The role of professional associations in shipping

This article is in three parts. The first covers the historical development of qualifying associations. The second covers the particular role of maritime institutions that include The Royal Institution of Naval Architects, The Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology and The Nautical Institute. The third and final section considers the future for maritime professional associations in the context of international shipping.     

Network economies in liner shipping: the role of home markets

This paper deals with the measurement of the network complexity of some selected shipping groups, also identifying the contribution of co-operative agreements among carriers. The empirical investigation is focused on: (i) the analysis of the distribution of the carrying capacity per range; and (ii) the comparison of that capacity with the throughput handled in the port facilities of the group. These variables are interpreted in the light of the impact that alliances have on the geographical wideness of the services supplied by each partner. This factor also allows to depict how the cultural and political origin of shipping lines affects the decision of joining an alliance and the outcomes deriving from such co-operation.     

Network economies in liner shipping: the role of home markets

This paper deals with the measurement of the network complexity of some selected shipping groups, also identifying the contribution of co-operative agreements among carriers. The empirical investigation is focused on: (i) the analysis of the distribution of the carrying capacity per range; and (ii) the comparison of that capacity with the throughput handled in the port facilities of the group. These variables are interpreted in the light of the impact that alliances have on the geographical wideness of the services supplied by each partner. This factor also allows to depict how the cultural and political origin of shipping lines affects the decision of joining an alliance and the outcomes deriving from such co-operation.     

Safety in Greek coastal shipping: The role and risk of human factor revisited

The comprehensive analysis presented in this paper investigates the links and comparative assets between human factor and other factors that are important determinants of maritime transport risk. In this outline, the identification of factors, such as age and ship size, that can be statistically linked (i.e. statistical significance) to whether an accident in a passenger vessel can be attributed to human factor or other causes is addressed accordingly. This way, the role of human factor in relation to safety of Greek coastal shipping is revealed and the spotlight is able to focus on the various aspects and points that manifest the importance of human element in the maritime industry. The risk assessment of the transportation with Greek passenger ships is being used in order for the safety level of Greek coastal shipping to be adequately estimated. Moreover, the comparison between the values of risk for accidents caused by human factor and those attributed to other causes is an established way to bring to the fore the unbroken relationship between the human factor and marine accidents’ consequences. The paper is concluded with interesting insights and comments drafted through the aforementioned tasks.     

Management control systems and performance: evidence from the Greek shipping industry

This study explores how Management Control Systems (MCS) enhance the performance of shipping companies. Based on data collected from semi-structured interviews, MCS are distinguished in three categories according to the purposes they fulfill: “Basic MCS” are implemented in order to set standards and support basic operations of the business, “Cost MCS” collect information about cost minimization while “External Information MCS” focus on compliance with the requirement of the cargo owners. Furthermore, evidence collected through a survey instrument addressed to shipping companies located in Greece suggests that the choice of MCS is contingent upon the strategy pursued by the shipping companies. Moreover, this paper tests whether shipping companies with an optimal fit between their strategies and their MCS experience superior business performance and a higher perceived usefulness of MCS. Results reinforce the notion that the performance of the shipping companies is contingent on the use of those control systems which are consistent with their strategies and a number of control variables such as experience of the person implemented the MCS, the size, and age of company.     

Valuation mismatch and shipping q indicator for shipping asset management

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to develop an adaptation of the Tobin Q investment model for the shipping asset management in order to monitor valuation mismatch and bubble pricing of shipping assets. In this circumstance, the market prices of various shipping assets (e.g., Capesize or Panamax dry bulk carriers in different age profiles) are compared to the measured long-term asset value with second-hand ship prices. The mark-to-market prices of shipping assets are led by current market trends and freight rates, while the long-term asset value is estimated by using past data under certain assumptions (mean reversion, trend reversion). The discrepancy between market prices and the long-term nominal value of a shipping asset reflects any mispricing, which in turn sheds light on investment timing and market entry-exit decision.     

A GPS-based system for precise shipping guidance and control

This paper discusses the general concept of an automatic berthing system. The research considered the automatic berthing of a large merchant ship. A global positioning system (GPS)-based system, which provides the necessary information on position, velocity, attitude (roll, pitch, and heading), angular velocity, and time, was the principal sensor used. Field tests were conducted on board a hydrographic sounding ship to assess the quality of information obtained from a GPS-based system. The data were processed using the software with which the algorithms developed in this research were implemented. This paper also discusses various aspects concerning a real-time GPS-based system in relation to an automatic berthing system, such as integration of sensors, mathematical models, port infrastructure, and training of crews. Received: October 22, 1999 / Accepted: June 30, 2000     

凝聚三十载开创新篇章——写在《水运管理》创刊30周年之际

2009年10月,是新中国60华诞,值此喜庆日子,伴随着祖国现代化建设的步伐,《水运管理》也迎来了创刊30周年诞辰。     

Flagging options for the future: A turning point in Korean shipping policy?

