research, intermodal and logistics papers
are recognized as a separate segment of
maritime economics research.
Two conclusions of Pallis, Vitsounis and
De Langen (2010) on the papers they
reviewed are appropriate here. First, the
papers relate to container fl ows in general
without differentiation by commodities.
The point can also be made that studies
have ignored bulk commodity fl ows,
perhaps because coordination has been
achieved effectively except where congestion
affects operations. Second, the papers
have a strong descriptive element, which led
Panayides (2006a) to advance the shift
evident in research methodology to test
empirically the effectiveness of selected
attributes in measuring the level of integration
in supply chains. These conclusions
have relevance for other segments.