Posted:

THE RETENTION OF SHIP OFFICERS AND ITS BENEFITS IN THE MARITIME, Writing

4 PUBLICATIONS 31 CITATIONS

VIEW PROFILE

Ioannis Theotokas

University of Piraeus

56 PUBLICATIONS 471 CITATIONS

VIEW PROFILE

The entire content of this page was uploaded by Aimilia A. Papachristou on June 9, 2015 – Research Paper Writing Help Service.

The user has requested an extension of the downloaded file.

Page 2

Communication, Internet access and seafarer loyalty in the shipping industry

abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the availability of and access to communication facilities on board ships as a key

Factor contributing to the binding of seafarers to the profession. Understand communication opportunities

A survey of the on-board personnel was carried out on board ships and regarding the attitude of seafarers. More

Over 500 seafarers answered a specially designed questionnaire to gather information on various topics

work-related issues and job satisfaction, with particular emphasis on the role of communication services and their

On board availability, type of access to communication facilities and cost of access for seafarers. The

Analyzes of the results have shown that the respondents perceive the separation from the family and the inappropriateness

Communication with family and friends at sea as the main obstacle to staying in the sea

Job. Seafarers appear to be satisfied with their choice of profession when asked about it

The reasons why they would give it up, they consider the most important thing to be insufficient communication with

Family and friends. This is clear evidence of the role that communication plays in increasing the retention rate

within the seafaring profession.

Key words: communication, internet access, customer loyalty, seafarers, social media.

Page 3

2

1 Introduction

The term employee retention refers to the ability of a company to retain its employees. A successful bond

Strategy and thus reducing the fluctuation rate is what every employer should aim for

Such performance can actually reduce training and recruitment costs and prevent loss or loss

Emptying important skills and specific organizational knowledge that arise from this turnover. Employees voluntarily

leave organizations for personal reasons (change of family, further education, new job offers etc.) or organizational reasons

(unfair treatment, moral issues, etc.). A high turnover, which is the opposite of retention, costs both

Individuals and organizations (Mitchell et al., 2001). In order to retain their employees, managers have to comply

their needs without deviating from the original corporate goals by using retention strategies and creating them

An optimal situation that is beneficial for both the company and the employees. A strategic option for all companies

that could actually improve their overall retention rate is the implementation of certain retention concepts / strategies and

Find ways to help them become attractive employers by offering certain amenities to their employees

Employees who meet their needs.

Although there is sufficient literature on the factors that cause fluctuation (Cotton & Tuttle, 1986;

Tett & Meyer, 1993; Griffeth et al., 2000 and more), actually little can be found about retention factors that focus on a

certain industry. A recent study by Hausknecht et al. (2009), based on a content analysis of the answers

of workers who gave the reasons for staying with their current employer also identified 12 such retention factors

Job satisfaction is the most important thing in terms of importance, closely followed by external rewards

Attachments and more through organizational commitment, but all of them are placed on a meaning below

Frame.

Retaining seafarers to the international shipping industry is an important issue that affects most shipping companies today

Ship management companies stand. The global financial crisis has hit the shipping industry hard. Despite the

Crisis and the economic slowdown that affected the employment and training of as many seafarers

The shipping companies reacted by abolishing seafarers (Cahoon et al., 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer), the lack of qualified seafarers and

the imbalance between supply and demand persisted. The latest BIMCO / ISF Manpower Study (BIMCO, 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer)

stated that there is an overall shortage of civil servants, which has increased slightly by around 2% (supply / demand balance)

compared to that of 2005, but with these percentages that are estimates, it does not necessarily mean that shipping

Companies have no recruitment problems. At the same time, the trend towards the substitution of seafarers is emerging

traditional maritime nations of seafarers from low-wage countries is strong. The decline in the number of European

Seafarers, mainly on ships that have been proven in a relevant study (EK, 2011; Task Force, 2011),

confirms this trend. Even the entry of seafarers from low-wage countries is not expected

To overcome the deficiency completely, at least for some officers. A tightening of the latter is expected

in the following years, which creates the need for measures that will continue the growth of the number of

Seafarers, especially officers, and reducing industrial waste (BIMCO, 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer). It is mentioned in the

At the same time, recruiting new seafarers will not be an easy task, considering that life at sea is as

be unattractive, insecure and insecure ”(Cahoon et al., 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer).

To increase recruitment and reduce waste, improve selection processes, perception of career and career

It is suggested to understand the factors that affect retention (BIMCO / ISF, 2005). This is very important

the issues of working and living conditions and employee satisfaction, both directly related to the

Maintaining the seafaring profession, as the literature research has shown (Kokoszko and Cahoon, 2007; there

Silva et al., 2011; Thai et al., 2013; Caesar et al., 2013; Fei and Lu, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). These two topics are related

page 4

3

Providing the infrastructure and tools (ILO,

2006 – Write a paper; Professional research paper writing service – Best essay writers; Nguyen et al., 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). Despite its importance in this sense, communication has not been a retention factor

get enough attention from researchers. Thus there is increasing interest from industry

special topic ( Shiptalk Recruitment, 2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers; ISCW, 2011; Stark Moore MacMillan, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap; Futurenautics Research,

2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) it is only discussed in a limited number of research and industrial studies (Davies and Parfett, 1998; Collins

and Hogg, 2004; Kahveci, 2011).

