Sustainability in Seaport Container Terminal - Assignment Example

This is to say that the result of a productive port container terminal over a relatively long period of time yields sustainability (Clark, Dollar and Micco, 2004). But for productivity to be optimized, a couple of operational management needs have to be fulfilled. These are logistics and supply chain management. The reason why these two phenomena should be incorporated and used hand-in-hand is that productivity and for that matter sustainability of container terminal is measured partly by the discharge and loading of the container onto vessel as well as the reception and delivery operations, which involves transferring containers in and out of trucks (Kim and Park, 2003).

These means of measurement directly require logistics to control the flow of container demands as well as supply chain management, which would determine the activities of individuals and organizations, which ensure the upstream and downstream flow of products and goods in vessel operations (De Monie, 1987). Problem Statement Vessel operators have recently adapted several methodologies and strategies in achieving sustainability in seaport container terminals including the use of concessions and the privatisation of ports but not many results seem to have been achieved even with these (Drewry Consultants Ltd. 2003). In the midst of the major failures being recorded, therefore, there is the need for there to be a paradigm shift that looks at an unorthodox and radical strategy that can promise an unprecedented result.

Interestingly, there has been a couple of research works already undertaken by a number of researchers who have looked at the impact of logistics and supply chain management towards process control, optimization and sustainability in seaport container terminals. For the present study, a number of those studies that made use of the qualitative research approach shall be critically analysed. This implies that the proposed research shall be made to follow the qualitative research approach. By this study, some of the major forms of qualitative research approach shall be reviewed according to their weaknesses and strengths and an eventual decision on the best form or type of qualitative research approach for the proposed study shall be selected.

Aims and Objectives Generally, the present study is structured around an aim, which is the overall goal that the researcher wants to achieve for the study. But the aim is wide and cannot be achieved without breaking it down into divisible parts. To this end, a number of specific objectives are set to help accomplish the research aim. The aim of the study is to determine which qualitative methods in the academic literature have been most effectively used in addressing the issue of how logistics and supply chain management aids in accelerating process control, optimization and sustainability in seaport container terminals.

The specific objectives that need to be achieved independently to consolidate the achievement of the overall aim are given as follows. To identify the two commonest forms of qualitative methods used in addressing the issue of logistics and supply chain management in seaport container terminals. To evaluate the two types of approaches independently on the basis of The type of research questions addressed The value of the results presented The methods and instruments employed in achieving results. To evaluate the two types of approaches concurrently with each other to select the most preferred for the proposed research topic. To analyse how logistics and supply chain management can be used hand-in-hand to achieve process control, optimization and sustainability in seaport container terminals.