Governing coalitions and key performance indicators of port governance

Abstract

The port is a crucial part of the international transportation of goods. As technological advances in the maritime industry have driven drastic changes in port policies, scholars have studied decisions on cargo shipping, port regulatory frameworks, and the interests involved in such changes. However, the connection of policy actors to port performance in the maritime transport literature remains largely understudied due to the complexity and heterogeneity of institutional designs chosen by countries. To move towards filling the gap, this paper explores links between governing coalitions and key performance indicators of port governance. We propose eight typologies for classifying governing coalitions of port governance, drawing insights from the Advocacy Coalition Framework. We then explore how different port governance forms are associated with key performance indicators of 17 countries. This paper finds that countries opting for decentralization do not necessarily support trade liberalization or port privatization. The results also show that decentralized governing coalitions are positively associated with higher key performance indicators of port governance.