The aim of this paper is to examine the availability of and access to communication facilities on board ships as a key

Factor contributing to the binding of seafarers to the profession. The retention of seafarers in shipping

Industry and access to communication as a retention factor are discussed in Section 2. The research methodology

is described in Section 3 while the research results are discussed in Section 4

Conclusions and the limits of the study.

2. Employee retention in shipping

To understand the retention problem in the shipping industry, the unique characteristics of the

the profession of seafarer and the reasons why seafarers quit their jobs. The work environment

and the tasks that seafarers have on board differ significantly from those at land-based workplaces

(Kristiansen, 2005). There are completely different physical conditions such as climatic conditions (temperature,

Humidity, air speed, heat, radiation and other weather conditions) while a ship is moving from one port to another

B. high noise and vibration levels, and the “around the clock” functions. In addition, working and living

The environment on board remains cautious. Parallel to this is the high level of formalization of work and

Routine also creates a narrow space in terms of social interactions (Progoulaki and Theotokas, 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer). Stringent work

Schedules that include clocks, port operations, loading and unloading (unloading), and a variety of loads

other ships caused operations and emergencies and the transition from “sea passage” to a voyage

The “stay in port” leg, the inadequate loss of rest and sleep between the watches and the resulting excessive tiredness all contribute to this

a variety of psychological stresses. A reduction in the size of the crew due to the cost reduction policy of the

Shipping lines also contribute to fatigue, as Bloor et al. (2000). Last but not least, the long periods of

Absence from home and absence / lack of contact with family members influence attitudes of a

Seafarer (Theotokas, 2011).

Since Silva et al. (2011) examines the factors that determine the attachment of seafarers to the profession

emphasize the importance of an employee-friendly corporate culture, the improved long-term career opportunities

and the fair recruitment processes. The improvement of working and living conditions for seafarers with the

It has been found that the provision of suitable communication facilities is an important factor in increasing the bond

Rates among Vietnamese seafarers. The provision of these facilities increases the loyalty of seafarers to their employer

(Nguyen et al., 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). Remuneration and the promise of high wages are a factor influencing the decision to join the EU

Seafaring profession (Fei and Lu, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay), as well as staying in it ( Shiptalk Recruitment, 2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers; 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap).

Taking into account the fact that the separation of family and home was identified as a stress factor (Oldenburg et al.,

2009; Carotenuto et al., 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap) who influenced decisions to shorten planned time at sea or even change a career

Providing an infrastructure that facilitates family communication helps seafarers mitigate the negative impacts

of sea life on family life and contributes to keeping seafarers at work (Thomas et al., 2003). It has

Communication was found to be of significant importance for both seafarers and their wives

Reasons related to seafarers’ stress, morale, and relationships with their children (Thomas et al., 2003). Another

page 5

4

Evidence of the impact of prolonged separation from the family and the associated concern about the growth of children and

The education is expressed in the perception of the profession by the Chinese students and their decision to end their studies early

Seafaring career (Fei and Lu, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay).

There are also numerous studies that focus on choosing an employer of choice to improve recruitment

and seafarer bonding (Kokoszko and Cahoon, 2007; Thai et al., 2013). This strategy is important

Satisfying employee needs. Caesar et al. (2013; 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) link professional ties and fluctuation with the

Existence or breaking of the psychological contract with special consideration of factors such as job satisfaction, employee

Loyalty, life satisfaction and organizational commitment.

Miia Haka et al. (2011) identified the motivators and demotivators that determine Danish

Decisions by seafarers to stay in or leave seafaring and conclude that the factors that affect them

Decisions are mostly psychosocial. Given the above, some of the reasons why seafarers give up their activities

Work includes the separation of home and family, excessive workload, fatigue and work-related stress

Lack of shore leave, social isolation and instability in family life, lack of communication on board

Facilities (internet not available on most ships) and so on.

The need for good communication options on board is seen as an obvious factor for success

Coping with the negative experiences of younger seafarers when family and friends are absent

(Hult and Ljung, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap). Similarly, one of the findings of the focus group of young seafarers is that of the

International Transport Federation and Intertanko was that living conditions and communication are at home

Inclusion in the main topics that interest young seafarers in a lifelong seafaring career (ITF-Intertanko, 2009).

As already mentioned, communication as a retention factor was not explicitly examined in the academic field

Literature. Communication has always been a key factor in life at sea. It is an integral part of

the daily operation of a ship and serves the exchange of information between:

• One sailor to another to exchange verbal or written instructions and perform certain tasks or

Work orders that enable organized and efficient use of ships;

• From ship to country and vice versa, including communication between ship and headquarters, ship to local, national or

international maritime authorities to third parties or to the crew with them

Families, friends or third parties;

• A ship to another ship (or to other ships) for various reasons, including distress, collision avoidance,

Gathering information or even a random greeting.

All of this cannot be achieved without proper communication. Because this study focuses on

communication as a motivator and a binding factor, some other points need to be addressed.

Life at sea has always been about living in an isolated small community, regardless of the type or size of ship.

