ABSTRACT Thesis: Relationships among logistics capabilities, competitive strategy and firm performance. The purpose of this research is to find the relationships among logistics capabilities, competitive strategy and firm performance. This study tries to explore on the proposition that corporate strategy is most effective when pursued with resources/capabilities that ¡§fit¡¨. To test this proposition survey data form the Taiwan¡¦s logistics business and steel make industry are analyzed via SPSS & LISREL. The results indicate that: 1. The logistics capabilities include ¡§process capabilities¡¨, ¡¨value-added service capabilities¡¨, ¡§flexibility capabilities¡¨ and ¡§supply capabilities¡¨. Competitive strategies are based on M. E. Porter¡¦s generic business strategies include ¡§total cost leadership strategy¡¨, ¡§differentiation strategy¡¨. 2. The difference is statistically significant in those servicing business is more emphasized the important of flexibility capabilities than manufacturing industry and firms which middle annual turnover is more emphasized the important of value-added service capabilities than firms which lower annual turnover. 3. Process capabilities, value-added service capabilities, flexibility capabilities and supply capabilities are statistically significantly positively linked to differentiation strategy. Only process capabilities, value-added service capabilities, flexibility capabilities are statistically significantly positively linked to total cost leadership strategy. 4.Process capabilities, value-added service capabilities, flexibility capabilities are statistically significantly positively linked to firm performance. Both total cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy are statistically significantly positively linked to firm performance. Only differentiation strategy is statistically significantly positively affected to firm performance. 5.The path, which most ¡§fit¡¨ model of firm performance, is process capabilities & supply capabilities linked to total cost leadership strategy and value-added service capabilities & flexibility capabilities linked to differentiation strategy. Keyword: logistics capabilities,competitive strategy,firm performance

ABSTRACT As enterprises have increased the demand for logistics services, the role of logistics service providers (LSPs) as home bases for merchandise transportation and distribution has consequently become increasingly important. Therefore, how to strengthen the logistics capability and promote the logistics performance has become an important topic. In addition, traditionally the perspective of treating tangible assets as the location of firm¡¦s value has been gradually diminished. The intangible intellectual capital is increasingly playing a pivotal position for the firm¡¦s performance. Researchers studied the field of intellectual capital argued that intellectual capital was the main source of organizational competitive advantages. Besides, they thought that the better the intellectual capital a company has, the better the business can have the ability to generate performance. However, researchers seldom distinguished static intellectual capital from dynamic capability for utilizing intellectual capital. Whereas, this study proposed that these two constructs were different concepts, and would like to explore the impact of utilizing intellectual capital on logistics performance. Consequently, this study integrated the concept of RBT and dynamic capability to offer a conceptual model, a survey of LSPs was undertaken in order to examine the relationships among intellectual capital, logistics capabilities and firm performance, using the structural equation modeling technique (SEM) analysis method. Previous researches had concerned the tangible resources, capabilities and firm performance, however, less from the perspective of intangible resources to study this subject. Hence, after reviewing the relevant literature, we conclude human capital, structural capital, and relational capital as dimensions of intellectual capital. Furthermore, from the empirical results of related scholars¡¦ researches, this study argues that it has a directly significant effect of logistics capabilities on logistics performance, and logistics capabilities are the critical factors for utilizing intellectual capital. Moreover, this research proposes that logistics capabilities are complex constructs. Therefore, we should clarify these constructs and provide an appropriate measurement tool with reliability and validity if we would like to measure them. Consequently, logistics capabilities were identified: service capability, innovation capability, and flexibility capability. Finally, after clarifying the definition and extracting the components of each variable from the literature review, this research deduced several hypotheses and formed the research framework. In this study, we take logistics service providers in Taiwan as the study sample. A total of 1,033 questionnaires were hand delivered and the remaining 109, valid and complete, were used for quantitative analysis. The useable response rate was 10.6%. A structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed to test the research hypotheses. Results indicated that structural capital, relational capital, and logistics capabilities had a significant positive effect on logistics performance. Results also indicated that human capital, structural capital, and relational capital had a positive effect on LSPs¡¦ logistics capabilities. While human capital was not found to have a direct positive effect on LSPs¡¦ logistics performance, it was found to have an indirect effect on logistics performance mediated by logistics capability. According to the results, LSPs should enhance the intangible resource - intellectual capital, further heighten their understanding of logistics capabilities and identify how such capabilities may affect logistics performance, therefore develop effective logistics strategies.

