Nowadays, the human element is receiving gradually more attention, either due to the fact that it is considered a means which has the potential to make a shipping firm more competitive to the market, or even because the human error constitutes approximately 80 % to 90% of all shipping accidents. Therefore, it is widely recognized and accepted within the maritime and shipping industries that people are key elements, but also presumably the most significant equation’s part, to establish an efficient and effective vessel’s operation (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J, 2008). Undoubtedly, except from having the competencies and qualifications to carry out their duties, the seafarers need to have also the necessary motivation levels, in order to accomplish excellence, adopt the corporate culture and values and demonstrate their commitment and loyalty to the company.
Motivation in the working environment has attracted the interest of economists, psychologists, sociologists (Vroom 1964), during the process of explaining or directing actions and behaviors for enhanced performance in shipping companies. According to Simpson (1983), specific motivational signs can be highlighted at work, for instance elevated performance, energy and willingness to communicate, cooperate effectively, take responsibility and accept changes.
The absence of motivation can lead to apathetic approach to work, decreased performance or productivity and can increase the chances for incidents/accidents on board. When reward systems are implemented in conjunction with motivation goals, they influence positively not only recruitment, retention, labor costs and corporate culture, but also the performance levels of seafarers.
Based on the most extensive empirical survey on motivation, termed “Life at Sea” (in 2012), the importance of external instrumental motivation is demonstrated. The study included 40,000 seafarers from several distinct countries and the answers of the participants have emphasized that the main reasons for following seafarers’ career, are mostly instrumental. This implies and refers to career opportunities, salary and travelling in different countries of the world. These are widely accepted as the most common reasons for selecting seafaring profession, so it can be implied that the level of reliability of the aforementioned study, is high.
Furthermore, a cross-sectional study has been carried out by Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J (2008), which has demonstrated that six motivational factors are found to be especially important, namely: the receipt of higher salary, possibility to learn novel skills, personal development and growth, opportunity for promotion and friendly working environment. This survey has also confirmed again, the contribution of instrumental motivation. Specifically, this study demonstrates that the two most significant motivational factors for seafarers are the receipt of higher salary and the chance to learn additional skills. Interestingly, based on this survey, the career development, constitutes one of the most important reasons for seafarers’ motivation, attraction and retention. Particularly, the motivational contribution of training is significant, since it includes covered educational costs, promising career plans and possibilities for promotions. Noteworthy, during this survey, the factor of “decent working conditions” is mentioned as third in position and it is an important factor, for approximately half of the survey’s participants (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J,2008).
As it has been highlighted above, the higher salary and the opportunity to learn extra skills are the two most significant motivational factors for seafarers. First of all those two factors are interrelated, since the development of novel skills, can enable a person to be promoted to a higher position and thus receive elevated salary. Nowadays, especially after the financial crisis which has been imposed by the lock downs of COVID-19 pandemic and also by the Russian-Ukrainian war, the higher salary is becoming more and more a priority and even more crucial motivational factor. Besides these, regarding the educational costs which can also be quite high, if company covers those, is another contributing factor for improved motivation. Lastly, the quality of working conditions is undoubtedly a strong motivational factor, since the working environment needs to be supportive, respectful and with high safety standards.
Additionally, according to Marine Business Survey (2010), there is often a correlation between the performance assessments and the offered remuneration and thus, this can increase seafarers’ motivation. Besides this, notable motivators which are non-monetary, are the working and living conditions. Specifically: the satisfactory living conditions, the free food on board, the balanced number of working and rest hours, the available medical care, the existence of recreational rooms and the usual provision of internet to prevent social isolation, are all significant motivational factors.
Another important factor, is the contribution of positional motivation on board, after being implemented by the Master (Kanev, D., Toncheva, S., Terziev, V. and Narleva, K.,2017). It is very crucial, when the Master tries to cultivate “a recognition culture”. Through this culture, the crew members who exhibit a good performance are well respected and recognized, not only by their colleagues on board, but also by the employees at shore. The reason for which is so important is the fact that, under these circumstances, the crew will experience feelings of respect, praise, gratitude and recognition of good job and thus they are more likely to be motivated, productive and have higher performance levels.