While seafarers usually have the opportunity to interact and communicate in their daily activities,

This possibility has become scarce due to the use of modern on-board technologies (e.g. monitoring and automation)

Systems such as UMS unmanned machine room systems, ARPA etc.). The introduction of these technologies

While this is helpful, it has reduced the crew requirements and thus increased the remaining ships

Workload of the crew. The multicultural character of the modern occupation also has to reduce the

Opportunities for communication and socializing, and encouraged the development of a more tense work

Surroundings. In addition, the reduction in handling times has reduced the ship’s stay in port and

page 6

5

therefore minimized opportunities for rural holidays and the possibility for the crews to socialize (Kahveci,

1999). Obstacles such as those mentioned above prevent the seafarer as an individual from being inherently interactive, communicative and open-minded

Make contacts, which leads to social isolation that only worsens during the seafarer’s vacation time when he tries to do so

Prepare yourself for the fast-paced and interactive society on land in a short time between two successive events

Employment contracts. Even if social isolation can have a serious impact on a seaman’s health

This social problem tends to be underestimated by policy makers in the maritime industry

(Sampson & Thomas, 2003).

To address this problem, the ILO (International Labor Organization) has recommended in its Maritime

2006 – Write a paper; Professional research paper writing service – Best essay writers Labor Convention (ILO, 2006 – Write a paper; Professional research paper writing service – Best essay writers), which provides all seafarers with access to communication as one of them

the possible remedial measures for social isolation (as described in Rule 3.1 – Accommodation and Leisure)

Facilities, Guideline B3.1.11 – Leisure facilities, postal and ship visiting regulations, 4 (j)), if this is clear

stated: “It should be considered to provide the following facilities to the seaman free of charge if

practicable: “and j)” adequate access to telephone connections from the ship to the mainland as well as to e-mail and internet facilities,

where available, with reasonable fees for using these services. ”

The progress that has been made in recent years in relation to the above guide is noisy

The data from numerous studies are not impressive, but they are stable ( Shiptalk Recruitment , 2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers; Stark Moore

MacMillan , 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap; Future research, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay; Kahveci, 2011). This progress confirms that it is an Internet connection

to finally be seen as a critical factor for recruitment . The next generation of seafarers or generation “Y” will be the

Source of employment for which social media and interaction via the Internet are as common as

the means by which the possibility of imparting transferable skills through further training at sea can be created

can be achieved (Cahoon & Haugstetter, 2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers). It can be concluded that it is unrealistic to expect young seafarers to participate

Sea for months without contact with the outside world (Lloyd’s List, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap). Providing internet access for them

Access to social networks affects their motivation and productivity. Available data show that senior

Officers have broader access to Internet facilities and the hierarchical structure is considered one of the factors

This should be taken into account when examining access to communication (Kahveci, 2011).

Third

The survey

3.1

The chosen methodology

The aim of this investigation was to examine the availability of and access to communication facilities on board ships

a key factor contributing to the attachment of seafarers to the profession.

In the context of this particular research, it was important to collect information and collect data in a relatively new form

and under-researched area. For this reason, it was difficult to make a hypothesis because there was relatively little

Public information and the rather inadequate understanding of the topic in the early stages of

Research study. For this reason, it was concluded that induction is the more suitable research approach.

especially on an “exploratory” study like this. ‘Exploratory’ is a study aimed at finding out

especially in poorly understood situations; look for new insights; Ask questions; To evaluate phenomena in a new light

and to generate ideas and hypotheses for future research ”(Robson, 2011). An exploratory study is linked to

More flexible research design that typically includes (but can also include) the collection of non-numeric data

The acquisition of quantitative data occurs during the data acquisition and is often referred to as a qualitative strategy

(Robson, 2011).

Page 7

6

The research team decided that the most appropriate method for data collection was to do a literature search

and a questionnaire survey. The approach to and the results of the literature search were discussed in the section

2. The design and distribution of the questionnaire survey are discussed in the following section.

3.2

Survey design and pad

The specific objectives of the survey were:

• Identify the key factors that contribute to employee retention;

• Analysis of the role of communication as a motivator and as a retention factor;

• Assessment of the current situation in terms of communication options for seafarers as well as the

the propensity of seafarers for accessibility on the Internet and social networks on board;

• Identifying gaps in the provision of communication facilities on board ships;

• Obtain information about the obstacles to communicating with family and friends at sea.

Both a paper and an online questionnaire were developed. The characteristics of the population and the pursuit

Efficiency is one of the reasons for choosing to conduct both a conventional and an online survey. Online studies

are appropriate if the population examined is spread over a large geographical region (Van Selm and

Jankowski, 2006 – Write a paper; Professional research paper writing service – Best essay writers). In addition, online surveys have many advantages when done properly. Flexibility,

Convenience, the ability to get large samples, control the order of answers, the completion of responses, and

The variety of questions is one of the strengths of online surveys. The main potential weaknesses include

Lack of online experience among respondents, unclear answer instructions and low response rates (Evans and Mathur,

2005).

The questionnaire consisted of 42 questions divided into three sections. The first section contained 9 questions

Study of job satisfaction among respondents. The second section included 21 questions about the role of

Communication services and their availability on board, the type of access to communication facilities and the cost

Access for seafarers. The third section consisted of 13 questions focusing on the demographic characteristics of

the surveyed.

The link to the online questionnaire was posted in various forums on the subject of seafaring

funded exclusively by Shiptalk, Spinnaker Consulting and the International Workers’ Federation. Social media

Applications like Twitter and LinkedIn have also been used to promote the survey.

The online survey was uploaded to the SurveyMonkey platform and was still available to the entire population of

Seafarers worldwide from April to July 2013. The answers collected were exported to a data sheet

using MS Excel 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer. Data from both conventional and online surveys were combined in one MS Excel file.

