the modern noah's ark: the challenges of defining, creating

15 Pages·2012·0.33 MB·English

THE MODERN NOAH’S ARK:
THE CHALLENGES OF DEFINING, CREATING, CULTIVATING AND
SUSTAINING A CULTURE OF QUALITY ON A MODERN CRUISE SHIP

Doron Zilbershtein 1 Robert C. Spicer, CPT2

ABSTRACT

With over 100 nationalities and a workforce of diverse experience and educational level, a cruise-ship
operation is a challenging workplace. Larger and more sophisticated ships enter the market in response to
the emerging demand in diverse global markets and educated clientele. The need to adhere to stricter
environmental regulations combined with a high attrition rate, potentially threatens the quality of
operation and service as the workforce lags behind the learning curve. Added to the complexity of
operation is the hybrid organization that consists of two semi-independent organizations: the shore and
ship operations. This qualitative phenomenological study which is based on open-end interviews, explores
the potential risks to modern cruise ship operations through the lenses of quality. Shifting the focus of
human resource management from the shore to the ship operation, improving recruitment processes and
offering soft skills and leadership training may hold some of the keys to an overall change in the paradigm
of existing quality culture in the cruise industry. The authors offer concluding remarks with suggestions
for potential future research.

1 Culture Explorer, Winnovation Solutions, Inc., Miami Florida. Corresponding author e-mail [email protected]
2 CEO, Global Sustainability Evaluation and Consulting Services, Inc. (GSEACS) Weston, Florida. [email protected]
KEY WORDS: Organizational Culture; Quality entity. As a result, it must be able to provide municipality
Management; Quality Culture; Cruise Line; Passenger services, such as water and power, as well as police and
ships; Diversity. ambulatory services. In addition, due to the expansion in
both nature and scope of on-board amenities, the
1. WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT? A PORTHOLE VIEW operation must be able to support and deliver high quality
INTO THE CRUISE INDUSTRY services in a broad array of areas. These include casino
and gaming, health and spa services, retail shopping,
1.1 THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY specialty restaurants and dining.

The cruise industry matured since the first episode of
The shore side operation is also unique. Over the
the popular TV series, The Love Boat aired in 1977.
years a cruise line operation expanded to include air-sea-
Today, there are 26 cruise lines organized under the
land reservations, which is a hybrid between a hotel and
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). The
an airline system. The supply chain management and its
majority of these lines are clustered under three leading
logistical arm are a result of a marriage between freight
groups; the Carnival Corporation, holding 53.6% of
forwarding, logistics and a cargo shipping line operation.
market share and 104 ships, the Royal Caribbean
International (24.8%, 42 ships) and the Norwegian Cruise
2. ON THE RADAR SCREEN: EMERGING
Lines (7.7%, 17 ships) (Mathisen, 2010).
CHALLENGES

In 2010 the industry global footprint consisted of a
2.1 LEGAL TRENDS
capacity of 417,153 beds with fleet of 252 ships. The

industry carried 18.6 million passengers worldwide
The Maritime Industry and its cruise sector are highly
(Wahlstrom, 2010)
regulated. To address the issue of competency at sea, The
International Maritime Organization (IMO) which is part
of the United Nations has prepared numerous
international conventions concerning maritime safety. The
leading framework for safety is compiled and organized
under the Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) ("International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea ("SOLAS"),
1974," 2010) which was originally triggered by the
disaster of the Titanic on the 14th of April 1912.

Since then, the SOLAS expanded to include the
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea
1972 (COLREGS), Marine Pollution (MARPOL),
International Safe Manning (ISM) and The International
Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and
Watch keeping for Seafarers 1978/95 (STCW). In the

wake of the 9/11 disaster the IMO introduced the
Figure 1: Total world cruise market share
International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS).
Source: (Wahlstrom, 2010).
Creating a road map to protecting ports and international
shipping against terrorism (Maritime Safety, 2010). In
Despite numerous economic downturns and key
addition, the cruise lines must comply with the
events such as 9/ 11, fuel price fluctuation and the H1N1
International Labor Organization (ILO) rules as to the
virus, the industry has grown on average 7.4 % since
accommodation and humane treatment of the seafarers on
1980. It has expanded by adding 118 new ships since
board ships (Ship Inspections Maritime Industry
2000 with an additional 26 new ships on order for
Guidelines , 2010)
delivery between 2012 and 2023. This represents a net