Additionally, based on the “Ship talk Ltd” survey, the significance of internal motivation is emphasized due to the fact that 54.71% of the respondents have answered that it is significant for them, to feel satisfaction in their working environment.
An interesting study by Notteboom et al., in 2014, exhibited the reasons which emphasize, the necessity to customize the motivational tools for seafarers. Particularly, the working environment on board is very unique due to the masculine nature, social “isolation”, small groups of crew members, need for constant training and exposure to jobs with inherent high risk. Also, the need for motivational tools’ customization, is projected at many different levels, namely: the relationship among employers and seafarers, remuneration, societal status of the seafarers, working conditions and work/life balance (Mitroussi, K. and Notteboom, T. 2014). All these levels, will be analyzed explicitly later on, but all of them highlight the more complicated nature of seafarers’ profession and thus the necessity, to find some more effective and efficient motivational tools for the seafarers.
Importance of Motivation
Motivation is considered necessary and even crucial for resolving current issues that could arise at sea. Specifically, those problems could refer to seafarers’ retention, turnover rates in this field but even to their recruitment and attraction in the first place. Moreover, motivation can be deemed useful regarding the maritime sector’s security, safety and efficiency. As a result, the concept of motivation was a topic under investigation not only by psychologists, but also by sociologists and economists (Vroom K., 1964), in an attempt to analyze and direct actions and behavior for elevated performance, in companies and organizations.
According to Simpson (1983), there is a number of motivational signs, for instance high performance and energy but also the willingness to accept alterations, cooperate with other people and take on responsibilities. The absence of motivation can have several negative effects, including a work attitude which is apathetic, low performance levels, unwillingness to change or adapt and low-quality relations among the crew members.
Empirical studies conducted regarding seafarers’ motivation
The most extensive empirical survey on motivation, demonstrates the significance of external instrumental motivation, in the maritime and shipping industries.
The most extensive empirical survey on motivation in the maritime industry, called “Life at Sea” has been carried out in 2012, after the cooperation of an English company termed “Ship talk Ltd” with “The Sailors Society”. This study had included in total a greater number than 40 000 seafarers, originating from several countries around the world with many distinct backgrounds. United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK) and India constitute the 41.39% of the survey’s results. The seafarers originating from New Zealand, Indonesia, Bulgaria and Spain correspond to the survey’s 1.65%. Considering the results, they demonstrate the significance of external instrumental motivation in the maritime and shipping industries.
Specifically, the predominant motives/reasons for selecting the seafarers’ profession are mainly instrumental, meaning career opportunities, salary and travelling in different countries of the world. During the aforementioned survey, the question “Why did you choose to sail” has been answered: “I wanted to follow a career at sea” by 42.01% of the participants, 15.78% have answered that it provided “Better opportunities for their career”, 34.02% have answered that they can get “better salary than at shore”, the 33.61% of the seafarers have replied “for the money” and the rest 34.22% have answered “to travel around the world”. Regarding the question, “which Maritime’s career aspect is most significant to you “, the 76.23% of seafarers have chosen “the salary”.
That study also demonstrates the fact that instrumental motivation, is correlated to seafarer’s retention. Concerning the question, “why do you keep working as a seafarer”, the 50.20% of the seafarers have replied that the receive salary which they cannot receive at shore. Lastly the question “what would motivate you to keep working as a seafarer”, the 62.09% have replied “more money”, the 59% of seafarers have replied “improved financial bonuses/ benefits (i.e. pensions etc.) and the remaining 39.14% of participants, have replied “better work benefits” (Kanev, D., Toncheva, S., Terziev, V. and Narleva, K.,2017).
The importance and contribution of Motivation in Shipping Industries.
Some people may wonder why motivation of seafarers is so crucial for the managers? The reason is that when motivational principles are implemented in companies and organizations, they are able to direct certain behaviors towards accomplishing set goals, increase the commencement and even the persistence for specific activities, lead to elevated energy and effort and therefore, the performance is improved.
