Revisiting the impact of container port service quality on customer satisfaction: A configuration approach

In global port competitions, container port service quality (CPSQ) plays a critical role in determining user satisfaction and port competitiveness. Despite numerous empirical research efforts on the relationship between CPSQ and customer satisfaction, few studies have analysed the configurational effects of CPSQ on customer satisfaction. To address a gap in research, this study examines the factors that influence customer satisfaction among port users, including cargo owners and logistics service providers. The focus is on container ports in nontransshipment ports in South Korea, as well as a transshipment port in Singapore, which are representative of major global maritime countries. In this study, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is applied to a sample of 99 in South Korea and 175 from Singapore to understand the causal configurations of CPSQ factors, including resources, outcomes, processes, management, image and social responsibility determining the level of satisfaction of port users. The findings using current configurational thinking through fsQCA can assist academics in generating valuable insights that are closely in line with the intricate realities of global port competitions. This approach can also provide practical implications for managers operating in contexts similar to the two countries being studied.