Pii: S1366-5545(99)00022-8

This paper examines logistics services and strategic dimensions in Taiwanese (Republic of China, ROC) maritime ®rms. This is done by means of a review of previous studies and personal interviews; data collection has also included a questionnaire survey. A factor analysis and a principal components analysis were conducted in order to assess the degree of importance of a large number of service attributes and a small number of underlying dimensions called strategic dimensions (factors). The results revealed that the most important strategic dimension was value-added service, followed by promotion, equipment and facilities as well as speed and reliability. This research attempted to link the relationship between performance and logistics services. While the average pro®t rate, sales growth rate and return on assets of implemented logistics ®rms were higher in degree of importance than for non-implemented logistics ®rms, the di€erence was not statistically signi®cant. The approach utilized in this research could be useful for shipping practitioners to improve their performance and to enhance their competitive advantage. Ó 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.