Shipping companies are not considered to be homogeneous business entities, because the people that work in those companies, originate from various professional backgrounds. Concerning, specifically the vessels, they are coming from distinct cultural, national backgrounds, with a high turnover rate, which is not usually encountered in other type of companies (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008).
Consequently, all of these are able to complicate the work in shipping companies and the seafarers on board, have to be very well motivated, in order to have efficient performance and avoid any incidents, accidents or losses. Undoubtedly, a shipping company’s asset, the vessel, for which big capital investments are made and from which the company’s profits are usually derived, is handled by a small group of people which is trading globally, in several geographical areas, very far away from the vessel’s management office and under constantly changing weather conditions (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008). Obviously, nobody would like to hand over this power to seafarers, who are not satisfied or unmotivated.
Regardless whether motivation is intrinsic or extrinsic, it is correlated with some kind of reward systems (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008). Those reward systems, are undoubtedly affecting several human resource practices and processes, including costs, corporate culture, recruitment and retention of seafarers (Lawlyer, 2000). For instance, a high retention rate means low turnover rate and the employee/seafarers’ turnover constitutes one of various key performance indicators (KPIs), which companies are implementing, in order to check their performance levels (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008). It makes sense, that an elevated turnover, leads to increased training costs, diverts attention and time from company’s goals and prevents the efforts of implementing a corporate culture.
Thus, if the shipping companies adopt some motivational tools/practices, for instance reward systems, they can boost the performance of the seafarers and increase their retention rates. Those motivational systems can elevate the reputation of the shipping company and even attract and retained seafarers, who are high-skilled. Besides these, the incentives and potential provision of rewards, are key factors to sustain a corporate culture of quality, safety and loyalty, to the shipping firm.
In order to evaluate the significance of motivating factors, the survey participants have rated the significance of every listed motivational attributes, by utilizing a five point scale, where 1 = “very unimportant” and 5 = “very important”. Based on this, a frequency analysis has been conducted on the reported importance ratings, as provided by the survey’s respondents. The outcomes of this aforementioned analysis and the derived “mean” for every factor, are demonstrated in the Table 1 (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008).
| Motivating Factors | Importance Level | ||
| Standard Deviation | Mean | Rank | |
| Opportunity to learn new skills | 0.545 | 4.450 | 1 |
| Receive Higher pay | 0.589 | 4.450 | 1 |
| Friendly working atmosphere | 0.543 | 4.425 | 3 |
| Cash bonuses | 0.583 | 4.400 | 4 |
| Personal growth/development | 0.608 | 4.325 | 5 |
| Chance for promotion | 0.685 | 4.325 | 5 |
| Good working conditions | 0.689 | 4.225 | 7 |
| Opportunity for more responsible work | 0.628 | 4.175 | 8 |
| Opportunity for more diverse work | 0.572 | 4.150 | 9 |
| Job security | 0.654 | 4.150 | 9 |
| Praise (personally or in public) | 0.685 | 4.075 | 11 |
| Participation in decision making | 0.705 | 4.050 | 12 |
| Extra Insurance Package (life,health) | 0.821 | 3.975 | 13 |
| Greater Autonomy in job planning | 0.740 | 3.950 | 14 |
| Chance for working abroad | 0.773 | 3.950 | 14 |
| Company Shares | 0.781 | 3.700 | 16 |
| Social events organized by the company | 0.620 | 3.625 | 17 |
| Extra vacation time | 0.768 | 3.600 | 18 |
| Other material benefits (e.g. shopping vouchers) | 0.689 | 2.975 | 20 |
Table 1: Ranked Importance levels of motivating factors (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J, 2008).
As it is derived from the Table 1, the participants have perceived the significance of the motivational factors to be very high. The majority of those factors, were rated between “very important” and “important” (average score between 4 and 5). Only one factor, was rated between “unimportant” and “very unimportant” (average score between 1 and 2). As the Table 1 demonstrates, the two most significant motivational factors, are the chance to learn novel skills and the possibility to receive higher salary, since both of them had means 4.45. The factors which follow after those include: cash bonuses, friendly working environment, personal development/growth and the opportunity for promotion. Their corresponding means, are 4.4, 4.425,4.325 (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008).
