Operational collaboration between shippers and carriers in the transportation industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a better understanding of how strategic relationships between firms and environmental context affect operational decisions and how each firm allocates resources to improve overall firm performance.Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative research is integrated with previous research. Data for the qualitative research are collected through focus groups and semi‐structured interviews that employ grand tour questioning, facility tours using key informants, and use of selective artifacts.Findings – The paper develops a model that examines how environmental factors, specifically the context of the capacity constraints in the transportation industry, can influence shippers to form long‐term and mutually beneficial relationships with their carriers and how these relationships can lead to improved performance at the operational level.Research limitations/implications – The paper incorporates five foundational theories into one integrated model in the context of b...

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