After the data was checked and the coding was performed, the analysis of the survey results was carried out using the

Statistics package for social science software (SPSS20). Cross table to study the relationship between

selected variables and statistical tests to assess the statistical significance of the results

Square tests were also carried out.

4. Analysis and discussion of the results

A total of 511 valid questionnaires were collected. From the respondents who answered the question about themselves

Gender (437), the vast majority (96.6%) were men. Female seafarers made up 3.4% of the respondents

page 8

7

representative of their share of the world population of seafarers and close to the share mentioned in Kahveci (2011). The

The majority (52.8%) of the respondents were between 26 and 35 years old. Represented the age groups of 18-25 and 36-25 years

13.2% and 13%, respectively. Sailors from 23 nationalities took part. The fact that 40% of the

The respondents came from Greece in terms of the representativeness of the sample. In terms

Rank 32.4% were senior officers, 41.4% junior officers, 2.7% non-commissioned officers, 16.7% ratings and 5.6% cadets. in the

In terms of marital status, 57.1% of the respondents were single, while 63.3% had no children. In terms of maritime transport, the

The vast majority had a six-month (54.2%) or seven-month (31.6%) contract while it was valid by ship

Type, oil and product tankers (40.5%) and bulk carriers (28.6%) dominated. Features related to the contract

Duration of respondents and types of ships served to show that the vast majority of them go on board ocean serving

Ships.

Statistical analysis of the data in relation to the availability of communication facilities on board and the access of

Respondents to them and the way in which they influence professional ties were also carried out. Analysis of the data

was supplemented by examining the connection and the significance of the difference between the two

selected variables. Nationality, age, marital status, children, current rank and highest level of education

tabulated and further tested using the Pearson Chi Square statistical test, with the following twelve (12) selected

Categorical variables that correspond to certain questions in the research tool:

Q14. Was it your first choice to become a seafarer when choosing a career?

Q15. How satisfied are you with your choice?

Q20. Do you feel discriminated against in your profession?

Q23. How important is communication to you?

Q24. Do you think that the communication options on board play a crucial role?

Q26. Please underline the importance of communication on board.

Q27. How often do you communicate with your family / friends and others on board?

Q29. What percentage of your monthly salary do you spend on communication fees?

Q34. Are you an active social media user?

Q38. Do you consider the availability of internet access and social media applications on board ships to be critical?

Factor that would cause you to expand your service on a ship with such amenities?

Q40. How do you feel about paying a certain predetermined amount of money to have internet?

Access while working on board?

Q41. Is access to the internet and the availability of social media on a ship a crucial factor for your employer?

Selection process (shipping company)?

Crosstabs provide the data that the researcher can use to decide whether a relationship exists or not

between two or more variables. The significance is determined by a statistical test. The Chi-square test

Page 9

8th

The meaning increases if the numbers deviate from this uniform distribution. The lower the P values ​​(<0.05), the more

more possible to reject the null hypothesis (null hypothesis = no statistical dependency between variables).

Characteristics related to job satisfaction are considered important because they reveal the attitude of the respondents

towards their profession. For 71% of those questioned, it was the first choice to become a seafarer. More

It is important that more than 70% were satisfied or very satisfied with their choice. The main reason for choosing the

The job was the high salary. This is in line with other previous studies and publications in different

national contexts (ITF-Intertanko, 2009; Fernadez-Gonzalez et al., 2013; Thai et al., 2013). If the factors are

Respondents would be considered as motivation to change their careers or quit their jobs

as the main driver to identify improper communication with family and friends, the separation of family and family

Living conditions on board. This finding confirms findings from other studies already mentioned in Section 2 (Thomas

et al., 2003; Oldenburg et al., 2009; Carotenuto et al., 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap; Fei and Lu, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) report on the role of family and

access to communication facilities in the professional choice of seafarers.

Table 1: Factors influencing the decision of seafarers to change their careers or give up their jobs

driver

Mean

Hrs deviation

Improper communication with family & friends / social isolation

4,718

1,356

Separation from the family

4,598

1,378

living conditions

4140

1,389

Insufficient rest periods

4127

1481

Excessive workload / insufficient compensation

3,903

1,477

Over a longer term of the collective agreement

3,638

1,421

Excessive workload

3.585

1,486

Short stay in ports

3,068

1.543

Diverse / multicultural crew composition

2,795

1,549

Social IT includes all information technologies that can be used to improve social wellbeing on board.

It can be television, radio, news and entertainment, satellite phones and of course the Internet. The Internet

Includes – Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – email, web browsing and surfing, and the ability to download videos and music. Modern sailors have

Better access to digital technologies than ever before. They use the internet at home and most of them

Visit social networks (Kahveci, 2011). However, such communication options are a matter of course

Accessibility on board remains restricted. As in a study of career mapping in the

Maritime industry, adequate and cost-effective access to sufficient broadband bandwidth at sea that would make it possible to use it

social media and would support education, remains at best 5-10 years away (Dearslay, 2013).

Page 10

9

People have an inherent need to communicate and make contacts. As discussed in Section 2, the emotional disadvantage

this can be demonstrated by seafarers who come from long periods of social isolation and separation from family and friends

affect their morale, reduce their performance and efficiency and increase the risk of accidents. Therefore

The availability of adequate communication, especially via social media, is a means to motivate seafarers

not only with friends, but also with land operations. Demanding communication is, as already analyzed in

Section 2, vital to the wellbeing of crew members. This opinion is largely shared by the respondents.

