Emerging organizational values in shipping: Part 4. Decentralization—the redefinition of authority in shipping company organization

Decentralization is a major theme of organizational change in shipping. It is often seen as ‘putting power back aboard ship’. However, the authors argue that this view is too simple. Decentralization poses fundamental questions about the entire management structure of the shipping company. The redistribution of authority necessary for decentralization is discussed in terms of the company organization structure.     

Union rivalry and crew reform in shipping: A United States—Australia comparison

The national-flag fleets of most of the traditional martitime nations have, in virtually every case, been in decline in the 1980s and 1990s, despite the continued growth of ocean shipping. They have declined in terms of numbers of vessels and numbers of sea-going jobs, although not necessarily in terms of cargo carried. However, a number of those nations have responded to the changed technological and competitive conditions with some success by attempting to adjust crewing and work practices on vessels at sea. Neither the USA nor Australia has been in the forefront of such change. However, considerably more progress has been made in modernizing crewing practices and work rules in the Australian-flag fleet than in the US-flag fleet. There are a variety of reasons for this, inluding government policy. However, it is our argument that one of the principal reasons the US fleet lags behind the Australian fleet in the adoption of modern crewing practices and work rules is the much greater degree of union rivalry in the US shipping industry. In fact, while the degree of fragmentation and rivalry among unions in the Australian flag fleet has declined dramatically since 1980, their US cousins have continued, and in some ways expanded, their pattern of fratricidal behavior. First we shall discuss some of the technological and competitive imperatives that are driving human resource management practices in shipping and the crewing and industrial relations adjustments that are being made around the world to adjust to them. Then we shall indicate how the Australian and US fleets have responded to these challenges. This will be followed by a discussion of unionism in the Australian and US maritime industrics as it has devloped in the last two decades of the twentieth century. Finally, we shall draw conclusions about the impact of different patterns of unionization.     

Emerging organizational values in shipping: Part 4. Decentralization—the redefinition of authority in shipping company organization

Decentralization is a major theme of organizational change in shipping. It is often seen as 'putting power back aboard ship'. However, the authors argue that this view is too simple. Decentralization poses fundamental questions about the entire management structure of the shipping company. The redistribution of authority necessary for decentralization is discussed in terms of the company organization structure.     

轮船招商局的创立及其在中国近代史中的积极作用

招商局是中国创办最早、历史悠久的航运企业，至今已经渡过了１２５个春秋。招商局的成立使中国的水上运输业从木帆船时代走向机器船时代，实现了中国航海史上的一次重大变革。招商局的成立还打破了帝国主义对中国航运业的垄断，带头在中国走出了一条以招商集股方式，创办大型交通企业的路子。另外，招商局在创办的过程中积极吸收和引进西方先进的管理技术，注重培养中国自己的航运经营管理人才，为提高中国航运事业的技术和管理水平起到了一定的积极作用。     

Technology, and the up-skilling or deskilling conundrum

While it is said that merchant ships are now so automated and sufficiently reliable for little skill to be demanded of those who control them, on the other hand, it is also argued that today’s merchant ships are so complicated that only those who fully comprehend their complexities should be entrusted with their operation. This paper attempts to obtain more insight into this paradox and systematically examines the technological imperative in shipping and its accompanying challenges particularly the skilling dilemma. It then delves into the contrasting theories of technological change implications in the work environment before arriving at the plausible correct understanding that appears to provide the viable explanations and solution.     

Motivating ship managers to use management support technology

Ship managers have been slow in their response to using information technology (IT) in spite of the dynamic environment encouraging technological support for a number of critical tasks. The reason is in part the conservatism of the shipping industry, but the main reason seems to be the poor quality of systems provided, creating a credibility gap and usage reluctance. This paper suggests five principles for the development of 'user seductive' systems and illustrates their successful use in a number of case histories of management support systems development.     

