Shipping is a people's business (tanker market)

This research paper aims to explore the importance of humanware in shipping companies in comparison with technology, software and hardware. It will look into key leadership qualities which are commonly present that not only allow companies to sustain but also to push the company forward. In addition, research will also explore organization culture and gender ratio in both commercial and operational aspects. In the process, challenges faced in the maritime industry, in both the past and present, will be studied and special traits or similarities amongst the shipping companies in Singapore will be discussed. The research will also find out if human ware will still be the most important factor in bringing these maritime companies to the next level going forward 20 years or if there will be a future trend. Through surveys and interviews with relevant industry experts, the research study will be targeting ship owners and charterers who have a longstanding and successful history in the area of container, tanker and dry industry. Specifically, the companies selected to conduct the interviews with are either ship owners or charterers in order to make comparison more feasible. Leadership models will be explored and studied if they are indeed applicable in the maritime context. In addition, the variance in organizational culture and behaviour would be looked into and assessed if they would influence the business model. In terms of gender ratio, this research study also aims to find out if there are more women working in the maritime industry these days and specifically if there’s any special skill sets required in the 3 different industries.Bachelor of Science (Maritime Studies