Human Resource Management in Shipping: Issues, Challenges, and Solutions

This book sheds light on the nature and causes of the issues and challenges in human resources in shipping and proposes fresh recommendations to manage them. It explains the multiple forces at play, including the global regulatory regime, national institutional frameworks, industrial practices, trade union responses, and pressures from customers and non-governmental organisations.

Human Resource Management in Shipping integrates seafarer employment data released by national maritime authorities and a large body of literature that discusses discrete human resources issues in shipping into a single volume, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of the issues and challenges within human resources in shipping. Beyond this, the book also offers a fresh perspective on some of the long lasting HRM challenges in the industry, such as skills shortage and seafarer recruitment and retention.

This book aims to provide readers with systematic and in-depth knowledge of human resource management in shipping, and offers researchers a valuable source of reference and a solid foundation on which further development can be built.

Lijun Tang is Lecturer in International Shipping and Port Management at the University of Plymouth. He was involved in a number of maritime research projects and has rich experience in maritime HRM related research. His research interests and publications are in the areas of employment relations, seafarer training, maritime health and safety, CSR and sustainability, and the seafarer labour market.

Pengfei Zhang is a senior lecturer at Solent University, teaching maritime business, ship and port management, international trade and commercial law; his main research areas include: seafarers; ship management; maritime safety and security.