Supply chain risk management: a case study of maritime firms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

This thesis examined the management of supply chain risks in the maritime transport industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) has quickly become of critical importance to the world economy. Though the transport of oil from this region impacts the economies of countries around the world, it has received too little attention from the academic community. This thesis focused on expanding the field of SCRM by examining how various risk assessment and management concepts and practices are understood, interpreted and implemented throughout the region. The majority of existing supply chain management and risk management models have been developed and are currently rooted in the US and Europe. Therefore, this thesis is of high significance because its major aim was to explore these concepts and models, namely one focused on the Middle East. This approach allowed the thesis to examine and test certain factors associated with SCRM, such as risk categories, risk assessment and risk strategies, in maritime firms in Saudi Arabia. The thesis thereby offers insights that were not otherwise available in prior research. In achieving these aims, the researcher addressed three key research questions. The thesis was conducted by relying on the constructivist approach to data collection. The specific qualitative methodology of the case study was employed to collect a wide variety of useful and reliable data, including interviews, focus groups, direct observation and historical records. The research model included all risks present in the maritime industry in Saudi Arabia. These risks were classified in a meaningful way to be addressed and explained in this thesis. The findings of this study revealed the strategies that could be used in order to deal with potential risks. It also exposed the reality of the situation to professionals involved in risk management decisions in the maritime industry who currently view their companies’ risks management processes as efficient. Finally, the research model was found applicable to the maritime firms. The conceptual model for SCRM in this thesis was a combination iii of four sections that helped the researcher to discover, identify, evaluate and present techniques to reduce supply chain risk. This thesis provides insights into the management of maritime firms risks in supply chains. The thesis provides a new classification of risk in terms of the maritime industry. It finds the tools that could help maritime firms to identify risk. And it prvides the strategies that are suitable to confront risk in maritime industry. On the whole, there was no studies found that had researched supply chain risk management in terms of maritime industry at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the research of supply chain risk management using this revealed metholodgy is an approach to understand the risks that currently confront maritime industry.