Notably, the Table 1 also provides evidence that at least half of the ten most significant motivational factors include the intrinsic ones. Therefore, this implies that the seafarers are more likely to be motivated in case they feel there is possibility to gain certain things, for instance knowledge, skills, or experiences rather than only getting monetary benefits. Concerning those factors which were considered less significant, for example: flexible working schedule, additional vacation time and monetary benefits were the three least significant motivational factors. Their corresponding means, were 3.425,3.6 and 2.975 (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J.,2008).
Additionally, some open-ended questions were also included, in the particular questionnaire and they have generated interesting answers. The participants were asked to mention any extra factors, except from the ones included in the questionnaire, which would be able to act for them as incentives at work. Specifically, seven out of forty participants claimed that team work constitutes a crucial factor, regarding their motivation. They have provided suggestions that via team work, they have the ability to exchange ideas, share some experiences, learn to cooperate, coordinate and communicate effectively with other people and eventually enjoy this friendly working environment.
Moreover, the organization of trainings/courses is another important contributing factor for many participants’ motivation. Consequently, it further enhances the argument that what the participants want is not just monetary things, e.g. money or material bonuses/benefits, but they would like as well to obtain certain benefits, for instance: knowledge, personal competence, capabilities, whose value is intangible (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008).
Another crucial motivating factor, which was emphasized by the participants, was fairness (Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J., 2008). Undoubtedly, when the working environment offers fair treatment of seafarers and equal opportunities for promotion, the seafarers will feel more motivated to work towards their set goals.
HOW TO IMPROVE SEAFARERS’ MOTIVATION AND WELFARE
Monetary rewards for motivation
It is widely accepted that for people, seafarers or not, any type of reward is able to elevate output and spirits. So taking into account the challenging nature of seafarers’ profession, some bonuses/perks can be considered even more significant for motivation. An increase in the month end wages or something provided from charterers’ side, will definitely make the seafarer feel that good job is appreciated. Thus, the combination of some perks with appreciation, will uplift and boost not only the motivation and performance of the seafarer, but also his/her loyalty and commitment to company.
Reward systems based on individuals’ performance.
According to the aforementioned case study, by Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J (2008), regardless whether motivation is intrinsic or extrinsic, it is correlated with some kind of reward systems. It has been briefly mentioned before some specific shipping companies already implemented pay schemes, which are correlated to individual’s performance. For instance, certain cash bonuses and also employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) (V.Group 2006).
Currently, they are not a very usual practice among the shipping and maritime industries. However, objectively speaking when performance is rewarded with some kind of reimbursement, this means that most likely the seafarers will have enhanced motivation towards elevated performance levels, while expecting a high remuneration level. Consequently, it would be very beneficial if shipping companies will start establishing some kind of correlation, among seafarers’ work performance and the return level, i.e. remuneration level.
Regarding, the performance’s types which will be utilized as evaluation means, they fall into several categories:
-Productivity and efficiency: for instance, number of off-hire days, Port State Control (PSC) inspections, port turnaround times, operational costs, accidents/incidents, injuries of crew, maintenance levels.
-Service’s quality: for example, dispatch/demurrage, cargo claims’ number, insurance costs/premiums, P&I (Protection and Indemnity) claims.
-Customer service: for instance, success in vetting procedures of charterers, satisfaction of charterers.
-Performance related to finances, for instance: results of voyage, profits of company, freight earnings, loan attainment, capital growth.
While a ship manager is in the process of choosing among the above, his/her decision will be based on whether the remuneration scheme which is performance related, will be implemented to a person, a group of people, department or to company’s progress/performance.
Promotion of seafarers to shore-based jobs could be a strong incentive.
Besides these, succession schemes for the positions on board, could imply that seafarers will have more chances for getting a position in the shore office. Presumably, this could be a very strong incentive for seafarers, since this advancement to a professional life ashore, will be life-changing and more practical. Even though, the possibility for a shore-based job, might constitute a strong extrinsic motivational factor to have sea-service for a particular time period, usually it is not the top priority/preference of shipping companies to promote the seafarers to shore-based positions.