increase in capacity of 18 percent, or 53,971 beds
The global focal point of the cruise industry and its
(Mathisen, 2010).
operation is pivoting around the United States as its
center. With substantial passenger embarkation in U.S.
1.2 THE MAKE-UP OF A CRUISE OPERATION ports and sailings in or within the vicinity of U.S. waters,
the U.S legal system has over the years gradually
A cruise ship operation is not simply a floating hotel. extended its jurisdiction to inspect and control foreign
A closer look at the operation reveals a different story. A flag vessels. The extension of jurisdiction is evident in the
cruise ship operation ventures beyond the hotel and areas of concerns to public safety and health. While there
lodging industry. A ship must operate as a self-sustained is some disputes as to the extent of acceptable legal
jurisdiction and enforcement, currently, cruise ships are is an idea that is far less desirable in the eyes of the cruise
subject to control and compliance under the American line operators.
with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA) (Kennedy, 2005). Ship
operation must also adhere to the Vessel Sanitation Currently, the challenge for ship operators is utilizing
Program (VSP) which is managed by the U.S. Centers for fuel that meets the new regulations and the ship
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the United operational profile. This includes specifications governed
States Public Health Services (USPH) (Vessel Sanitation by IMO regulations for low sulfur content fuel. Added to
Program, 2010). the complexity is the inconsistency in the standards of air
pollution among the various geographical regions around
One of the many facets of the cruise industry is its the globe. For example, in the Baltic Sea region, the
characterization by the multiple governing agencies and emission standards are dictated by the Ship Emission
stakeholders across the globe that affect, through Control Area (SECA) that requires a certain fuel standard.
legislation and enforcement, the shape of the operation. In the United States, there are impending air emission
These include, flag administration, classification societies control zones along both Pacific and Atlantic coast lines
and state port control, all of which may have a different which calls for low sulfur fuels among other
interpretation and application of the rules. improvements (Luo, 2010)

According to the United States Environmental
The compliance is established through independent
Protection Agency (EPA) “The emission standards apply
agencies, entitled classification societies acting on behalf
in two stages: near-term standards for newly-built engines
of the flag administration countries. Classification
will apply beginning in 2011, and long-term standards
Societies organizations have the expertise and
requiring an 80 percent reduction in nitrogen dioxides
infrastructure around the globe, to issue the various
(NOx) will begin in 2016 ("Nonroad Engines, Equipment,
necessary operational certifications and monitor the ships
and Vehicles: Ocean Vessels and Large Ships," 2011)
compliance with the IMO regulations. Major maritime

states have such classifications society: Lloyds Register,
The changing environmental regulations place
LR (UK), American Bureau of Shipping (USA), Det
significant stress on operators to switch machinery from
Norske Veritas DNV ( Norway), Bureau Veritas, BV (
one fuel to another at certain boundary points in each
France) Germanischer Lloyd, GL (Germany), Registro
region. The result is more work and a possible failure to
Italiano Navale, RINA, (Italy); Nippon Kaiji Kyokai NK
comply at exactly the correct point. This is yet another
( Japan) and Hellenic Register HR (Greece) (""IACS" ",
burden on the already overburdened legal compliance
2011).
scheme found aboard modern ships and in particular
cruise liners. The net result is what the authors consider a
Among some of the important and complicated legal
potential environment in which the nature and scope of
change-issues that face the maritime shipping industry
quality is reduced or at the least, hampered.
today is the global move to improve engine emission by

reducing pollutants to the atmosphere. Subsequently,
2.2 HUMAN RESOURCE TRENDS
IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee

(MEPC) in March of 2010 started the process to make
The global work force is undergoing an interesting
measures mandatory for all ships. The process is expected
transformation which can be viewed thorough the lenses
to be completed by July of 2011 (Greenhouse Gas
of the various generations. Generation Baby Boomers –
Emissions, 2011).
individuals who were born between 1946 to 1964,

