Chapter 3 On Top of World Shipping: Greek Shipping Companies' Organization and Management

The international shipping industry, and especially the bulk sector, has experienced the effects of numerous changes during the last three decades. It is not an exaggeration to state that one of the very few things that remained stable all these years is the leading position of Greek-owned fleet. Greeks own almost 17% of the world tonnage and rank at the top of the world maritime hierarchy. This chapter aims at examining the factors that have contributed to this success focusing on the internal environment of the companies by analyzing their resources and capabilities as well as their structural characteristics which created the conditions for their internal integration and the creation of a sustainable competitive advantage.

Leadership Profiling of Ocean Going Ship Masters1

Ship Masters of ocean going ships are team leaders and decision makers in charge of managing usually diverse teams that have to confront unexpected situations that might risk the life safety of crewmembers and the loss of the asset. Despite their critical role, research on the Masters’ leading role is rather limited. Lack of relevant research becomes even more noticeable if one takes into account that the ocean going ship as a productive unit and working environment is paralleled with the “total institution”, i.e. an isolated, enclosed social system that controls aspects of its members’ lives. This paper focuses on the ocean going ship Masters and aims at identifying their leadership profiles and understanding their attitudes and reactions in given circumstances. It analyses and discusses the results of a field study of ship officers of different nationalities employed as Masters on board ships of a leading international maritime group. Results of the research reveal that the characteristics and the competencies of ship Masters as identified using the specially developed questionnaire, are compatible with those proposed by situational leadership theories. Ship Masters seem to give priority to the people on board and their needs and try to be supportive in their decisions

Human resource management and competitive advantage: An application of resource-based view in the shipping industry

The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm has been established as one of the main approaches to strategy formulation for the development of sustainable competitive advantage. Moreover, human resource management can be conceptualised as a source of competitiveness. This paper proposes that RBV could contribute to the confrontation of the hindrances that shipping companies face in the management of their human resources, and to the formation of sustainable competitive advantage. The paper analyses the findings of a field study, regarding the different human resource and crew management practices that are applied by Greek-owned shipping companies. Finally, based on the RBV of the firm, it proposes an integrated framework for managing human resources in the shipping industry in a way that could lead to the formation of sustainable competitive advantage.Competitive advantage Human resources Resource based view Shipping

Is the European shipping industry aware of corporate social responsibility? The case of the Greek-owned short sea shipping companies

This paper attempts to clarify the meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the European maritime sector and examines its application in the case of the Greek-owned short sea shipping companies. CSR is assessed in terms of a number of variables such as employees' satisfaction, corporate productivity and efficiency, social welfare, awareness and social accountability of managers and directors, et al. Focus is given on the applicability of CSR to shipping companies of small and medium size. For this purpose a survey has been conducted. Based on the findings of the qualitative research performed, it is concluded that the application of CSR is restricted only to companies that either are subsidiaries of international conglomerates or owned by ship-owners personally aware of the corporate benefits derived from social responsible behaviour . Based on improved knowledge of managers' and directors' attitudes and views towards CSR solutions, the paper offers some ways forward for policy informing.Corporate social responsibility Responsible business behaviour Short and medium size firms in shipping

The role of communication to the retention of seafarers in the profession

The aim of this paper is to examine the availability of and access to communication facilities on board ships as a key factor that contributes to the retention of seafarers in the profession. To understand the communication options available on board ships and the attitude of seafarers, a survey of shipboard personnel has been conducted. More than 500 seafarers responded to a specifically designed questionnaire that aimed at gathering information on various work-related issues and on job satisfaction, with a particular focus on the role of communication services and their availability on board, the type of access to communication facilities and the cost of access for the seafarers. The analyses of the results have shown that respondents perceive the separation from family and the inadequate communication with family and friends while at sea as the most important issues hindering retention in the seafaring profession. While seafarers appear to be satisfied with their choice of joining the profession, when they are asked for the reasons that would lead them to abandon it, they consider as most important the inadequate communication with family and friends. This provides clear evidence of the role played by communication in increasing the retention rate within the seafaring profession