PORT ATTRACTIVENESS AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. The Case Of The Moroccan Port Community

Résumé

This doctoral thesis investigates the determinants of port attractiveness and their relationship with customer satisfaction. Anchored in a constructivist–pragmatic stance and abductive reasoning, it develops and empirically examines the Port Attractiveness and Customer Satisfaction (PACS) model. Initially derived from a systematic literature review, the model identified nine determinants and 116 attributes extracted from 87 papers published between 1970 and 2022. These attributes were subsequently refined through qualitative exploration and quantitative prioritisation within the Moroccan port context. Findings show that port attractiveness determinants (PADs) interact dynamically rather than operating in isolation. The abductive comparison between the literature-based model and empirical evidence revealed confirmed relationships, repositioned linkages, and unsupported connections. Importantly, some determinants directly influenced customer satisfaction, highlighting the reciprocal nature of attractiveness and satisfaction and extending the initial PACS assumptions. Based on these insights, three PACS Tools were designed: Macro-PACS; Meso-PACS; and Micro-PACS. The 116 attributes were reduced to 66 revised items, including emergent mediators such as behavioural consequences and relational spillovers. A structured questionnaire of nine thematic blocks and 42 items was then formulated to enable empirical validation and provide maritime and port decision-makers with a practical tool. Beyond ports, the thesis demonstrates the adaptability of the PACS framework to wider territorial contexts, laying the foundation for a Territorial Attractiveness and Customer Satisfaction (TACS) vision.

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