Generation X between 1965 to 1982 and Generation Y
The cruise industry is highly sensitive to air pollution
between 1983 to 2000 (Erickson, 2009 ). Among the
due to the ships frequent cruising closer to land. In an
many significant characteristics of each generation is the
effort to maintain a positive public image there is a broad
attitude towards the workplace and professional career
support across the cruise industry favoring the reduction
and the moral compass of each generation with respect to
of fossil fuel emission from engines that drive ships.
the others.
However, with the ever volatile and continually rising

costs of fossil fuel the industry is forced to balance
The bulk of the crew on board cruise ships includes
between the utilization of lower grades and less expensive
members of Gen. X and Gen. Y. This demographic is
fuel oil called “residual oil” or “heavy fuel” oil (HFO),
typically more techno-savvy than the baby boomers and
higher quality distillate fuels such as Marine Diesel Oil
thus have better employment opportunities ashore,
(MDO) and environmental concerns. The change to a less
especially in the area of Internet commerce. They
harmful and less pollutant fuel type requires a significant
typically seek out short-term employment aboard ship, to
added expense in terms of the fuel, new technologies and
explore the world, make money and sometimes to get
installation of new engines or other support systems. This
away from their own society in order to experience a
different life style. They are characterized by having a equivalent of the electrical consumption of a small
shorter attention span, and find it challenging to adhere to community ashore.
a structured hierarchal organizational chain of command,
which is typically the style found aboard ships. The ship also resembles a small community with its
3,600 cabins (crew and passengers). The ship produces
One the important dimensions of every ship is it’s more than 900 metric tons of fresh water daily. Both the
inside volume. This figure is measured in Gross Tonnage production of fresh water and the treatment and disposal
(“GT”), and 1 Gross Ton is equally to 100 cubic feet of of waste waters must be carried out autonomously on
space. The expression of the ship volume is used by the board. This requires advanced technologies for both.
authorities to calculate levies, fees and taxes that each Fresh water is produced using reverse osmosis membrane
ship owner should pay for port and other services such as systems. Gray (waste water from sinks and drains) and
crossing the Panama or Suez Canals (Gross tonnage, black water (waste water from toilets and hospitals) are
2011). treated on broad to near drinking water quality before
discharge. These complex systems require continuous
monitoring and continuous routine maintenance.

Among Royal Caribbean Cruises’ latest additions to
the fleet is the 225,282 Gross Ton Oasis of the Seas. Her
length is equivalent to five Airbus A380 airplanes, or
about four football fields. She has a capacity to berth
8,600 people, including crew when fully booked. On a
weekly basis, the ship receives about 700 metric tons of
food for her cruise requirements. Food is served through
24 restaurants and serviced through 26 kitchens, or
galleys. From a 24/7 laundry operation that handles

20,000 pieces daily to the 200 people who are dedicated
Figure 2. Gross Tonnage trends 1980-2010
to passenger entertainment, one can realize the
Source: (Spicer, 2011)

complexity of a cruise ship operation (Nassauer, 2010).

As illustrated in Figure 2, the size of modern cruise
Every week these behemoth ships gracefully
ships as measured in Gross Tonnage has continued to
maneuver in from open sea to the constricted waters
increase since the cruise industry first began in the late
eventually reaching pier side. Modern ships are equipped
1970s. From a humble beginning of a typical 50,000 GT,
with sophisticated multiple thrusters on both the bow and
ships have mushroomed into more than 225,000 GT. As
stern. And, increasing port maneuverability, the Azipod
is noted further in this discussion, the significant growth
propulsion system, consisting of large set of propellers,
of ship size impacts the organizational structure and the
can rotate 360 degrees under the ship’s bottom to enable
technical complexity of each ship’s organization.
the Captain to surgically maneuver and control the cruise
Consequently, it can have a negative affect on the quality
ship safely and effortlessly to and from its docking place -
output of the ship’s operational performance.
despite the ship’s incredible size in relation to the port

facilities.
2.3 OPERATIONAL TRENDS

During the last 5 decades, the cruise industry
In 1978, when the co-author (RS) began his sailing
experienced a major increase in ships’ sizes and an
career, one of his first ships was a World War II Victory
expansion of service territories and technological
Ship called the USNS Pvt. John R. Towle. Built in 1944,
complexities. During that time, however, training and
the ship was low technology comprised of minimal gages,
development programs have remained relatively
alarm and control (Priolo, 2011).
unchanged. And the development of a skilled labor force

