Vol. 14 No. 2 (2026): Business & Management Studies: An International Journal
Articles

Implementation of vertical integration strategy in the container shipping sector

PDF (Turkish)
  • Murat Atalay
Murat Atalay
Assist. Prof. Dr., Akdeniz University, Antalya, Türkiye

Published 2026-06-25

Keywords

  • Vertical Integration, Container Shipping, Logistics Integration
  • Dikey Entegrasyon, Konteyner Taşımacılığı, Lojistik Entegrasyonu

How to Cite

Implementation of vertical integration strategy in the container shipping sector. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(2), 1029-1046. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i2.2748

Copyright (c) 2026 Murat Atalay

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Implementation of vertical integration strategy in the container shipping sector. (2026). Business & Management Studies: An International Journal, 14(2), 1029-1046. https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v14i2.2748

Abstract

Due to the increasing use of outsourcing amid global conditions, many companies face a make-or-buy decision. Global uncertainty and supply chain fragility have driven strategic transformations in the container shipping sector. Container carriers, traditionally operating from port to port, have turned to vertical integration strategies to improve, guarantee, and secure their operational processes in response to these developments. This study aims to reveal the reasons and areas in which the vertical integration strategy is applied in the container shipping sector. To this end, the world's three largest container carriers, MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM, were examined using a qualitative multiple case study method. Data was obtained from publicly available sources (activity reports, corporate websites, and brochures); a vertical integration map was created for each company, and the direction, scope, and justifications of integration were systematically compared. The study's findings show that container carriers use vertical integration not only to reduce transaction costs but also as a strategic tool to gain a competitive advantage, control pricing and capacity, and increase supply chain resilience, especially in an environment of uncertainty.

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