An analysis of strategic groups in the third-party logistics industry
by Roberta Scarsi; Riccardo Spinelli
International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management (IJLSM), Vol. 27, No. 4, 2017

Abstract: Third-party logistics is a very heterogeneous industry, moving towards a progressive concentration and services differentiation at the top, but still made up by companies that differ in terms of size, supplied services, and background. This structural variety offers the starting point for a grouping analysis, which aims to identify strategic groups among major players in the industry. 199 third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) worldwide are analysed applying a two-step lustering technique to a wide set of variables which refer to the main strategic drivers for 3PLs. Three strategic groups emerge from the analysis. The first one includes major global players; the second one encompasses less advanced local providers; the third one embraces a large number of firms which are experiencing a transition from simple to more complex and internationally oriented business models.

Online publication date: Mon, 17-Jul-2017

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Logistics Systems and Management (IJLSM):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com