to operate, repair, and maintain these complex cruise
Fast forward to 2010 and the cruise industry has
ships has not kept pace with the pace of technology
witnessed the delivery of modern and sophisticated cruise
advancements according to the authors’ opinion and
ships with more than 37,000 data collection and
experience within the industry. Is the current and future
automation control points. From a simple steam powered
workforce able to face current fleet expansion and also
turbine ship to the largest cruise ships of today, the
meet the operational challenges?
industry has experienced exponential growth in terms of

technology and complexity. Growth has also brought
As illustrated in Figure 3, passenger capacity per ship
forward a need for highly skilled labor. For example, a
between 1980 and 2010 continues to rise as ships become
typical 6000 passenger ship may have six diesel engines
ever larger. As the cruise industry and its ships keep
producing electrical power of 75 MW. This is the
growing, so does the challenge facing the crew on board the advancement on these two fronts: controllable space
these ships. One way to visualize the challenge is through and technological complexity. The result may yield
the theoretical space assigned for each crew member as a inability to give adequate attention to vital elements of the
measure of the ability to maintain and control a space. operation which may lead to a gradual decline and
eventual failure of the system (Spicer, 2011)

The increase in number of passengers per ships didn’t
follow with a similar trend on the crew population. As
illustrated in Figure 5, the ratio of passengers to crew over
the last two decades increased from an average of 1.6 to
2.4. This data suggests that more passengers are being
served by fewer crew members. This condition should
raise concerns for passenger, crew, and ship safety. These
concerns are amplified when considering emergencies and
the ability to control crowds under disastrous situations
such as on board fires, collisions or even sinking.

Figure 3. Passenger capacity per ship between 1980 and
2010
Source: (Spicer, 2011)

Referring to Figure 4, Trends in Crew’s Controllable
Space Ratio, it appears that since the 80s, there was an
increase of more than 40% in the space which was
assigned to each crew member. Since the increased space
requires additional attention by the crew, not considering
the increase in technological complexity, the challenge is
apparent. This raises the question that if ships have
become larger and there is more to maintain with less
crew – are those ships being properly maintained?
Figure. 5: Trends in Passengers-to-Crew Ratio
Source: (Spicer, 2011)

Like any revenue based business, offering a better
cruising experience at the right price and cost point is the
paramount objective of the cruise lines. Figure 6,
indicates the trends in on board space per passengers.
Larger spaces mean more maintenance. Given the stated
trends in ship size, passenger to crew ratio, level of
technological advancement and demographic changes, it
is becoming apparent that the challenges are beginning to
mount. A need for a comprehensive examination through
the human element lenses may yield the desired solution.
Such a solution must address the ability of the crew to
Figure 4: Trends in Crew’s Controllable Space Ratio effectively function without compromising safety,
Source:(Spicer, 2011)
security, and while delivering the desired passenger

experience.
Furthermore, on board training methods and general

learning techniques were not keeping within the space of
3. THE SIAMESE TWINS: THE MAKE UP OF A
CRUISE LINE’S ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE AND CULTURE

3.1 THE CRUISE LINE ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE

From the perspective of the uninformed onlooker, a
typical cruise ship operation may seem like nothing more
than a floating hotel. It may be perceived as operating
within the lodging and hospitality industry. However, a
further examination of a cruise ship operation reveals a
different reality.

Figure 6. Trends in Passengers’ Spacious Ratio A typical cruise ship operation is comprised of two
Source: (Spicer, 2011) parallel organizations: the shore and the ship operations.

The former provides support to the ship operation and the
2.4 MARKET AND CONSUMERS TRENDS
later is entrusted with running the ship. These

organizations offer different working environments.
2.5 GLOBAL ECONOMIC TRENDS
Therefore, each attracts a different caliber of individual

and demands a different set of personal and professional
In the early 1970s, there was a severe shortage of
skills. These organizations are typically very hierarchal
seafarers in the traditional maritime nations and many
and vertically integrated.
ship owners recruited seafarers from the Far East (Guo,

