The impact of logistics resources on the performance of Malaysian logistics service providers

This paper identifies, conceptualises and measures the extent of logistics resources acquired by Malaysian logistics service providers (LSPs) and further examines the impact of such logistics resources on logistics performance in terms of customer service innovation and cost leadership. Based on data from interviews and a survey of 123 LSPs in Malaysia, this paper uses factor analyses to establish five components of logistics resources and capabilities - technology, physical, management expertise, relational and organisational resources. Further regression analyses suggest that each logistics resource is positively associated with both customer service innovation and cost leadership, and some of these resources are bundled together to enhance the two performances. The paper contributes to the development of constructs and measurements for logistics resources from LSPs' perspective and provides theory-driven empirical evidences to explain the performance of LSPs.