The purpose of this thesis is to explain the linkage between logistics and customer value. The focus is on how customer value can be created through logistics services. The thesis also explains how value is created in the internal logistics context. Today, logistics plays an important role in an organization which indirectly contributes to growth and profitability. Logistics service providers are striving to provide outstanding logistics services to their customers. This thesis seeks to identify the elements of logistics services and attempts to analyze and evaluate whether these services can create value to internal customers. The research project is conducted as a single-case study with Electrolux Laundry Systems (ELS). This study aims at explaining the linkage between the Logistics Centre in Ljungby (LCL), the logistics service provider of the company and the value LCL can create for their customers (internal), the Sales Companies. Finding the gap between the perceptions and expectations of the customers is also another objective of this study. Based on the theoretical framework developed for the purpose of explaining the above linkage, a survey with questionnaires was designed to collect empirical data for analysis. 23 respondents from LCL and 4 Sales Companies were interviewed. The key conclusion of this study is that logistics plays a strategic role in an organization when customer value is created through customer accommodation, value co-creation and customer integration. Superior logistics services generate customer value through achieving efficiency, effectiveness and differentiation/relevancy which can lead to competitive advantage for the organization. As a result of the case study, a proposition is made: “If customer value is to be achieved, then customer success has to be attained.”

When companies learned that logistics can be used to achieve strategic goals, it ceased to be perceived only as a source of necessary costs that need to be controlled. In this dissertation the potential benefits of selected sources of long term competitive advantage are questioned. The research in the dissertation focuses on international transport of goods, its employment and organization, and on how logistics capabilities can be employed to increase customer satisfaction and thus the competitive advantage of the entire supply chain. The potential sources of long term competitive advantage are cooperation and information sharing among firms in the international supply chain. The author hypothesised that cooperation and information sharing are positively related to logistics capabilities. Logistics capabilities are hypothesised to be positively related to customer satisfaction. To capture the impact of external environment, the lead time uncertainty and the demand uncertainty have been included in the model. The impact of modern information technologies on supply chain management has not been disregarded and information technologies serve as moderating variable in the model. The proposed model is based on the Transaction costs theory and the Resource-Based View. The qualitative research method of case studies had been selected and used to support the model. The research involves three cases. Interviews with professionals, company sources and secondary data mainly academy journals, supply chain management literature and web pages of selected companies and international institutions provided the foundation for the research. The contribution of this dissertation is in including the impact of the external forces in the model, in focusing on the relationships that a firm has with its supply chain partners, and in an in-depth analysis of relationships among triad of subjects -- buyer, seller and logistics service provider. Also, a new definition of logistics capabilities has been proposed. Examples of real situations of organization of international transportation of goods are presented. Cooperation and information sharing can serve as sources of long term competitive advantage, but their implementation is in many cases limited due to varied reasons. The size of the firm is in some cases one of them, other limitations are named in the text. Suggestions for practitioners are included.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniel Winter Fernandesprot.pdf: 5092112 bytes, checksum: fa8a0253418f231f0972f6a354d85269 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The growth of the Brazilian vehicle fleet in recent years influenced the lubricants oils sector. The national market was supplied per 307 producers and importers of lubricants oils, therefore this market was very competitive and difficult survival for these producers. Lubricants oils used similar specifications to be produced, in this way the producers had difficulties of being differentiated its products in search of customer satisfaction. In this context, based on the theoretical thoughts developed by Byrne and Markham (1993), Morash, Dröge and Vickery (1996), Mentzer, Flint and Kent (1999), Mentzer, Flint and Hult (2001), Esper, Fugate and Sramek ( 2007), this academic study was grounded. The authors previously cited, conducted academic research, which sought to measure the