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Port sustainable supply chain management framework: Contributing to the United Nations’ sustainable development goals
No full textSustainability is a fundamental concept and, thus, is always placed in the center of business management, which includes 3 different dimensions: environment, economy, and society. Port supply chain management is no exception in encompassing these dimensions. Port sustainable supply chain management can be associated with implementing the United Nations’ (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs). Little effort has been made to shed light on this association. Therefore, an attempt is made in this study to build a framework that comprises measures for the port sustainable supply chain management. The measures are examined by the utilization of the “dashboard of 5 Ps” (Peace, People, Planet, Partnership, Prosperity) in order to identify how the framework measures can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. Results show that ports have the potential to influence all of the SDGs, either directly or indirectly. Additionally, the framework can be viewed as a conceptual tool that is very appropriate for ports that aim to integrate economic and social aspects along with environmental concerns and push forward the implementation of the UN 2030 agenda, internally and externally, while collaborating with supply chains
The international convention for the safety of life at sea: highlighting interrelations of measures towards effective risk mitigation
Get PDFSafety is often described as freedom from unacceptable risk. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) since its establishment has consistently been working towards mitigation of risks at sea by implementing measures through specific legal Instruments. The IMO’s principle Instrument with this focus is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (SOLAS). By identifying and examining a wide range of risks that must be addressed in order to ensure the safe operations of ships at sea, the chapters of SOLAS provide the necessary mitigation measures. This paper goes on to discusses three specific risks among those being mitigated by SOLAS, which are a) structural integrity and stability related risks; b) fire risk and c) navigational risk. The reason for this choice is quite simple: analysis of past statistics from shipping incidents databases clearly indicates that these risks are recorded with the highest numbers; with statistics testifying that navigational risk is linked to the greatest number of accidents. A conclusion clearly standing out is that the various measures being put forward by SOLAS and the associated supporting Codes work in a complementary manner and together have provided a positive contribution towards the safety of personnel, environment and property
Development of sustainable port supply chain integration in Egypt
Get PDFAdvances in transportation and communication technology have led to acceleration of globalisation. The introduction of containerisation and multimodalism has triggered the cheaper, faster and safer shipping. Industries became encouraged to offshore their business to best utilise cheap labour and natural resources. Consequently, adoption of new strategies for global sourcing and outsourcing, such as supply management, became inevitable. These globalisation phenomena triggered the need for integrated logistics services and thus more integrated maritime logistics into global supply chains. Port integration into supply chains became a legitimate evolution for development taking place in the global maritime logistics industry. Empirical evidence refers to numerous positive impacts of Port Supply Chain Integration (PSCI) on port performance and competitiveness. With the enormous increase in trade volumes, however, ports became a serious source of externalities to environment and society. These externalities led ports to consider environmental and social aspects as well as economic benefits, known as Port Sustainability (PS). This thesis investigates the influence of PSCI on PS. A conceptual model was developed through a systematic literature review to address how PSCI could enhance the three underlying concepts of PS in concept, namely, Port Economic Sustainability (PECS), Port Environmental Sustainability (PENS) and Port Social Sustainability (PSOS). Empirical investigation of the conceptualised relationships was conducted with 109 questionnaire surveys collected from maritime logistics industry in Egypt. The questionnaire included responses from port operating companies, port authorities and various groups of port users. In the analysis stage, a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to validate the constructs and test the underlying relationships among those identified in the concepts. Findings of the empirical analysis are multifaceted. First, all constructs involved in the research, namely, PSCI, PECS, PENS and PSOS were successfully validated, passed reliability tests and demonstrated a multi-dimensionality nature. Second, hypothesis testing revealed that PSCI has a positive and significant influence on PECS. It also has a strong and positive contribution to PENS. However, hypothesis testing using SEM did not succeed to prove that PSCI could enhance PSOS. In conclusion, this research suggests that the integration of ports into supply chains could enhance economic and environmental dimensions of PS. Identifying the potential value of PSCI could provide port operating companies with the guidance to achieve environmental benefits while attaining their economic objectives. Port authorities should encourage port operating companies and port users to adopt PSCI practices for achieving a simultaneous sustainable development that could enhance the maritime logistics business environments in Egypt. Consequently, this research provides a considerable contribution to the fifth objective of Egypt2030 vision which aims for an integrated and sustainable ecosystem
