Technology introduction on ships: The tension between safety and economic rationality

Suresh Bhardwaj; Syamantak Bhattacharya; Lijun Tang; Kerry E. Howell

doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2019.02.025

Technology introduction on ships: The tension between safety and economic rationality

Suresh Bhardwaj, Syamantak Bhattacharya, Lijun Tang^*, Kerry E. Howell

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

97 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper examines technology introduction on ships guided by three questions: (1) what drives technology introduction; (2) how seafarers are involved in the process; (3) what the consequences are in shipping. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ship managers and senior seafarer officers as well as a questionnaire study with seafarer officers. They reveal a discrepancy between the regulatory intention of technology introduction and the actual implementation process on ships. While the former is spurred by safety concerns, the latter is driven by economic rationality. This discrepancy makes technology a double edged sword in shipping. On the one hand, it plays an important role in improving safety, and on the other, it brings about work intensification and increased surveillance at workplace.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	329-338
Number of pages	10
Journal	Safety Science
Volume	115
Early online date	26 Feb 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.02.025
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2019
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Fatigue
Paperwork
Shipping
Technology
Work intensification

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ssci.2019.02.025

NRL_46147Accepted author manuscript, 839 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/13335

Cite this

@article{db42a79997b64446b7accd0d153a0160,

title = "Technology introduction on ships: The tension between safety and economic rationality",

abstract = "This paper examines technology introduction on ships guided by three questions: (1) what drives technology introduction; (2) how seafarers are involved in the process; (3) what the consequences are in shipping. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ship managers and senior seafarer officers as well as a questionnaire study with seafarer officers. They reveal a discrepancy between the regulatory intention of technology introduction and the actual implementation process on ships. While the former is spurred by safety concerns, the latter is driven by economic rationality. This discrepancy makes technology a double edged sword in shipping. On the one hand, it plays an important role in improving safety, and on the other, it brings about work intensification and increased surveillance at workplace.",

keywords = "Fatigue, Paperwork, Shipping, Technology, Work intensification",

author = "Suresh Bhardwaj and Syamantak Bhattacharya and Lijun Tang and Howell, {Kerry E.}",

year = "2019",

month = jun,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.ssci.2019.02.025",

language = "English",

volume = "115",

pages = "329--338",

journal = "Safety Science",

issn = "0925-7535",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Technology introduction on ships

T2 - The tension between safety and economic rationality

AU - Bhardwaj, Suresh

AU - Bhattacharya, Syamantak

AU - Tang, Lijun

AU - Howell, Kerry E.

PY - 2019/6/1

Y1 - 2019/6/1

N2 - This paper examines technology introduction on ships guided by three questions: (1) what drives technology introduction; (2) how seafarers are involved in the process; (3) what the consequences are in shipping. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ship managers and senior seafarer officers as well as a questionnaire study with seafarer officers. They reveal a discrepancy between the regulatory intention of technology introduction and the actual implementation process on ships. While the former is spurred by safety concerns, the latter is driven by economic rationality. This discrepancy makes technology a double edged sword in shipping. On the one hand, it plays an important role in improving safety, and on the other, it brings about work intensification and increased surveillance at workplace.

AB - This paper examines technology introduction on ships guided by three questions: (1) what drives technology introduction; (2) how seafarers are involved in the process; (3) what the consequences are in shipping. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ship managers and senior seafarer officers as well as a questionnaire study with seafarer officers. They reveal a discrepancy between the regulatory intention of technology introduction and the actual implementation process on ships. While the former is spurred by safety concerns, the latter is driven by economic rationality. This discrepancy makes technology a double edged sword in shipping. On the one hand, it plays an important role in improving safety, and on the other, it brings about work intensification and increased surveillance at workplace.

KW - Fatigue

KW - Paperwork

KW - Shipping

KW - Technology

KW - Work intensification

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061989621&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ssci.2019.02.025

DO - 10.1016/j.ssci.2019.02.025

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85061989621

SN - 0925-7535

VL - 115

SP - 329

EP - 338

JO - Safety Science

JF - Safety Science

ER -

Technology introduction on ships: The tension between safety and economic rationality

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this