Excerpts from the blog now up:
In the first blog i mentioned briefly the morbid fascination in the Shipping Industry with 'Discipline and Command'. It was mentioned in context with examples of Nation States and organizations that make these as primary motivators to work ethic or an elusively satiated society. Truth is just as those examples depict, it never happens or has ever happened as was evident in Nazi Germany, Fascist Japan, Maoist China or North Korea. Centralized Command Systems have been a failure throughout.
It's only the Authoritarian without any real ideas, that banks on 'Discipline and Command' as the primary motivator to do the 'idealistic' work intended. However that requires a massive trampling and crushing of basic Human rights and Individual principles, despite the known fact that the ideal system remains elusive. Such organizations in the commercial environment of better managed Companies have been largely obliterated as a result both of enhanced awareness of rights and also better and higher commercial and ethical objectives pursued.
Shipping failed in all it's 'disciplinary' endeavors. It's top Managers, Masters, owners willfully subverted and exploited to their commercial advantage all what could be possible in the name of 'Discipline', including scuttling ships, not providing crew and family legitimate redressal to injuries and death, causing over decades incalculable harm to the environment through pollution and more. Come Exxon Valdez and a wiping out of a few Insurance firms and Banking companies and as a result pressure on authorities to 'control' the Industry led to 'implementation' of stricter norms and auditing procedures. The suggested revamp on Management was accompanied by howls of protest. By whom? Ship owners, Management and Masters community. Every trick in the trade was and has been used to try and subvert the changes till it was no longer possible to do so. But one 'trick' succeeded and went through. It subverts the entire chain in the Shipping Industry till date. The 'Chain of Command' on Board.
It reflects rather poorly on Management Companies who have failed to analyze and understand the root cause of problems and conflicting circumstances and situations on board. The conflict with their desire to have a proper management system versus the desire of the Master community to overplay the centralized Command dogma.
Please do read and provide suggestions for on board management changes necessary to keep the line healthy and profitable for the next few decades.
Link:
marinenewthink.blogspot.com/ 