This can be attributed to the fact that, not always there is balance between demand and supply of seafarers and shore-based employees. Specifically, it is estimated that there is a shortage of about 16,500 officers. So, if shipping companies promote this profession as attractive, by highlighting also intrinsic and extrinsic motivators which can be provided, a higher amount of people is likely to follow this profession and thus, balancing the demand and supply for seafarers. Consequently, this will enable some seafarers to transit from sea to shore-based jobs, in case they want to.
Provision of provident-fund for seafarers.
The provision of provident-fund for seafarers, is very crucial component for seafarers’ motivation, since it can ensure a better quality of life after retirement. Except from motivating the seafarers, this can also relieve some stress or worries for their retirement years and increase their loyalty and commitment to that particular company.
Provident fund constitutes a fund, which is established voluntarily among the employees and employers. Fund’s assets include money which both the employees and the employer are contributing, with a 2-15% rate of the basic wages, according to articles of provident fund. This fund is important, since it serves as a utilized tool by employees in order to save, with the help of the employer.
Specifically, the savings of a member could accumulate gradually, after the contributions arising from the employee and employer every month, plus the included assets originating from interests or investments, which can be incurred from the fund’s assets. On the other hand, the fund members will not receive payments arising from investments’ interests, before the termination of membership. The reason is that the goal of establishing the fund, is to build up the savings into a big amount so that a good quality of life, will be ensured after they retire. Additionally, the members are not allowed to withdraw some savings’ part, prior membership termination, because this is against the initial aim to save for their retirement.
Provision of private health Insurance and family support center for seafarers.
The provision of private health Insurance for seafarers and presumably to their families as well, is a significant motivational factor for seafarers. This can be attributed to the fact that seafaring is an inherently high-risk profession, so if the seafarer feels that he/she is covered by private health insurance, for sure will increase his/her motivational levels and decrease their stress levels.
The basic advantage of a private health insurance, is the fact that they provide a wider range, concerning when and where you can be treated and also the convenience and speed, in getting the treatment, which is necessary. Besides these, if it is feasible to provide private health insurance for the rest of family members and the existence of a family support center, are extremely crucial motivational factors for seafarers, to not only demonstrate their highest level of performance, but also their commitment to that company. Since the working environment on board, is an inherently high-risk environment as mentioned previously, the seafarers know that in case of a fatal accident, the company will compensate an amount of money to the family. But except from that, if the seafarers know that there is a private health insurance covering their loved ones and the existence of a family support center, in case an incident /accident takes place, is a huge boost for their motivation and for a peaceful psychological status.
Non-monetary motivation trough certain facilities and entertainment on board.
Objectively speaking, seafaring is a job with high pressure due to the value of both lives and cargo and the fact that they contribute significantly, to the reputation of the shipping firm. Therefore, the existence of entertainment occasionally, can be considered as a “necessity” and not as a luxury. Undoubtedly, the non-monetary motivation and mental/psychological well-being, can elevate considerably job satisfaction and thus motivation.
To begin with, nowadays internet is regarded as essential together with drinking water and food. However, in some companies the seafarers have very limited internet and only occasionally if they have the chance to go to shore and buy sim cards. In some other companies, there is availability of AMOS Connect, an emailing system. For sure, it is not as convenient or effective as Internet, but it can still make a seafarer happy by providing some basic type of communication with family and friends.
Thus, on board, in some companies, internet is considered as luxury. Undoubtedly, seeing the faces of loved ones or hearing their voice, or even just a text message, after having a tiring stressing day, while being in the middle of an ocean, is able to provide incomparable joy, solace and satisfaction. It is a small way of reminding to seafarers, that they have loved ones back home, who miss them and think about them. For sure, internet can keep all the seafarers happy and very motivated, so it is crucial that all shipping companies will gradually implement the provision of Internet on board, in sufficient amounts.
