Examining the benefits of relationship quality and Guanxi in multimodal transport services

Purpose In the Asian context, the concept of “relationship” is ambiguous, as it goes beyond elements such as time or collaboration commonly found in the academic literature. The purpose of this research is to better understand relationships between multimodal transport services (MTS), logistics service value (LSV), relationship quality (RQ) and Guanxi (GX) on shippers' business performance (BP). Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with data collected from the Thai National Shippers' Council members, and a structural equation model was developed with proposed hypothesized relationships. The proposed empirical model was statistically validated. Findings The results have shown that both MTS and LSV show a negative impact on BP when moderated by RQ and GX. This indicates that the involvement of these two factors has a significant influence on shippers' BP. Originality/value The results of this research can provide future researchers and practitioners with insights on understanding the impact of relationships in Asian countries.