Kung-Don, & Gin-Shuh, 2007). This trend continues
Yet, despite their connection, they are different. Each
today but moves from nation to nation based upon
organization attracts and employs people with a
economic availability and sourcing agency effectiveness.
completely different set of personal and professional
Recruitment has even reached those regions such as Nepal
aspirations and skills sets. They are forced to coexist in a
which is landlocked and entices young people to travel
dynamic working environment, even though they have
and experience the world while providing for the
very different organizational cultures and dynamics. And
economic survival of their families back home.
at times, they may seem and do operate with conflicting

interests.
While the sea going life was once thought to be an

attractive element of society, it is no longer. Seamen
were the merchants and travelers of yesteryear. Returning
sailors became the center of social circles in port cities
armed with their adventurous tales. Wealthy merchants
built business dynasties ashore in the wake of their
maritime related successful global trading. However, in
modern times, this sea going life of isolation and distance
from family and friends is no longer an attractive career
for many young men and women (Kennerle, 2002).

For citizen of emerging economies, such as in Asia
and Eastern European countries, the sea going life style
offers a way to earn a living in an environment where
food and lodging is fully provided. The draw of personnel
from a mixture of global regions depositing them into one Figure 7. Cruise Line Hybrid Organizational Structure and
isolated environment called a cruise ship creates an Culture
interesting and dynamic cultural environment(Mack, Source: (Zilbershtein & Spicer, 2011)
2010). However, with continuing pressure to perform
financially, cruise lines will continue to draw workers The ship’s operation is organized under the command
from low-cost economies for the foreseeable future. of the Captain who has the ultimate authority and
responsibility of the safety operation of the ship. Under
the Captain’s command there are three distinct
departments; Deck, Engine and Hotel. Each of the three
departments has a unique application to the operation of
the ship and the business found within. On a typical large
new cruise liner, the entire workforce consists of & Uhl-Bien, 2009b). Organizational culture is like
approximately 1,175 employees. The deck department oxygen; it is transparent to the naked eye, intangible and
consists of about 10% of the total officer and crew occupies every space in our life. It can’t be measured,
complement, the engine department about 10% and the and no one can survive without it. Despite a wealth of
hotel department about 80%. The highest technical research on the subject, there is very limited knowledge
competency resides in the engineering and navigation on the culture of hybrid organizations such as found
departments, while the largest number of personnel is aboard cruise ships.
hospitality related.
The collective culture of a cruise line operation has
The deck department is primarily responsible for the watermark of three unique cultures: Corporate
navigation and overall safety and security. The Captain of America, National/Socio-cultural Anthropology, and
the ship is responsible for the deck department and yet is Maritime Traditional Professional.
ultimately responsible for all elements of ship operations
according to maritime law. Although he/she may not be The Corporate America Culture: Most cruise lines are
directly responsible for engineering or hotel services, the publically-held corporations. As such they share and
law of the sea makes the Captain responsible for the entire exhibit certain characteristics of a typical “Corporate
ship. America” culture, especially those who are traded on the
United States’ Stock Exchange. Among the noticeable
The engine department on the other-hand has the attributes are the prevailing autocratic leadership style and
responsibility to operate and maintain the ship’s the lack of empowerment to grow and experiment.
machinery including propulsion and electrical generation.
This department is headed by the Chief Engineer who, Management in the cruise industry, at various levels,
like the Captain, is a licensed maritime officer. exercise autocratic and draconian management styles to
promote the importance of bottom-line performance and
While the hotel department’s primary mission is to adherence to operational and legal compliance. They
provide guests with services that generate revenue such as show little concern for the well-being of their employees
entertainment, rooming, and food / beverage services. and fail to recognize and treat employees as the most
The hotel department is headed by the Hotel Manager valuable assets of the corporation. Family is not part of
who manages the department and whose personnel far the corporate world experience equation. Within the
outweigh the marine side by up to 5 to 1 on some ships. workplace, social interaction and relationships tend to be
Frequently, there is conflict of interest between the hotel more work oriented, as opposed to community and ethnic
