RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MANAGERIAL CONCEPTS IN INLAND TRANSPORT COMPANIES: A FUZZY-DEMATEL APPROACH

Abstract

The axiom that the efficacy of supply chain entities is inextricably tied to the adoption of an appropriate management system is widely acknowledged. At the heart of such a system are managerial concepts. There is abundant literature with a variety of theories, concepts, methods, and tools aimed at managerial enhancement. However, there is a dearth of specific recommendations for their application, an understanding of their interdependencies, or discerning which concepts are causative and which are resultant in nature. The heterogeneous functions of supply chain participants preclude a universal best-practice array of these managerial concepts. By focusing on the pivotal role of inland transport firms within the supply chain, this study delineates an array of managerial concepts apt for such enterprises, employing the fuzzy-DEMATEL method. This study’s contribution is encapsulated in the identification of the structural, relational, and hierarchical configuration of managerial concepts that bolster the decision-making framework of inland transport management.