Customer value creation in Seaport: an analysis of inter-organizational relationships

The paper addresses the main gaps of the port literature on the topic of customer value creation and proposes a framework of analysis drawing from the Resource Based View (RBV) of the firm. From this perspective, seaports can be viewed as dynamic networks of actors that exchange resources, share knowledge and build supply chain capabilities for the pursuit of customers' satisfaction. In this network, resources allocation and interaction contribute to the value creation and the sustainability of the strategic choices in case the strategic aims of port operators converge towards customer's satisfaction. The paper, through a case study methodology, discusses the contribution of resources to the customer value creation by analysing the case of the port of Naples.