and the traditional marine departments. These conflicts oriented (Gorrill, 2009).
arise from poor communication and misunderstandings,
excessive stress and individual personal attributes. The younger generation, Gen Y, thrives on mobility
Consequently, the conflicts lead to a breakdown of work and constant change (Erickson, 2009 ). Therefore, long-
quality. The characteristic of organizational stress is term employment is not on their radar. Americans
well-known among the ship’s staff and crew, yet it has frequently change jobs as part of the progression along
been underestimated by the research community. the career path. Education is more related to getting a
better job than to desire for self- fulfillment as manifested
It is ironic that while both deck and engine staff is by the number of dissatisfied employees and the rate of
traditionally comprised of maritime professionals, and the career changes in the United States (Hewlett, Sherbin, &
officers and crews of these departments are trained to Sumberg, 2009). This behavior pattern has been
address safety, security and quality issues, they represent manifested both onboard ships as well as ashore.
a smaller segment of the entire crew. These professionals
typically have longer contract periods and depending on The understanding and tolerance of American
the company, the hotel crew may have shorter contracts, managers in the cruise industry to other cultures is
usually four to six months. Most of these short term crew relatively low as well as the understanding of non-
members have little formal training in safety and quality American history. There is little interest in foreign
yet they are required to man safety positions in case of an cultures in most areas of the country, with the exceptions
emergency. of metropolitan areas with large immigrant populations.
Business people are relatively informal in their meetings
3.2 THE CRUISE LINE ORGANIZATIONAL and these meetings dominate the agenda of a typical
CULTURE workday. (Vickers, Dennis, Tompson, Lindberg, &
Williams, 2010).
Organizational Culture (OC) is defined as “the
shared belief and values that influence the behavior of National- Socio/Anthropological Culture: More
organizational members” (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, than 75% of the officers and crew on board cruise ships
are originally from countries other than the United States. (Glendon & Stanton, 2000). This trend is fairly
About 40% are originally from western countries with representative of the majority of the marine industry.
prevailing individualist societies. The balance is However, when it comes to the niche cruise market,
originally from the Far East or from Eastern European quality takes a center stage. It expands its basic concept to
counties where homogenous culture is more prevalent include guest experience as the influence of the
(Spicer, 2011). hospitality component of the ship becomes substantially
more visible and demanding.
Staff and crew members originating from countries of
homogenous social cultures are used to an asymmetric This changes the paradigm for seafarers who must
share of power and responsibilities between genders. In venture out of their comfort zone into uncharted territories
their view, there is a specific limited role for women in such as guest relations and customer satisfaction. Over
the workforce, and the authoritative power is very often, the years the cruise industry was forced to migrate and
if now always, expected to be at the hand of the men adopt “Best Practices” from the hotel and leisure
(Hausmann, Tyson, & Zahidi, 2009). industries forcing the industry to reach higher levels of
organizational efficiency and improved competitive
In addition, these staff and crew members tend to advantage within the marketplace.
adhere to a different time and pace than their western
counterparts; they are slower to response to challenges, The authors submit that quality culture can be
are less direct and almost always try to avoid defined as “A culture in which there is considerable
confrontational issues. They possess a higher respect to endeavor to understand the meaning of relevant value for
authority to the extent that they seldom question decisions each stakeholder group and invest substantial, noticeable,
that may cross their own moral and ethical lines (Kohls & measurable efforts which will deliver the identified value
Knight, 1994). This provides a clue as to some of the to the stakeholders as reasonably as practicable.”
breakdown in command that have led to some of the
known cases of marine pollution (Spicer, 2011) One of the leading aspects and concerns related to
quality is safety. Therefore, in the context of safety, the
Adherence to social norms and social status are vital above definition may take the form of “A culture in which
elements in a homogenous society. This has taken the there is considerable endeavor to reduce risks to the
back seat with western societies, especially among the individual, the asset and the marine environment to a
younger generations as manifested in their respect to level that is as low as reasonably practicable.”
authority in schools, the workplace and their family
bonding structure. (Kohls & Knight, 1994). 4.1 QUALITY ACROSS THE DECKS

