Globalization of logistics management: present status and prospects

This paper presents an overview of the globalization process and its implications for international maritime distribution. Globalization is an imprecise term used to designate a way of looking at the world. It has no generally accepted definition; different commentators emphasize different aspects according to their individual predilections. Yet most are agreed that it represents a further stage in the evolution of international relations and, in particular, international business. Globalization is a break with the past, challenging accepted modes of thought and their translation into business practice. It is a post-modern phenomenon broadly characterized by, amongst other things, co-operation rather than competition, by flexible accumulation rather than centralized mass production, and by the compression of space and time. Networks, both conceptual and physical, play a key role in the globalization process by defining the relationships between individual elements such as producers, retailers, consumers etc and the flows of information and materials that pass among them. Hence ships, transportation and logistics are themselves also central to the process. This paper describes the process of globalization and goes on to consider the implications of the supply chain approach to international logistics and distribution for traditional maritime industry.