Management and labour in shipping: A role for co-operatives

The employment and management policies of the shipping industry are in legal and administrative confusion. The shipping industry is struggling with an unworkable global governance based on flag state sovereignty and a sanctionless international regulatory regime. Seafarers suffer most from this state of affairs, but so do the shipping industry’s public image. Few co-operatives of maritime workers exist in national or international shipping. A new employment theory is long overdue. Human centred management policies can only attain their full potential through co-operative or mutual associations. This paper describes the application of enlightened and socially conscious management principles to the shipping industry. Seafarers’ co-operatives are the future organisational building blocks of the shipping industry. Co-operatives can rescue maritime workers from developing countries from exploitation and the debilitating effects of casual labour by providing “all in one” seagoing and shore based professional careers. Seafarers’ co-operatives can solve the shipping industry’s maritime training and education problems. The seven universal principles of co-operative management will guide shipping management in setting human centred objectives that command respect of those who come in contact with the shipping industry.     

基于价值链的中海集运公司风险管理

现代海运业具有"高投资、高风险、高收益"的特点.由于风险众多而分散,传统的企业风险管理模式已难以满足现代航运企业对于风险管理的需求.从系统和集成的角度出发,提出了基于Hines价值链的航运企业风险管理模式,将航运企业面临的风险分为企业内部风险、企业间风险、价值链外部风险等3个层次;针对不同层次的风险宜采取不同的风险处理策略,并特别论述了上述3层次风险之间的关联性.作为案例,对中海集运公司的风险管理实践进行了剖析.结论表明,我国航运企业在企业内部风险管理方面已积累了丰富的经验,并开始重视通过企业间合作来削弱企业间风险的影响,但在价值链外部风险上尚乏举措,在风险管理文化的构建上亦有待深化.     

Emerging organizational values in shipping: Part 1. Crew stability

In this paper, Smith and Roggema examine the solutions emerging in answer to the growing concern in North European shipping companies to adapt to increasing competition and technological diversity and also to attract and retain suitably qualified seafarers. Part 1 describes a move from a situation of lack of stability of crew towards greater crew stability, whilst Part 2 discusses the redistribution of responsibility on board ship, encompassing a change from the caste-like division between officers and ratings and a more flexible division of functions and authority.     

The role of geomatics engineering in establishing the marine information system for maritime management

Maritime management encompasses the employment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources and natural resources that relate to the sea, maritime navigation, shipping, port development and coastal protection. It contributes to the economic growth, price stability, transportation of cargoes and passengers, and business activities of shipping organizations. The efficient management of resources, operations and activities relies on a modern marine information system (MIS) whose information is provided by geomatics engineers and IT professionals, among others. This paper first introduces the role of the geomatics engineer as geodesist, engineering surveyor, land boundary surveyor, cartographer, hydrographer, photogrammetrist and geographic information system (GIS) engineer since all these fields are related to maritime trade, supply chains and development of ports and airports. It then describes the principal components of a web-based MIS and the important role of geomatics engineers in surveying data. This includes collecting data from electronic nautical charts (ENC) and raster nautical charts (RNC), by applying high resolution light detection and ranging (LIDAR), satellite platform sensors and GIS.     

The role of geomatics engineering in establishing the marine information system for maritime management

Maritime management encompasses the employment and manipulation of human resources, financial resources, technological resources and natural resources that relate to the sea, maritime navigation, shipping, port development and coastal protection. It contributes to the economic growth, price stability, transportation of cargoes and passengers, and business activities of shipping organizations. The efficient management of resources, operations and activities relies on a modern marine information system (MIS) whose information is provided by geomatics engineers and IT professionals, among others. This paper first introduces the role of the geomatics engineer as geodesist, engineering surveyor, land boundary surveyor, cartographer, hydrographer, photogrammetrist and geographic information system (GIS) engineer since all these fields are related to maritime trade, supply chains and development of ports and airports. It then describes the principal components of a web-based MIS and the important role of geomatics engineers in surveying data. This includes collecting data from electronic nautical charts (ENC) and raster nautical charts (RNC), by applying high resolution light detection and ranging (LIDAR), satellite platform sensors and GIS.     