Maritime Traditional Professional Culture: Though The competency level of the maritime officers –
the cruise industry is relatively young, the maritime Deck and Engine departments – is regulated by IMO.
industry has a long tradition that is rooted in the early The verification is entrusted to the classification societies
history of civilization. Ships continue to navigate the on behalf of the Flag States. Officers in both departments
oceans of the world in similar ways as the first mariners are typically graduates of maritime academies or nautical
did and the way that ships are anchored or navigate the colleges. Throughout their career, officers are subjected
perils on the high seas continue to challenge mariners and to a continuously rigorous certification process. This
technology alike today. Over the years, this highly ensures the attainment of an acceptable level of
hierarchical, structured industry evolved to accommodate competency as defined by IMO is achieved. At times,
shipping opportunities, scope and nature of cargo, officers are required to take four independent exams that
graphical expansion of port of calls and vessel size and encompass theoretical and practical experience as they
shapes. Positions and experience dominate factors on the transition from junior to senior officer.
power and control ladder (Lu & Yang, 2011). This leaves
minimal incentives for ship’s commanding officers to To a lesser degree, ratings beneath the officers in
move from traditional management - controlling each marine department are also regulated and controlled.
behaviors - to leadership - inspiring behavior. In contrast to the marine side of the organization requiring
a high degree of technological competency in ship
4. THE QUALITY LANDSCAPE operations, the hotel department is quite different. The
hotel side of the organization requires a high degree of
The maritime industry consists of a high-risk, business revenue competency, guest satisfaction skills,
unpredictable, operational environment. Any attempt to and a strong focus on the management of personnel and
address quality in the cruise industry must be regarded as process.
a long-term, evolutionary process. As a result,
traditionally, quality has centered on the issue of safety
The hotel department predominately concentrates on The autocratic and pace setting commanding style
guest services. Its top leaders are often college educated may prove to be effective under emergency
with relatively good business skills. The department circumstances. However, over a long period of time, more
orientation is toward the guest experience; compared to democratic leadership styles can and should be practiced
the marine side – Deck and Engine departments - which to obtain buy in and support for collaborative efforts on
are focused on the safety and operation of the ship. The board (Goleman, 2000). This leadership style is
different perspectives between marine and hotel manifested through an empathetic hospitable and kind
frequently contribute to the misalignment in priorities leader. Captains, Chief Engineers and Hotel Managers
which under certain circumstances escalate into a conflict. and their leadership team must transform individually in
These routine conflicts eventually bubble to the surface order to be able to be more effective in the orchestration
and affect the quality of functionality and the delivery of of their crew. Staff on board ships must be able to
the expected experience to the guests. recognize that the ability to effectively command and
control stems from the delicate balance between the
For example, the hotel may be faced with a authoritative POWER of the manager position and the
malfunctioning drink dispenser which is an important intrinsic STRENGTH of the manager. The creation of a
aspect to guest satisfaction. But the engineer who was structured environment that offers fun and a conducive
called to fix the problem may be faced with keeping a work environment is an achievable goal. Yet it would
generator in operation. Which is more important? It may require a substantial investment in time and efforts on
just depend on your viewpoint. This lack of integrated enhancing the emotional intelligence of the leadership on
visibility and alignment of organizational priorities broad (Goleman, 1998)
creates unnecessary stressful conflicts that eventually
surface and affect the passenger’s service and experience. Creating a homogenous culture that focuses on
This event exemplifies the routine tension among the service and integrating command and control thinking is a
various departments and usually leads to an increased challenging task. This requires continual educational
level of anxiety and frustration among the department and trainings sessions, thinking and behavioral modification
their respective leaders onboard. opportunities, and improving morale which consequently
leads to lower rate of employee turnover and improved
4.2 CHALLENGES TO QUALITY MANAGEMENT profitability across the departments.
AND CULTURE
Such a homogenous culture may be easier to cultivate
The challenges to quality management are significant among the deck and engine officers and crew. They are
in any industry. But within the maritime industry, already accustomed to a similar leadership style, and the
challenges are frequently associated with the competency added component of improved emotional intelligence of
of communication channels whereby individuals translate their leadership would be a welcomed message.
personal action into a group supported organizational
result. In a typical cruise ship environment there may be It may be, however, an uphill battle when attempting
up to 100 different nationalities interacting with one to implement the proposed culture among the hospitality
another. The boundaries between each culture are team. This group of individuals may be aboard for the
assumed meaning of content and action has at its core an first time, may be young and/or inexperienced, and they
opportunity for misunderstanding and confusion. Thus, a tend to be subjected to mood swings. As such, there is an
cruise ship is an ideal and real time laboratory where apparent higher than average rate of dissatisfaction among
quality performance may be observed, studied, and them that cause, in some cases, higher a rate of turnover.
improved. Among this non-traditional maritime group, the challenge
is twofold: first to provide correct hospitality training that
In the author’s experience, one of the key will drive business success, and secondly to provide the
components of performance improvement opportunity is skills and attitudes that enable the same staff to instantly
the ability to create a cohesive and unified group effort. respond to a command and control structure if an
However, some of the barriers that exist are the cultural emergency arises.
differences already mentioned and the inherent command
nature of shipboard life, i.e. command and control aboard 5. NAVIGATING FOR SUCCESS: THE SOLUTION
ship is enforced by a quasi military structure of officers
and crew. While such a command and control structure is 5.1 THE PROCESS OF CHANGE
a natural element of the traditional deck and engine
department, it is less prevalent in the hotel and hospitality The course for success with quality in the cruise
department. industry passes through the heart of the ability to change
traditional rooted habits. The focus of any initiative
should concentrate on the ability of the leaders in both
organizations – shore side and the ship – to mobilize the
minds of the officers and crew and make them recognize Figure 8 depicts the methods of detecting illegal
that the industry is facing a new era with new emerging discharge cases in US waters involving foreign flag
challenges. vessels. The interesting facts reveal 37% of cases were
self-reported between 1993 and 1998. According to the
There are several models that can be applied to the USCG this figure increased to 42% during the last two
change process (Baekdal, Hansen, Todbjerg, & decades, which represents a minor change. Although the
Mikkelsen, 2006). Among the popular models are the ISM Code requires the ship’s captain to report even near–
Lewin’s Change Model with the Unfreeze-Change-Freeze miss incidents, the industry is gradually building the
process, the Kotter’s Eight Steps for Leading much-needed sense of security to open-up and improve
Organizational Change Lussier's Change Model – Denial, the rate at which required incidents have been reported.
Resistance, Acceptance and Adaptation/Commitment
(Schermerhorn, et al., 2009b). However, the authors
recommend the application of the Prosci’s Change
Management Maturity Model™ (Prosci, 2004), for the
reason that this model resembles in many aspects the way
projects are executed in the cruise industry. This model
would be more familiar territory to the ship’s staff and
crew and would be easier to adopt as a framework for any
potential proposed cultural change

