AbstractsEconomics

Developing countries in Asia-Pacific region have entered a new and critical phase in the industrial and economy development since its rapid economic growth. Our pilot research on logistic efficiency shows that the relationship between logistics efficiency and corruption exhibits concavity for developing countries in Asia but is convex for advanced economies. This suggests that some important logistics issues exist and needs to be further explored and investigated in Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, this dissertation attempts to explore some important issues from threefold objective. ããThe first objective is to explore logistics research published in main-stream logistics journals and function as a theoretical ground for later analysis in the following two phase. The content analysis and social network analysis are employed to explore collaboration linkages on authors, regions, subjects, and topics on Asia from the perspective of published research articles in the recognized logistics and supply chain journals. The evidence suggests that logistics management research in Asia accounts for barely 10 percent of the 2,513 papers published between 2003-2013. ããThe second objective is to apply the generalized metafrontier Malmquist productivity index (gMMPI) to measure the port productivity of developed countries (DCs) and the developing countries (LDCs) in Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The results indicate that the average rate of utilized capacity among the ports of APEC members was only 65.7%, which means that another 34.3% of additional throughput can be handled with the same level of resources. ããThe third objective attempts to explore the national logistics competitiveness in APEC. Using data from the transportation industry over the period 2002- 2011, this study investigates logistics competitiveness using revealed comparative advantage (RCA) model. Further, we explore the efficiency of container port operations using metafrontier production function model. First, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan for developed countries and Chile and Brunei for developing countries were comparative advantage in RCA model. Second, the ports in Hong Kong and Singapore had efficiency level in metafrontier model. Finally, the efficiency of port operations had positive relationship with container throughput. Advisors/Committee Members: Yung-Hsiang Lu (chair), Taih-Cherng Lirn (chair), Yi-Chun Huang (chair), Chien-Wen Shen (chair), Lie-Chien Lin (chair), Tsuang Y. Kuo (committee member), Yen-Chun Jim Wu (committee member).