97.3% of respondents agree that on-board communication facilities play a vital role in the well-being of seafarers. To the

In the vast majority of respondents (83.6%), this aspect of communication is related to their ability to communicate

with her family. Dimensions related to communication with friends (51.9%) are also considered to be supportive for the

Well-being by the majority of the respondents. In terms of importance, communication with the family was rated as

74.3% of the respondents and 17.50% of the respondents rated it as very important. If the marital status

Taking into account the proportion of respondents, the percentage of extremely important cases for married people increases to 82.9%

drops to 66.7% for single.

The importance and frequency of communication with the family, but also with friends and others, is greatly affected

by nationality, marital status, existence or non-existence of children, age and level of education. More

In particular, the importance of communication with the family varies depending on nationality (<0.001) and age

(0.013) and the existence of children (<0.001) in our sample. P values ​​<0.005 also indicate significant independence

between the frequency of communication with the family and nationality (<0.001), gender (0.002) and marital status

(0.002). Important reference to the distinction between the level of education and the importance and frequency

The degree of communication with others is indicated by a p-value of 0.27 or 0.012 (Table 2).

Table 1: Significant independence between nationality / age / marital status / children / highest level of

Education and communication with family / friends / others

crosstabs

Pearson Chi Square

Phi

Nationality * Communication with the family 1

<0.001

<0.001

Nationality * Communicate with friends 1

<0.001

<0.001

Nationality * Communication with others 1

0.001

0.001

Nationality * Communication with the family 2

<0.001

<0.001

Nationality * Communication with friends 2

<0.001

<0.001

Nationality * Communication with others 2

0.009

0.009

Gender * Communication with the family 1

0,002

0,002

Age * Communicate with friends 1

0,025

0,025

Age * Communication with the family 2

0,013

0,013

Marital status * Communication with the family 1

0,002

0,002

Marital status * Communication with friends 1

0.011

0.011

Do you have children? * Communication with family 2

<0.001

<0.001

Highest level of education * Communication with others 1

0.027

0.027

Highest level of education * Communication with others 2

0,012

0,012

Notes: 1 importance of communication (q26); 2 Frequency of communication (q27)

The second part of the questionnaire dealt with the means of communication and samples available on board

used by respondents. The analysis of this section focuses on the communication patterns with their families.

Page 11

10

Personal cell phones (65.9%), on-board satellite phones (60.3%), cell phone SMS (43.8%) and on-board emails (42.9%)

dominant means of communication for seafarers who want to communicate with their families. Under in

Note that the cost of using satellite phones is very high and that mobile phones allow access to communication when

The ships are close to the coast, these results are not surprising.

The importance that respondents attach to communicating with their family during their stay is obvious

by the fact that they spend a certain percentage of their salary on communication fees every month. 58.3% of

Respondents spend less than 10% of their salary, 31.7% of respondents spend an amount equal to 10%.

20% of their salary, while 10% of them spend more than 20% of their salary. It should be noted that, if estimated, on

Based on an average salary, the results are comparable to those found in other studies (Stark Moore MacMillan,

2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap; Futurenautics, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay).

Based on the above results, independence between nationality and the percentage of

The monthly communication fee salary showed significant statistical independence (0.012) between them

two factors.

Respondents were asked to identify the means of communication available on the company’s ships

she currently employs. 187 respondents (36.6%) indicated that internet access was available, 259 respondents

(50.7%) that access to email was available and 347 respondents (67.9%) who used the phone for crew calls were available.

The results for the Internet and e-mail are similar to those of a survey carried out almost a year later (Futurenautics,

2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay).

An important topic that was further investigated was the access of the respondents to emails. Only 29.8% of

Respondents have access to their private email account. There was no access for 27.7% of the respondents. The

A lack of access may be due to the lack of relevant facilities on board the ship they operate or the fact that they exist

may not use these facilities. The majority of those who have access face various restrictions

Data protection or data usage. Only three out of ten respondents have access to email via their private email account.

Respondents expressed privacy concerns in similar studies ( Stark Moore MacMillan , 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap;

Futurenautics, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay).

Respondents were asked to describe the type of Internet access if they work on board ships

that offer internet access. Access was free for 57.3% of the respondents, based on a predetermined number of

Leisure time (32.5%) or a given amount of data (25.2%), a result that is higher than that in

Futurenautics (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). The 42.3% were calculated for the use of the Internet. You were also asked to find out how

they often access the Internet on board. It appears that 32.7% of respondents have no internet access

Internet. Those who access the Internet daily correspond to 27.2% of those surveyed, while those who do: a

a few times a week corresponds to 14.9%.

page 12

11

Fig. 1 Are you an active social media user? (%) (N = 441)

Fig. 2 If yes, please indicate which social media platforms / websites you are visiting. (%) (N = 376)

In the age of connectivity, 85.3% of the sample used social media (Figure 1), with Facebook playing the biggest role

popular social media platform. 50.35% of the seafarers have a Facebook profile, 23.9% a Google+ and less

Use Twitter and LinkedIn (Figure 2). It should be noted that seafarers do not stop being active users of these social networks

Media platforms on board. Comparing the results in Figure 2 and Figure 3, it can be concluded that almost all

Seafarers remain active on board.

Fig. 3 Which of the following social media platforms / websites do you stay active on board? (%)

(N = 376)

53.6

8th

19.8

7.4

6.3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Linkedln

Other social media

Page 13

12

The importance that seafarers attach to the availability and access to communication on board

This is evident from the fact that access to the Internet and the availability of social media on board as

Factors that can extend the contract duration of the respondents, ie increase job satisfaction and

contribute to remaining in the job (Figure 5). It has been observed that the lower the age of the group,

The percentage of those willing to extend the length of their service is increasing.

The above statement is also confirmed by the considerable independence between the availability of Internet access

and social media applications on board ships as a critical factor that would lead to the expansion of service on a ship

with such amenities and the age of the sailor (P-value = 0.007)

Fig. 4 If your company does not have access to the Internet on board ships, you want these provisions to be complied with

installed in the near future? (%) (N = 378)

Fig. 5 Do you consider the availability of Internet access and social media applications on board ships to be critical?

Factor that would cause you to expand your service on a ship with such amenities? (%) (N = 439)

Given that costs are an important barrier to on-board communication, respondents said

They were asked if they were willing to pay a certain predetermined amount of money to access the Internet

Access while working on board. Three out of ten seafarers would like to pay for access security, six for departure

out of ten, this decision depends on the cost. As expected, the proportion of those who said they could not afford it

Payments were higher for the ratings. In addition, a higher rank of officers corresponded to a lower percentage of

those who couldn’t pay. At the same time, the higher the age of the respondent, the lower the percentage of respondents

those who would like to pay to have internet access, a result that confirms the importance of modernity

Communication opportunities for the recruitment and retention of Generation Y (Cahoon and Haugstetter, 2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers). It should

Page 14

13

Note that only 1.4% of respondents on board do not want to have access. (Figure 6). For 64.6% of the

respondents, access to the internet and the availability of social media on a ship count as factors

When choosing employers, take into account what additional proof of the importance of

Communication options on board (Figure 7). This result is similar to that of the Futurenautics study.

According to this, 69% of the respondents state that access to communication influences the choice of their employer

(Future research, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay). The salary, fair treatment, health care and benefits were

This is appreciated by those who do not attach great importance to access to communication facilities (see Table 3).

Fig. 6 What about your attitude to paying a certain predetermined amount of money in order to have internet?

Access while working abroad? (%) (N = 440)

It is worth noting that there is significant evidence against the hypothesis that there is no difference within the series

and willingness to pay a predetermined amount of money in advance to access the Internet

Work on board that shows a p-value of 0.003.

Fig. 7 Is access to the internet and the availability of social media on a ship a decisive factor for your employer?

Selection process (shipping company)? (%) (N = 444)

28.0

62.3

8.4

1.4

.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

I would like to pay for that

Depends on the cost

I can’t afford to pay for it

I do not want to access the internet on board

Yes

64.6

No

34.5

Page 15

14

Table 3: If this factor is not so important, which critical factors can influence such a decision?

factor

Me

on

Hours.

deviation

factor

Mean hours

deviation

salary

5,22,282

Flags of the registry

4.32

1.586

Fair sailor

5.03 0.925

ship equipment

4.32

1,126

health care

4.98 1.08

career opportunities

4.31

1,434

Bonuses (re-entry, seniority, etc.)

4.63 1,249

retirement provision

4.16

1.46

Insurance plans added

4.63 1,216

Types of ships in the fleet

4.11

1,384

Company reputation

4.55 1.132

Average age of the fleet

3.97

1,372

Welfare on board (social media,

Internet access etc.)

4.49 1.248

Number of ships in the fleet

3.91

1,407

employee turnover

4.34 1.31

Nationalities of the crew

3.51

1,489

A mean value close to 6 means that the statement is valid (scale: 1 = not available; 2 = unimportant; 3 = not so important; 4

= Important; 5 = very important; 6 = overriding importance)

5. Conclusions and other implications

The aim of this paper is to discuss the problem of customer loyalty in shipping and to examine its availability

Communication options and Internet access on board are factors that contribute to the retention of seafarers

in shipping. The literature suggests that among the reasons seafarers consider it important when

The decisive factors for leaving the seafaring profession are the separation of family and home, the excessive workload and unemployment

social isolation / lack of stability in life. High fluctuation rates pose a number of risks for the industry and have an impact on them

Competitiveness.

These theoretical questions were investigated empirically using data from a survey of seafarers

from 23 nationalities. The fact that 40% of the respondents came from Greece was recognized

one of the study’s limitations on sample representativity. The high number of Greek respondents

However, this should not be a cause for concern as it is believed (even if it is not empirically proven) that this is the case

was the same with even larger samples for the other nationalities. Furthermore, given the very large scope

In the survey this should not be seen as a major problem as the answers from

Citizenship and the appropriate number of respondents from each country, both absolute and general

proportionally representative of the total.

The results of the survey conducted for this study provide a number of interesting conclusions regarding the

Communication problem on the one hand and loyalty to the job on the other .

With regard to the communication problem, the vast majority of respondents in this survey consider communication

as extreme or very important and have reported that communication options on board promote well-being

Seafarers, especially if they have the opportunity to communicate with the family. While the respondents think about it

Communicating with friends as important, the priority of communicating with the family is through the

, Frequency with state of them that they communicate. Respondents indicated that they use cell phones to call and send text

News (an option mainly available to seafarers on ships sailing near the coast), satellite

Phones and emails as a means of communication with their families. The communication costs are high if you take

Taking into account the percentage of their salary that they spend on communication fees. This is because while

Internet facilities are available on board, and only around 30% of those surveyed have a set amount of free

Page 16

15

Access time. While one in three seafarers would like to pay a fixed sum for the internet

Access on board is independent of the amount. The approval of the rest depends on the amount. More

Over 70% of respondents say they have access to the Internet every day at home, while the

The same group works on board. This percentage drops to 32.7%. The vast majority of respondents are active users of

Social media, mostly from Facebook, and they stay active while on board.

