The bond and retention of Chinese seafarers for international shipping companies: a survey report

Carter, Chris James; Wu, Bin; Gu, Glory

Abstract

The shortage of junior seafarers in China in recent years raises a salient question as to how international shipping companies can improve retention rates among Chinese crews. This issue has become increasingly prominent in the context of a global lockdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper examines the dilemma through the lens of the “bond” between seafarers and the shipping companies they service, a term used to reflect the need to recognise, consent and integrate into management systems, safety culture, and organizational values. The value of this bond concept is investigated in a survey of Chinese crews (N = 318). The paper aims to reveal the features and underlying factors of the bond, and its influence on needs, perceptions and seafaring careers in foreign shipping companies. The study finds that the majority of respondents do not have a bond with their shipping company, but typically do wish to develop one. Furthermore, this form of attachment appears to be closely related to career satisfaction and retention. To address the shortage of junior seafarers in China, we call for the development of mutual trust, respect and shared values between global seafarers and international shipping companies. A number of policy recommendations are provided.

Citation

Carter, C. J., Wu, B., & Gu, G. (2021). The bond and retention of Chinese seafarers for international shipping companies: a survey report. Journal of Shipping and Trade, 6, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41072-021-00087-1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Apr 20, 2021
• Publication Date: Apr 20, 2021
• Deposit Date: Apr 28, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 4, 2021
• Journal: Journal of Shipping and Trade
• Electronic ISSN: 2364-4575
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 6
• Article Number: 3
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41072-021-00087-1
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5500069
• Publisher URL: https://jshippingandtrade.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41072-021-00087-1