However, given the surmountable challenge, there is
an urgent need to move the industry from the denial stage
through the resistance and acceptance stages to finally
adapt quality as a culture and not as a way of compliance.
Efforts should be focused on the development of an
Figure 8. Method of Detecting Illegal Discharge Cases in
authentic sense of urgency and relevancy among the
the U.S. Source: (Dillingham & Williamson, 2000)
ship’s staff and crew to embrace the proposed change.

Furthermore, the process must be transparent to staff and
On the other side of the performance spectra is the
crew from the outset. These efforts will yield positive
prevention data. As shown in Figure 9, in the case of
outcomes if coupled with, extrinsic and intrinsic
discharge of pollutant to the sea, 72% was characterized
motivational packages.
as “accidental”, and 15% as “intentional”. Recent figures

show that there is a substantial reduction in the percentage
In parallel, leadership must assign short-term goals to
under the “intentional” category, as well as the cannot be
be reached by the majority of the staff and crew. Creating
determined category (13%), due to aggressive training, on
an artificial sense of urgency and not making the end
board sophisticated control and monitoring equipment,
goals relevant to the crew, is one of the key mistakes
additional safety measures and the lofty punishment
observed in most initiatives in the maritime industry
including substantial fines.
(Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, & Uhl-Bien, 2009a)

5.2 WHY FOCUS ON QUALITY?
Depending who asks the question, the possible
responses represent an array of colorful individual
perceptions that constitute the organizational culture.
Opinions such as “Prevent accidents”, “ISM Flag State
requirements”, “Customer demands”, “Insurance
premium” Retention of employees”, “Reducing cost of
training and recruitment” “Avoiding operational delays”,
“the company’s public image”, and “Efficiency and
economy” are just a representative sample of answers to
the question.

It is apparent from these responses that the tide has Figure 9. Characteristics of Discharge Cases in U.S.
not changed yet, and the prevailing culture of compliance Waters
is substantially rooted in the minds of the staff and crew Source: (Dillingham & Williamson, 2000)
on board the ships. A good example is the number of
mandatory, reportable incidents.