Another important aspect which contributes to seafarers’ mental well-being and motivation on board, is the existence of a recreational room, in all the vessels. This room could provide some source of entertainment and relaxation, in case it is equipped with television, movies, documentaries, books, karaoke and play station games. Of course, even if some of these are provided, they can make a big difference in the psychology of seafarers. Specifically, the entertainment can keep your mind away from any stressing factors and offers a necessary distraction from a routine which is monotonous. This can be attributed to the fact that, when a person is engaged in fun or entertaining activities, endorphins are released by the body, which are able to provide some stress relief. Consequently, after mind’s relaxation, body becomes more active and productive, enabling seafarers to elevate not only their motivation but also their job performance.
Furthermore, a gym on board is also very significant factor, that can affect both physical and mental well-being and thus, the motivation levels of seafarers. It is well known that physical activity stimulates the release of several brain chemicals, which are able to make you feel less anxious and happier. Therefore, exercise can decrease the probability of a person, to develop depression. Additionally, exercise can boost the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to tissues, improve lung and heart health and thus enables the person to have sufficient energy and mental clarity to handle the daily duties effectively.
Besides these, when physical activity is regular, can help a person to fall asleep faster and have a deeper, higher quality sleep. Therefore, a well-rested and happy person will be more motivated to carry out his/her duties with higher level of performance. Exercise can also help a person develop friendships or social connections, since very often people like to exercise in small groups, of two or three people on board and this can make the whole activity more fun. Moreover, the provision of some lecture videos on board regarding the benefits of exercise, will make the seafarers realize how important is for them, to adopt this habit in their daily routine. Consequently, we can understand that the existence of gym on board has a huge contribution to seafarer’s physical, mental well-being and motivation levels. Therefore, if more and more shipping companies, decide to provide a gym room on board as a standard practice, will only have positive significant benefits for seafarers and even for company itself.
An additional parameter, which can have noteworthy contribution in the mental well-being and thus motivation on board, constitutes the organization of parties. For instance, during Christmas, New Year, Easter celebrations or when someone has birthday or maybe just to celebrate the good performance and teamwork of seafarers, the organization of parties on board, can make anyone happy. Even in dry vessels, with zero alcohol policy, i.e. tankers, still they can arrange parties with cocktail drinks that have zero alcohol, or beer which has zero percent alcohol. The nice loud music, dancing, traditional food from several cultures and barbecues while passing through the ocean, can offer to everybody unforgettable fun time to distress from everyday routines and schedules. Of course, the officer on watch, Captain and Chief engineer need to be extra careful and control the situation, but when arranged properly it is possible to have a good time without any unpleasant events.
Especially during the pandemic era of COVID-19, many port restrictions occurred which have prohibited the shore-leave of crew members, even for short time period. This can only have negative mental consequences for crew, since it can only elevate the boredom levels, decrease their motivation/performance and at the same time, it only eliminates the chances for crew to relax for a bit, change environment and “re-charge” away from the vessel. Thus, it is crucial during the period of this pandemic, to find alternative ways for crew entertainment and relaxation.
Psychological motivation through appreciation and praise.
Moreover, regarding the non-monetary version of motivation, it is very crucial when a person of higher rank, shows that he/she appreciates the good work/performance of another person. Specifically, when he/she verbalizes this and give a nice feedback, this can constitute a significant encouragement and motivation to the other person. It is not even necessary to include a complicated, extensive feedback but even just a few words of appreciation/praise, for instance “good job” or “thank you”, can play a significant role as the other person feels that his/her contribution /help, had value for somebody else. Therefore, this can immediately elevate the motivation levels of the person and his/her eagerness to work and have good performance.
The contribution of shorter contracts and timely disembarkations on motivation.
It is noteworthy, that the shorter contracts and timely disembarkations are also a motivating factor for seafarers. Undoubtedly, the timely sign off for a seafarer indicates that this is a good reliable company. Of course, during the pandemic and the COVID-19 restrictions in several ports the last years, it has not been always possible or easy to carry out disembarkations timely. However, a seafarer will always appreciate when crewing personnel do their best, to arrange the sign off/sign on dates on time, due to the fact that seafarers, just like other people, have made their own plans and have given certain commitments to their family and friends. Thus, when the shipping company respects the initial agreements or promises made, is crucial motivating factor for seafarers. Additionally, the topic of shorter contracts, for instance no greater than four months period, is also critical, since it will eliminate feelings of anxiety, boredom and negativity from the seafarer and will presumably, increase his/her positivity and motivation.
