Production and protection. Seafarers’ handling of pressure in gemeinschaft and gesellshaft

Abstract

Seafarers experience conflicting objectives of production and protection in most operations. This study explores how seafarers deal with such pressures, through an analysis of interview data from 20 seafarers working on Norwegian-and Greek-controlled coastal and international passenger and cargo vessels of different sizes. Despite the various contexts, the results show similar conflicting objectives and pressure handling. The pressure is experienced differently, however, due to diverse organizational relations. Seafarers on the large vessels in large companies describe businesslike relations (gesellshaft) and direct efficiency pressures from superiors. Seafarers on the smaller vessels in small companies contrastingly report of close relations (gemeinschaft), devotion to the company and thus an internal wish to be efficient.

Traps and tricks of safety management at sea

“…Fishers are often paid according to the seasonal catch, and rarely have a company that facilitate their safeguards (as also found by Morel et al (2008)). Many seafarers work in a larger company or transport system, and are familiar with the concept of safety management (as also described by Kongsvik et al (2020) and Størkersen et al (2018)). Seafarers, in this and other studies, often have employers that they try to convince to invest in new equipment or extra personnel.…”