authorities in Antwerp and Zeebrugge, and their respective stakeholders.

Date: 2014
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