Suggestions that could offer balance for seafarers’ life and work.
Lastly, some other suggestions which can contribute to balance the seafarers’ life and work, are the following:
-Paid leave, which has a comparable duration with time of sea service. This is very crucial, since it will enable the seafarers to keep shorter contracts.
-Continuous employment provides stability and job security, compared to employment by voyage. Thus, the seafarer can structure and organize his working and vacation time properly and with balance, avoiding unexpected events.
-During the leave period, some training time could be added. This way, the training load will be splitted and not just have all the required training to be carried out while on board. However, this training should not consume too much time from the leave period, to maintain a balance between training and vacations.
-Chances for partners and if possible for children as well to sail, for some time with them. This for sure can keep the seafarers happy and motivated, since their loved ones are close to them.
This research paper has been concerned, with the significance of motivation in such a challenging profession and with the literature review of empirical studies, regarding seafarers’ motivation. It has been highlighted that, when shipping companies are trying to keep the motivational levels of seafarers elevated, this could lead to increased energy and effort by them, thus improving their performance.
Based on the results of the most extensive empirical study on motivation, the significance of external instrumental motivation in the shipping industries, has been demonstrated. Specifically, the predominant motives/reasons for selecting the seafarers’ profession are mainly instrumental, meaning career opportunities, salary and travelling in different countries of the world. The findings of the “Ship talk Ltd” survey, highlight the importance of internal motivation, since the 54.71% of the participants have answered that it is important for them to feel satisfaction in their working environment.
Moreover, the current paper demonstrated the results of a case-study, by Mitroussi, K. and Chang, C.-J (2008), for the shipping companies’ motivational principles. As the Table 1 had illustrated previously, the two most significant motivational factors, are the chance to learn novel skills and the possibility to receive higher salary. The factors which follow after those, include: cash bonuses, friendly working environment, personal development/growth and opportunity for promotion.
Interestingly, there are many reasons which emphasize the necessity to customize the motivational tools for seafarers. Specifically, the fast changes of the work nature to highly skilled/technical, the need for continuous training and the high-risk working environment, contribute to a unique distinctive environment, which comes in contrast with other fields of studies.
Concerning my recommendations for implementable ways, to ensure seafarers’ motivation and presumably welfare, they include: monetary rewards, for instance: some bonuses/perks according to an individual’s performance, the higher probability for advancement to a professional life ashore (which is more practical), the provision of provident-fund, the provision of private health Insurance and family support center, non-monetary motivation through certain facilities and entertainment on board (for instance: internet, recreational room, gym and parties), psychological motivation through appreciation and praise and also the existence of shorter contracts and timely disembarkations.
Besides these, some suggestions in order to achieve balance in seafarers’ life and work, have been mentioned, such as paid leave and the provision of continuous employment, instead of employment by voyage. Moreover, one more suggestion constitutes the splitting of the required training, both on board and during vacation time, but without disrupting a balanced schedule while on vacation.
According to the literature review, the motivational factors can vary among different cultures. Besides this, even though notable differences are not expected to be found, according to the vessel’s type, some other company’s characteristics, for instance: company’s size, could provide significant contribution. Specifically, it could be anticipated that seafarers who work in a bulk -carrier shipping company, which is family-owned, could develop better inter-personal relationships with higher quality, than seafarers who work in huge, public shipping companies.
This in turn, could presumably influence the motivational levels of seafarers. Considering the information above, it is obvious that there is still a lot of “space” for future more extensive research on the particular topic. For instance, future examination in shipping companies’ motivation, can focus on the investigation of as many different cultures as possible, since this could offer valuable and more objective knowledge, concerning motivation among distinct countries.
Written by Anna Adamou, Deck Officer at Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement
