The risk of standards proliferation – An analysis of differences between private and public transport standards

This paper aims to explore differences between two institutional forms of standards: private and public. The research design is based on a survey study aiming to explore how security standards may impact differently on supply chain operations. The findings put in evidence main differences between standards in two different institutional forms: mandatory issued by governmental authorities and voluntary issued and disseminated through supply chains’ inter-organizational relationships. The analysis only focuses on two certifications representing in turn authorities and private standards. Research implications indicate distinctions between mandatory public certification standards and private ones. Findings may support transport and logistics managers in the analysis and comparison of private and public certifications or standards for decision-making. Previous research has not analyzed differences between public and private security standards. In addition, researchers claim that security certifications can improve both security and efficiency. This paper indicates that this claim could present controversial results and therefore more attention needs to be paid by managers, policy makers and researchers.