Green shipping management capability and firm performance in the container shipping industry

This study empirically identifies crucial green shipping management capability and examines its impact on firm performance using survey data collected from container shipping firms, including shipping companies and agencies. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis is performed to identify three critical green shipping management capability dimensions, namely, greener policy, greener ships, and greener suppliers. In this study, firm performance is categorized into environmental performance and financial performance. The results indicate that a greener policy has a direct and positive influence on both the greener ships and the greener suppliers factors. Greener ships and greener suppliers are found to have an indirect and positive influence on financial performance through environmental performance. Accordingly, this study suggests that container shipping managers could focus on organizational green shipping management capability, specifically regarding policies, ships, and suppliers, to improve their environmental and financial performance. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings for container shipping firms have been discussed.     

Strategic planning applied to shipping and ports

Changing economic, trade, technological and environmental conditions today affect shipping and ports more than ever before. As a result, it has become essential for them to maintain and update strategic decisions and objectives more and more frequently. Concepts and approaches found effective in strategic planning are presented and their applications to shipping and ports are reviewed.     

Evolution and research trends of container shipping

The shipping industry was transformed by the expansion of international trade and technological innovation, notably containerization, since the 1960s. Accordingly, this was followed by a significant increase in research addressing different aspects of container shipping. Despite such availability, important questions have remained unanswered: what are the major contributions that the research community has made to the container shipping industry, global and regional economies? Have their contributions been skewed towards particular themes, directions, and geographical areas? What can the shipping research community learn from the evolution and trends of container shipping research so that they can continue to contribute to the well-being of the global and regional economies? To address these questions, the paper undertakes a critical review and analysis on the evolution and trends of research in container shipping in the past four decades, based on a collection of 282 papers investigating different topics in container shipping featuring in major scholarly journals between 1967 and 2012. The study enables the shipping research community to enhance self-understandings and identifies major gaps for further research.     

中海华润的五星级标准

2005年前，中国船舶沿海运输事故主要存在于不适应海上运输快速发展所致的船舶通航密度不断增加，以及航运公司疏于管理。但2005年后，中国船舶沿海运输事故又增添了“造船热”阶段出现船舶质量参差不齐、船员扩张后素质不均这些“暗雷”。     

Analysis of container port policy by the reaction of an equilibrium shipping market

In the competitive container cargo transportation market, shipping companies are drastically changing their strategy vis-a-vis routing and port choice by the formation of global alliances. In such a situation, the effectiveness of port management policy in persuading container liners to use the port is most important. The paper discusses port management policy in an equilibrium shipping market. A model is proposed to simulate the flow of foreign trade container cargo using game theory. It is used to explain the interaction of port management policy, shipping companies and shippers.     

基于精益管理的特种航运信息集成优化系统设计与实现——以中交国际航运有限公司为例

文章以从事半潜船特种航运服务业的中交国际航运有限公司为研究对象,对企业实际管理运营的关键环节即航运信息系统进行研究,设计和实现了针对特种航运业的信息集成优化管理系统。结合公司的管理需求以资源的合理调度和项目的科学管控为主要目的来设计,实现了公司日常管理工作的协同办公与网络实时监控,为企业的基础信息动态实时管理、成本维护、航线优化和船舶调度提供了科学和有效的方法,为企业提高了运营效率,减少了资源浪费。     

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.     

航运企业信用管理

结合航运企业的经营特点,分析了航运企业信用风险的含义及其主要影响因素,从不同的角度探讨了目前我国航运企业信用管理的现状及不足,进而从事前、事中和事后几方面提出了航运企业信用管理的对策。     

A model for forecasting future supply of shipping services at Australian ports

This paper aims to develop an integrated model for forecasting both the number of ship visits and their characteristics in the medium and long term. Knowledge of future shipping trends for any port is no doubt important, as the future number of ship visits and their characteristics may have implications for the physical facilities of a port. In addition, more reliance on tonnages as a revenue source has made this knowledge more valuable. The proposed model identifies such major economic determinants as the expected trade throughput, world shipping trends, standards of facilities and future plans of shipping companies/agents. The model examines three possible scenarios for the Port of Melbourne and produces a range of shipping forecasts based on certain assumptions. From the model the major findings were:

world trends in shipping did not have any immediate impact on the shipping trends at the Port of Melbourne;

Future shipping services at the Port of Melbourne in the next 11 years are most likely to be determined by trade demand rather than by technological developments overseas;

there has been no evidence to indicate that the Port of Melbourne has been excluded from the schedule of general cargo ships due to the Port's physical constraints.