Power Distance and Emergency Response among Deck Officers

Abstract

Merchant shipping is an occupation with a high rate of fatal injuries caused by organizational accidents and maritime disasters. In most accident investigations, the leader’s actions are under scrutiny. Several accidents have been suggested to have occurred as a result of issues arising from multicultural crewing within the industry. The influence of culture on a workplace could be predicted to be an important factor for the merchant navy, given the fact that a large proportion of the world’s merchant fleet are manned by multicultural crews. Studies have found that power distance between crew members has been observed to be the cause of accidents within the maritime sector.

This study examines the relationship between power distance among seafarers and their response during an emergency. The data gathered by way of a survey will be used to analyze the relationship between power distance and emergency response of the team members.