The Research On The Contract Coordination Mechanisms Of The Integrated Logistics Service Network

In the 1990s, with the third party logistics enterprise (TPL) which was specialized in logistics service activities developing quickly, the logistics appeared as a separate industry. The logistics industry involves three major industries and the whole process of social reproduction, sustains the exchange relationship among the industries and enterprises, connects all parts of the social economy and makes it becoming an organic whole. The advanced logistics industry can change the mode of production and circulation, and promotes the adjustment of economic structure. However, from the actual development, most of the logistics enterprises in China run in low quality and efficiency, and many logistics enterprises can only provide a single functional service and less value-added logistics service. Fewer enterprises can provide the integrated logistics service. There is a big gap on the service level and service content between the logistics enterprises in China and in developed countries. It is difficult for the logistics enterprises in China to adapt to the needs of economic development.In view of this, this paper used resource-based theory and capability theory, network organization theory and contract coordination theory, studied the capacity quantity cooperation mechanism, the quality coordination mechanism and the profit allocation coordination mechanism of integrated logistics service network (ILSN) to help ILSN play a synergistic effect and enhance the level of logistics enterprises’ integration service operation, which had a certain theoretical and practical significance.On the basis of theory and literature review, the paper mainly studied the following contents:(1) The theoretical framework of ILSN coordination mechanism. After analyzing the forming reason of ILSN, the connotation of ILSN, the organization structure, the governance logic and the governance mechanisms were articulated. And on this basis, the coordination object, goal, method and key elements of ILSN were analyzed. "Coordination goal setting, coordination mechanism design and coordination goal attainment" as the main content of the theoretical framework of ILSN coordination mechanism were constructed. The paper was focused on the coordination mechanism design with the purpose of designing appropriate contracts based on the key coordinating elements with the purpose of achieving coordination goal.(2) The study on the ILSN capacity order coordination based on the buyback contract. The loss aversion behavior characteristic of decision-maker was introduced. The buyback contract’s coordination effect on the three ILSN structures (one LSF and one leading LSI, two LSFs and one leading LSI and multiple LSIs and one leading LSF) under Stackelberg game was studied. Numerical analyses were presented, and the influences of the change of loss averse and the other parameters on the Stackelberg equilibrium strategies were analyzed. The studies have shown that the buy-back contract can promote the logistics capacity order quantity and has some coordination effect.(3) The study on the ILSN capacity investment coordination. The coordination effect of the long-term contract, revenue sharing contract and joint investment contract on ILSN (one LSF and one LSI) capacity investment under Stackelberg game was studied. Numerical experiments were presented, and the influences of the change of the parameters on the Stackelberg equilibrium strategies were analyzed. By comparison study, the joint investment contract can promote the capacity investment, and can improve the cooperation between LSI and LSF.(4) The study on the ILSN quality coordination based on the reliability. The reliability measurement method of ILSN was put forward and the reliability control points were acquired through the reliability sensitivity analysis. For never cooperating LSF, The selection method based on dependent intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid weighted geometric operator (DIFHWG) was introduced. For the cooperated LSF, the selection model considering reliability constraints, cost constraints and capacity constraints was set up, and numerical analysis was presented. Finally, the coordination effect of the reliability promise contract introducing the reward and punishment coefficient on ILSN was studied. The study shows that LSI must establish the comprehensive reliability coordination mechanism to ensure the quality of ILSN.(5) The study on the ILSN profit allocation coordination. For the ILSN composed by multiple LSFs and one LSI, the principal-agent model using a hybrid profit allocation was established. The revenue sharing coefficient was studied under symmetric information and asymmetric information. The profit allocation under long-term cooperation between one LSF and one LSI was studied. The coordination effect of the static profit allocation and the dynamic profit allocation was compared. The study shows that the revenue sharing coefficient must be designed according to LSF’s contribution level, effort level, risk attitude and external uncertainty.Finally, the main conclusions and future directions for further research were given.The main innovative points of the paper are as follows:(1) The new concept of the integrated logistics service network was proposed and its theoretical connotation was articulated. The paper proposed a new concept of logistics integrated services network (ILSN). ILSN was a network organization composed by the independent decision-making LSI and LSFs in order to satisfy the clients’connected and integrated logistics demand, which were connected through certain supply demand chain. At the same time, from the perspective of the organization structure, the governance logic and the governance mechanisms, the theoretical connotation of ILSN was elaborated. The operation nature of ILSN is the cooperation and competition between LSI and LSFs based on the complementary capability. The coordination mechanism played an extremely important role for the synergic operation of ILSN.(2) The theoretical framework of ILSN coordination mechanism was constructed. "Coordination goal setting, coordination mechanism design and coordination goal attainment" as the main content of the theory framework of ILSN coordination mechanism were constructed. The coordination object, goal, method and key elements of ILSN were analyzed. The coordination mechanism design is to design appropriate contracts based on the key coordinating elements (capacity quantity, capacity quality, profit allocation) to achieve the coordination goal.(3) The coordination mechanism of ILSN by using the contract coordination model was studied systematically. The coordination mechanism was carried on in system around the key coordination elements. The coordination effect on ILSN of the buy-back contract, long-term contract, revenue sharing contract, joint investment contract, reliability commitment contract and dynamic profit allocation contract were studied respectively.(4) The selection method of LSF based on dependent intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid weighted geometric operator (DIFHWG) was introduced. Three evaluating attributes of LSF were the logistics capability reliability, logistics time reliability and goods safety reliability. The dependent intuitionistic fuzzy hybrid weighted aggregation operator (DIFHWG) was proposed, and according to this operator LSFs were evaluated and selected. This method had advantages of quick, simple and convenient calculation, considering the importance of the decision makers, and eliminating the influence of the decision makers’ injustice.