The issues surrounding the future of Korea's shipping policy have been heavily debated since 1990 because the Korean shipping industry has been facing rising crew costs and difficulties in recruitment of qualified crew, an adverse taxation system, very limited access to foreign capital markets, and an inflexible government regulatory environment. Consequently, this has contributed to the deterioration of Korea's compectitive edge. This paper aims to provide both an account of the current adverse situtation in Korean shipping business and proposals to alleviate the plight of shipping enterprises. Within the context of that adversity, two solutions are suggested to improve the current situation, by either establishing a Korean second register or flagging out. The paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of each solution. Because ship management is closely interrelated to flagging strategies, the paper also discusses areas of co-operation between Korean shipping or ship management companies and advanced foreign ship management companies.     

海运自由化趋势下航运企业管理体系探析

随着航运市场自由化步伐的加快,我国航运企业的生存和发展都面临严峻挑战。若想步入国际市场、在超强竞争的市场中立于不败之地,就必须树立强烈的竞争意识,不断进行企业管理创新,加强和完善企业管理,以迎接２１世纪的挑战。     

The role of training in developing entrepreneurship: the case of shipping in Italy [1]

This paper examines the role of management training on entrepreneurial development paths of a sample of small and medium-sized Italian shipping enterprises. Starting with an analysis of evolutionary dynamics at the international level and highlighting the peculiarities of shipping in Italy, this paper reveals teh importance of firm-specific factors, compared with country-specific factors, in determining the competitiveness of shipping companies. In such enterprises the entrepreneur's role and his/her level of entrepreneurial culture play an important part in conditioning developing paths. On the basis of the results from an empirical survey, thee study in question suggests several implications for implementing policies aimed at increasing the level of entrepreneurial culture by means of selective, diversified interventions in management training so as to develop the factors required by the firm to recover competitiveness.     

The human talent and its role in ISM Code effectiveness and competitiveness in the shipping industry

The present study empirically evaluates the role of human talent in the effective implementation of quality management systems in the shipping industry context. Specifically, we analyze the relationships among top management commitment to quality, ISM (International Safety Management) Code effectiveness and competitiveness as well as we assess the influence of talent in these associations. We test our research hypotheses using a sample of 199 shipping companies located in Greece. The findings show that ISM Code effectiveness acts as a mediator between top management commitment and shipping company competitiveness, while the different talent philosophies were found to moderate this relationship.     

The role of Mediterranean short sea shipping in the EU transport chain: The case of Greece

The European Community has provided valuable support to short sea shipping through various programs and legislation. This paper analyses the situation while focusing on the Mediterranean Sea and suggests solutions for addressing the short sea shipping problems in this special region. The biggest challenge for all sides in the comingyears will be the replacement of the existing fleet. The study presented herein gives an insightful and collective picture of the situation, while focusing on the Greek owned short sea vessels.     

A model for the evaluation of some shipping company decisions

This paper describes a model which may be used in the evaluation of the relative effectiveness of policies used in the areas of ship chartering and the switching of combined carriers between the dry-cargo market and the tanker market. The policies for chartering and market switiching are expressed in the form of 'desired proportions' of the fleet operating in a particular charter-mode or a particular market. Graphical illustration of this form of expression of policies can be easily understood, so that alternative policies can be designed with relative case. The effectiveness of a particular from of policy under various freight market conditions can be determined from the model, the use of which is illustrated by its application to the deployment of the fleet of an hypothetical shipping company. It is assumed that the feedback connection between the company's actions and the market-place is negligible.     

长江航运运力结构调控研究

长江航运为流域经济的发展和社会进步做出了十分重要的贡献。然而，近年来由于多方面原因，长江船舶运力总量过剩，结构性矛盾突出。与此同时，长江流域产业结构的调整正在加快步伐，对长江船舶运力提出了新的要求：煤炭、矿建、矿石等传统的大宗散货在货运需求中仍占较大比重，但增幅趋缓，特别是能源结构的调整，使煤炭的增幅甚微；高技术含量、高附加值产品的运输需求不断增加，适箱货源增长迅速；特种货物运输的需求有较大的增长。依据目前长江船舶状况，运力结构必须进行调整才能适应经济发展的需要。本文阐述了长江运力结构现状，分析了运力结构中存在的问题和主要原因，论述了未来长江市场发展态势以及对船型的需求，从船舶动力供给管理的角度，提出了解决长江船舶运力结构性过剩矛盾的对策建议。