When it comes to restraint, seafarers seem happy with their choice of profession

are asked for the reasons why they would give it up and, more importantly, indicate the inappropriate

Communicate with family and friends as any other factor. This is clear evidence of the role of

Communication in every effort to increase the retention rate within the maritime profession. Almost all

want their company to provide Internet access on board the ships, and consider such a convenience one

critical factor that can extend the stay on board. A final proof of the importance of communication facilities

and the free access to them for the retention of seafarers is the fact that two out of three sailors , this would be a

critical factor in choosing an employer.

The results of this study show that communication is to be regarded as a factor that contributes to improvement

Retention in the maritime profession. It should also be noted that this factor need not be considered in isolation, but rather

as part of a well thought out human resource management strategy that is not just about improving the

Working and living conditions on board, but also includes opportunities for lifelong career development

education and training and continuous professional development. Beyond the HR function, if companies are good and

If there are accessible communication facilities, this could have the potential to improve overall operations

Efficiency of shipping companies by reducing not only the personnel costs or the costs of hiring and training new employees

Employees, but also by increasing efficiency in other areas such as control or management systems.

Last but not least, the results of this study have far-reaching effects on the resources of the maritime industry

This applies in particular to the growing shortage of seafaring experts, especially qualified commercial naval officers.

The results of this study are therefore not only important to address the problem of seafarers’ reluctance

Already employed in the industry, but also help to generate strategies for increasing image and awareness

of the maritime industry in general. To this end, this study should be expanded to include the opinions and attitudes of others

Groups that could influence the decisions of seafarers, such as family members or the people of the shipping companies

Resource or crew department employees could be an opportunity to conduct further research in this area.

Page 17

16

thanksgiving

The methodology used in this analysis and part of the results presented were developed within the framework of the

Research project “KNOWME” funded by the Seventh Framework Program of the European Union

Program RP7 / 2007-2013 under grant agreement number MOVE / FP7 / 265966 / “KNOW-ME

Page 18

17

references

BIMCO / ISF (2005) Manpower Update – Global demand for and supply of seafarers. Main report, Warwick

Institute for Employment Research.

BIMCO / ISF (2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer) Manpower 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer Update – Global demand for and supply of seafarers. Highlights,

Dalian Maritime University and Warwick Institute for Employment Research.

Bloor M, Thomas M, Lane T (2000) Health Risks in the Global Shipping Industry: An Overview. Health risks &

Society 2: 329-9. 340th

Caesar L, Cahoon S, Fei J (2013) Breaking the psychological contract and managing expectations: developing

Solutions for the lack of ship officers. IAME Annual Conference, Marseille, France.

Caesar L, Cahoon S, Fei J (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) Understand and manage the complexity of retention problems for the 21st century

Seafarers in global shipping. IAME Annual Conference, Norfolk, USA.

Cahoon SC, Haugstetter, H (2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers) Shipping, Bottlenecks and Generation Y. Maritime Technology and Education

Conference (MarTech). Of 2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers.

Cahoon SC, Haugstetter, H, PR Bhaskar (2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer) Overcoming the Shortage of Seafarers: Human Resource Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment and

Marketing strategies for a sustainable future. IAME Annual Conference 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer, Lisbon, Portugal.

Carotenuto A, Molino I, Fasanaro AM, Amenta F (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap) Psychological stress among seafarers: an overview. International

Maritime Health 63 (4): 188-194.

Collins Ph, Hogg JM (2004) The ultimate distributed workforce: using ICT for seafarers. AI & Society 18 (3):

209-241.

Cotton JL, Tuttle JM (1986) Employee turnover: a meta-analysis and review with implications for research. The

Academy of Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment Review 11 (1): 55-70.

Da Silva R, Stanton P, Stanton J (2011) Determinants of the whereabouts of officers and seafarers on the Indian subcontinent in the

Shipping industry. Maritime Policy & Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment 38 (6): 633-644.

Davies AJ, Parfett MC (1998) Seafarers and the Internet: Email and Seafarers’ Welfare. Seafarers International

Research center, Cardiff University, UK.

Dearsley D (2013) Maritime Career Path Mapping – Update 2013. A report for European transport workers

Federation (ETF) and the Shipowners Association of the European Community (ECSA), [online, accessed 17.12.2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay]

https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/nautilusint.org/media/169249/ETF-ECA-Maritime-Career-mapping-2013.pdf

EC study (2011) on the employment of EU seafarers – final report. European Commission, Directorate General for

Mobility and traffic.

Evans JR, Mathur A (2005) The value of online surveys. Internet Research 15 (2): 195-219.

Fei J, Lu J (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) Analysis of the perception of students in the shipping career in China based on an artificial neural network

and genetic programming. Maritime Policy & Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment DOI: 10.1080 / 03088839.2013.873545.

Page 19

18

Fernandez-Gonzalez MJ, Semjonovs D, Bogdanecs A, Ozola S (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) ‘Youngsters’ Motivation and Difficulties for

Choice of seafaring career. The fall of Latvia. European integration studies: 8 [online, accessed on 17 December 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay]

dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eis.0.8.7323

Futurenautics Research (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) The crew communication survey. Zukunftsautik.

Griffeth RW, Hom PS, Gaetner S (2000) A meta-analysis of the history and correlates of employee turnover.

Update, moderator tests and research results for the next millennium. Journal of Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment 26: 463-4. 488th

Haka M, Borch DF, Jensen C and Leppin A (2011) Should I stay or should I go? Motivation profiles of Danish

Naval officers and non-officers. International Maritime Health 62 (1): 20-30.

Hausknecht J, Rodda J, Howard M (2009) Targeted employee retention: performance-based and job-related

Differences in the reported reasons for staying. Human Resource Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment 48 (2): 269-288.

Hult C, Ljung M (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap) Discussion and recommendations on the perception and attitude of seafarers to work

and profession. In Carl Hult (ed.) Swedish sailors and crew crew 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer, Kalmar Maritime Academy,

No. 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap, 177-189.

ILO Maritime Labor Convention (2006 – Write a paper; Professional research paper writing service – Best essay writers). Geneva: International Labor Conference. [Online] Available:

www.ilo.org/global/standards/maritime-labour-convention/WCMS_090250/lang–en/index.htm (March 8, 2013).

ICSW International Committee for the Wellbeing of Seafarers (2011) Developments in New Technologies and Implications for

Probably the seamen – seafarers’ access to WiFi and WiMAX in ports. A report commissioned by the International

Committee for the Wellbeing of Seafarers.

ITF – Intertanko

(2009)

Young

sailors

focus

Group.

Results

ITF Intertanko

(https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/itfseafarers.org/files/seealsodocs/14300/Outcomes%20of%20Young%20Seafarers%27%20Focus%20G

Group% 20-% 20April% 202009.pdf).

Kahveci E (1999) Fast turnaround ships and their effects on the crews. A study by Seafarers International

Cardiff University Research Center (SIRC).

Kahveci E (2011) Sailors and Communication. ITF Seafarers Trust, London Metropolitan University working

Lives research institute, London.

Kokoszko N, Cahoon, S. (2007) Development of preferred employer in the shipping industry: one organization

Perspective. IAME 2007 Annual Conference, Athens, Greece.

Kristiansen, S. (2005) Maritime Transport: Security Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment and Risk Analysis. Elsevier / Butterworth-

Heinemann, Amsterdam.

The Lloyd’s List (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap) internet rollout is recruiting young seafarers. Lloyd’s List, March 26th [Online] Available:

https://essays.homeworkacetutors.com/write-my-essay/lloydslist.com/ll/sector/ship-operations/article394596.ece (December 11, 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay).

Mitchell TR, Holtom BC, Lee TW, Sablynski CJ, Erez M (2001) Why people stay. Use job embedding for

predict voluntary sales. Academy of Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment Journal 44: 1102-1122.

Page 20

19

Nguyen TY, Ghaderi H., Caesar LD, Cahoon S. (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay For Me Without Delay) Current challenges in recruiting and retaining

Seafarers: An Industry Perspective from Vietnam. The Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics 30 (2): 217-242.

Oldenburg M, Jensen HJ, Latza U, Baur X (2009) Maritime stressors on board commercial and passenger ships.

International Journal of Public Health 54 (2): 96-105.

Progoulaki M, Theotokas I. (2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer) Human resource management and competitive advantage: an application of

Resource-based view in the shipping industry. Marine Policy 34 (30): 575-582.

Robson C (2011) Real World Research (3 rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Chichester.

Sampson H, Thomas M (2003) The social isolation of seafarers: causes, effects and remedial measures. International

Maritime Health 54 (1-4): 58-67.

Shiptalk Recruitment (2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers) Life At Sea Survey 2007/2008 – Affordable Custom Essay Writing Service | Write My Essay from Pro Writers: Attraction and retention of seafarers. Shiptalk Publishing.

Shiptalk Recruitment (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap) Survey on Life at Sea Seafarer Attraction & Retention. Shiptalk Publishing.

Stark Moore MacMillan (2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap) Crew Communications 2014: 2024 – Essay Writing Service. Custom Essay Services Cheap SMM research white paper.

Task Force for Employment and Competitiveness in Maritime Transport (2011) Report of the Task Force for Maritime Transport

Recommendations for employment, competitiveness and policy to the European Commission, published on July 20th

2011. http://ec.europa.eu/transport/maritime/seafarers/doc/2011-06-09-tfmec.pdf

Tett RP, Meyer JP (1993) Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, sales intentions and sales: path

Analyzes based on meta-analytical findings. Personal Psychology 46 (2): 259-9. 293rd

Theotokas I (2011) Organization and management of shipping companies. Alexandria Publications Athens Greece

[in Greece].

Thai VV, Balasubramanyam L, Yeoh KKL, Norsofiana S (2013) Repetition of the problem of seafarer shortage: the case

from Singapore. Maritime Policy & Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment 40 (1): 80-94.

Thomas M, Sampson H, Zhao M (2003) Finding a balance: companies, seafarers and family life. Maritime Policy &

Get research paper samples and course-specific study resources under   homework for you course hero writing service – Manage ment 30 (1): 59-76.

Van Selm M, Jankowski NW (2006 – Write a paper; Professional research paper writing service – Best essay writers) Conducting online surveys. Quality and quantity 40 (3): 435-456.

Show publication statistics

Order | Check Discount