quality of logistics services, logistics capabilities and customer satisfaction, constructs that were objects of study this academic work. Therefore, this academic study aimed to measure the influence of the quality of logistics services on customer satisfaction producers of lubricants in the Brazilian market, seeking to answer the research problem, which was to identify the influence of logistics capabilities in this relationship. Therefore, in the first stage, there was an exploratory study, which collected data through interviews with employees and customers of a producer of lubricants oils. Data were processed by analysis of qualitative data, showing the most relevant criteria of the constructs QSL, LC and SC. So with the results of the first stage, followed for the second stage, developing a descriptive quantitative research in order to verify the influence of logistics capabilities on the quality of logistics services relationship and customer satisfaction in the lubricants market Brazilian. So we used structured questionnaires and it were applied through of web site Survey Monkey, questionnaires were sent to customer of database of a producer of lubricants oils. The research generated a sample of 117 questionnaires answered by the lubricants oil market customers. The collected data were processed by descriptive and multivariate statistics revealed that: a) The quality of logistics services influenced customer satisfaction; b) The logistics capabilities had no direct influence on customer satisfaction; c) The influence of logistics capabilities on customer satisfaction was mediated by the quality of logistics services. From these results it concluded that the producers of lubricants oil in the search of customer satisfaction, should make significant investments in the quality of logistics services. These investments should be paramount in referring to the information provided during the process of sales and deliveries of lubricants oils, as well as in the training of employees of the producer who would provide service to these clients. / O crescimento da frota brasileira de veículos nos últimos anos, influenciou o setor de óleos lubrificantes. O mercado nacional era abastecido por 307 produtores e importadores de óleos lubrificantes, tornando este mercado competitivo e de difícil sobrevivência para estes produtores. Os óleos lubrificantes utilizavam especificações semelhantes para serem produzidos, desta maneira os produtores tinham dificuldades de estarem diferenciado os seus produtos na busca da satisfação dos seus clientes. Nesse contexto, com base nos pensamentos teóricos desenvolvidos por Byrne e Markham (1993), Morash, Dröge e Vickery (1996), Mentzer, Flint e Kent (1999), Mentzer, Flint e Hult (2001), Esper, Fugate e Sramek (2007), fundamentou-se esse estudo acadêmico. Os autores previamente citados, realizaram pesquisas acadêmicas, as quais buscavam mensurar a qualidade do serviço logístico, capabilidades logísticas e satisfação dos clientes, constructos que foram objetos de estudos desse trabalho acadêmico. Desta maneira, esse estudo acadêmico teve como objetivo mensurar a influência da qualidade dos serviços logísticos sobre a satisfação dos clientes dos produtores de óleos lubrificantes, no mercado brasileiro, buscando responder o problema de pesquisa, que consistia identificar a influência das capabilidades logísticas nesta relação. Para tanto, na primeira etapa, realizou-se uma pesquisa exploratória, que coletou dados por meio de entrevistas em profundidade com colaboradores e clientes de um produtor de óleos lubrificantes. Os dados coletados foram tratados pela análise de dados qualitativos, revelando os critérios mais relevantes dos constructos QSL, CL e SC. Assim, com os resultados da primeira etapa, seguiu-se para a segunda etapa, realizando-se uma pesquisa de natureza quantitativa descritiva com objetivo de verificar a influência das capabilidades logísticas na relação qualidade do serviço logístico e satisfação do cliente no mercado de óleos lubrificantes brasileiro. De modo que utilizou-se questionários estruturados e aplicados por intermédio do website Survey Monkey junto a clientes da base de dados de um produtor de óleos lubrificantes. A pesquisa gerou uma amostra composta por 117 questionários respondidos por clientes do mercado de óleos lubrificantes. Os dados coletados foram tratados pelas estatísticas descritivas e multivariadas, revelaram que: a) A qualidade do serviço logístico influênciava a satisfação dos clientes; b) As capabilidades logísticas não tinham influência direta sobre a satisfação dos clientes; c) A influência das capabilidades logísticas sobre a satisfação dos clientes era mediada pela qualidade dos serviços logísticos. Destes resultados pôde-se concluir que as empresas produtoras de óleos lubrificantes na busca da satisfação dos seus clientes, deveriam realizar investimentos significativos na qualidade dos serviços logísticos prestados. Estes investimentos deveriam ser primordiais no que se referem as informações fornecidas durante o processo de vendas e entregas dos óleos lubrificantes, bem como na capacitação dos colaboradores do produtor que prestariam atendimento a estes clientes.