FINLANDS SJÖFART J SUOMEN MERENKULKU 57
A
dismissal to resist management pressure.
Many seafarers say that trust has also been reduced by
a lack of support and respect shown by shore-based
managers – some described as being authoritarian and
others as sometimes verbally abusive.
And the lack of trust was shown to be a two-way
channel. The researchers found numerous seafarers who
described a lack of faith in shore-based managers’ experi-ence
and knowledge and who considered that managers
were ill-placed to offer proper assistance when unexpect-ed
problems arose.
This lack of confidence was compounded by a strongly
held view that, even where managers had appropriate
seafaring experience, they generally ‘changed sides’ as
soon as they left the sea and went to work in the office,
becoming concerned with the ‘bottom line’ above all else.
Prof Sampson said that the breakdown of trust can lead
to ‘organisationally dysfunctional behaviour’ – with many
seafarers not sharing information with the company and
barely one-third saying that they always told shore staff
the whole truth about the situation onboard – often
because they feel the need to protect themselves against
blame and recrimination.
This can lead to seafarers covering up for colleagues
– even in some quite serious situations, such as an oil spill.
The researchers also found that seafarers ‘caught
between a rock and a hard place’ may also take ‘defensive
actions’ such as following instructions that they believed
were inherently unsafe but demanding written instruc-tions,
dithering while awaiting office decisions, or taking
unapproved action and facing the consequences.
All this can increase stress, reduce morale and lead to
poor decision-making, the study warns. ‘Hesitation,
inaction, and taking the wrong actions all have the
potential to produce very serious consequences for
seafarers, and companies, because of the safety-critical
nature of the industry,’ it points out. ‘However, hesitation
in any organisational context is likely to be negative and
may result in the persistence of bad practice, lost deals,
and so forth.’
The researchers found that seafarers perceive the
consequences for those who resist instructions from
shore-based managers, in order to protect the safety and
welfare of their crew and/or vessel, are severe. It is likely
that this has an adverse impact on their desire to continue
with a job at sea, the study adds.
However, the researchers found seafarers who talked
openly about the fears they had in connection with
standing up for what they believed was right – and
frequently safe – in the light of their professional experi-ence
and training.
‘Many seafarers were concerned that disagreements
with their managers would result in future sanctions,
including dismissal, and in this context it is no surprise
that there are increasing reports of senior officers simply
awaiting their next instruction from the office rather than
exercising their own discretion,’ the study noted. ‘That this
happens in a sector where timing may be critical and
workers’ lives are frequently in the balance is especially
disturbing.’ •
TRAINED
TO KEEP A
COOL HEAD
With more and more ships operating in icy
waters, the industry needs to be sure that
crews are prepared properly for this
challenging work. NATACHA SOUTHWELL
therefore carried out a survey of ice
navigators to determine whether the
regulatory training requirements match the
practitioners’ opinions of the skills,
knowledge and experience needed…
The continuing decline of sea-ice cover is
increasingly opening up polar
regions to maritime operations –
mostly in fisheries, mineral, oil and gas exploitation,
shipping services and as a destination for a growing
specialised cruise sector.
However, in spite of the decline in sea-ice, extreme
variability in ice, temperature and weather conditions
continue to present significant navigational challenges
Maritime academic
Natacha Southwell is a
former member of the
Nautilus professional and
technical team.