Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Keri L. Heitner

Abstract

The neglect of Inland Container Depots (ICDs) in the Nigerian maritime industry has been a protracted problem even though the facilities are potential sources of revenue in boosting the nation’s economy. The specific problem was the full potential of coordinated governance initiatives, such as the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) aimed at addressing the challenge, has not been realized because of the failure of port actors to break away from old-path dependence in managing the port facilities. The purpose of this qualitative classical Delphi study was to determine how a panel of maritime industry experts views the desirability, feasibility, and importance of corporate governance practices for successfully transforming the old-path dependence of the management of ICDs into a sustainable enterprise. The research questions, grounded by path dependence theory, focused on the desirability, feasibility, and importance of forward-looking governance strategies for transforming the port facilities management. Through 4 iterative survey rounds, 25 experts shared their views and suggestions based upon a predetermined list of categories of maritime corporate governance practices. Frequencies and median scores were calculated using Likert-type scales of desirability and feasibility on solution items later ranked for importance and rated for confidence to determine levels of consensus. The findings revealed a consensus on 5 desirable, feasible, and important items across 4 categories of solutions. This study contributes to positive social change by providing maritime leaders with a consensus-based list of corporate governance practice solutions for curbing path-dependent behaviors and making the emergence of a new path possible for accelerating industry growth.

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