- Title
- Port performance and the unexplored perceptions linked to operational outputs
- Creator
- Woods, Ryan
- Subject
- Container terminals
- Subject
- Pressure vessels
- Date Issued
- 2022-04
- Date
- 2022-04
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58257
- Identifier
- vital:58801
- Description
- The role that container terminals play in global trade and building the economies of many countries, requires high levels of performance and efficient turnaround of container vessels. High performance entails providing fast, reliable and efficient port services which is a non-negotiable pre-requisite from the port’s customers. Existing port customers are the shipping lines that make use of the port systems to service their own respective business customers that make use of their shipping services. Transnet and more specifically, Ngqura Container Terminal (NCT) has always been known for providing fast, reliable and efficient port services since its opening in October 2009, with new state of the art equipment and the latest in port operating systems. Fast forward twelve years later and a steady decline in port performance and port efficiencies over the years, has led to numerous outcries from port users and the industry as a whole. Shipping lines are not satisfied with current performance levels and other port users such as trucking companies struggle with bad port performance and efficiencies. This prompted the need to look into why the performance levels has been steadily declining over the past few years. With increased pressure from shipping lines and other stakeholders, there is a glaring need to improve on port performance and efficiencies if NCT is to maintain the business it currently has. Change is also necessary for it to compete for new business which is one of the reasons that prompted this research study. A literature study and a survey questionnaire make up the main input for this research as well as interviews with key operations and planning managers. The purpose of the research was to explore the non-technical factors perceived by NCT operational and planning staff, to have an impact on port performance and the decline thereof. This study focused on the perceptions of NCT’s operational and planning staff of port performance and the perceived impact that reward and recognition, rest periods, job design and leadership have on that performance levels. The methodology used in the research is a mixed-method approach with the quantitative portion underpinned by a survey questionnaire and the iv qualitative portion underpinned by interviews conducted with key management staff. The data was measured and interpreted using descriptive statistics and analysis of the mean scores. The Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient was used to determine if there were relationships between the factors and the significance of those relationships, if any. An Anova analysis was done on the mean score answer of each category of operational staff in the quantitative sample, to determine if the mean score of the different operational categories in my sample are statistically significantly different from each other. The need for drastic improvement of performance outputs in Transnet and more specifically NCT has been highlighted throughout the research as it is of critical importance due to the nature of NCT’s business model of being a transhipment hub. This study has contributed positively by demonstrating the operational staffers and management’s willing responses in an effort to improve performance outputs on both technical and non-technical levels.
- Description
- Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 2022
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (x, 111 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Business and Economic science
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Woods, R.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |