The Performance of Seaport Clusters - RePub - Erasmus Universiteit ...

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10.2 Internal competition
The Performance of Port Clusters
Table 38 shows survey results with regard to propositions on the effects of internal
competition, presented in the same way as in the preceding section.
Table 38: Survey results on internal competition in port clusters
Total LMPC Rotterdam Durban
Proposition A D NO A D A D A D
Since the competitive environment is practically the
same for competitors in the same port cluster, internal
competition is a stronger force inducing firms to
specialize than external competition.
Internal competition leads to low “switching costs” for
port users; switching costs are higher when port
services only face external competition.
Internal competition leads dynamism and a “vibrant
competitive environment”. Such an environment is
conducive for innovation.
The presence of internal competition adds to the
performance of the port cluster.
A = agree, D = disagree, NO = no opinion
* Significant majority of experts
82* 17 2 20* 5 32* 10 30* 2
84* 9 8 19* 2 36* 4 29* 3
91* 9 2 21* 3 40* 3 30* 3
97* 2 3 25* 1 41* 1 31* 0
Internal competition promotes specialization, it lowers switching costs and fosters
innovation. Expert opinions clearly confirm the validity of the three arguments for the positive
effects of internal competition on performance.
These results are relevant given the lack of internal competition in cargo handling and port
services in many port clusters. The expert assessment of the fierceness of internal
competition is given in Table 39.