The needs, challenges and prospects of maritime education and training in Georgia
Get PDFGeorgia is a maritime country. It has been associated with the sea since ancient times, and therefore maritime education in the country has existed for more than seven decades. Even today, highly trained maritime specialists graduated from the maritime institutions of Georgia continue to work successfully on ocean-going vessels flying under the Georgian flag and the flags of many other countries. About 80 to 90 percent of maritime accidents are attributable to human error. Hence it is important that seafarers be well educated and trained, able to understand and execute commands, manage risks, and solve problems in order to ensure safe and effective navigation at sea. In order for maritime training centres to graduate qualified and competitive officers and engineers for the world fleet, they must constantly upgrade equipment and techniques, improve curricula and teaching methods, attract experienced personnel, provide cadets with practice, and enhance cadet’s language competence. The main purpose of this article is to study the maritime education market in Georgia, in particular, to identify problems and barriers in Georgia\u27s maritime education system and their impact on seafarers\u27 subsequent employmen
Adaptive training with cloud-based simulators in maritime education
Get PDFMaritime cloud-based simulation is an emerging technological development that creates a new condition for decentralized interaction where it\u27s content and functionality mirrors traditional on-site-simulator software. This paper uses a quasi-experimental study to examine a training design that is adaptive to the trainee. The training goal is to deliver traditional learning outcomes of comprehension and familiarity with the operation of steering gear systems. The simulator training was administered through novel cloud-based simulator technology to a sample comprising of first year students in nautical sciences (n=12) and marine engineering (n=6) at the college and university level in Norway who had no previous education or operational level experience with steering gear systems in their respective programmes. All participants (N=18) were first subjected to a knowledge acquisition phase of video conference lectures before conducting a simulator training scenario of a standardized pre-departure procedure. Data was collected from 3 sources: (1) a multiple-choice knowledge test, (2) programmed simulator performance indicators, and (3) the Self-Efficacy for Learning and Performance scale. Initial results show that the level of student\u27s self-efficacy predicts the final training performance, and the level of knowledge prior to training is not significant for the outcome
Prosodic interference in maritime communication: nature and means of elimination
Get PDFThe paper is devoted to the analysis of typical phonological mistakes made by Russian-speaking maritime cadets and the teaching tools enabling maritime English instructors to correct them and to improve the phonological competence of maritime students. Today, addressing the issues of foreign accent in the speech of maritime professionals, one cannot underestimate the importance of the correct implementation of the prosodic system of the language being studied, since the quality of the implementation of a coherent text is undoubtedly the result of the adequate use in speech of both segmented and suprasegmental language means, that is separate phonemes and intonation. The comparison of the requirements of the Model Course 3.17 in phonology with cadets’ test results assessment have displayed the phonological specificity of their accent which is allegedly caused by cross-cultural interference. The results of the study allow concluding that cognitive factors along with the prosodic system of the mother tongue belong to the interfering elements that cause phonological accent in speech in situations of professional communication, The main outcome of the research is determined by the opportunity to use the structured list of most typical prosodic errors in the process of forming cadets’ Maritime English competence
Needs analysis of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses in vocational higher education
Get PDFDue to the ratification of Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for fishing vessel personnel 1995 (STCW-F 1995), Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP) should be incorporated in the curriculum of the Maritime Education Training (MET) institutions for fishing vessel industries. This study examined the curriculum of a Maritime English course in vocational higher education in Indonesia. Data were extracted from the SMCP document, past Maritime English examination papers of Certificate of Competency, and the current syllabus of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses. Interviews with three seafarers who had work experience in fishing vessels were also conducted. The SMCP document was analyzed using NVivo 12 Plus software. The results showed that the examination lacked spoken language skills mainly required in the SMCP. According to the interview, there was a need for a review of the ESP curriculum to sufficiently equip graduates with English language skills in occupational and social settings within the workplace. Furthermore, there is a need to adopt a genre-based approach and include the digital-era-related skills for the review of the current ESP courses curriculum
Utilization of non-verbal language in engine room training
Get PDFThe Engine control room in a vessel is covered with a soundproof wall. Therefore, crews can not communicate with each other with normal voices. Therefore, crews in the engine room communicated with colleagues by hand signals instead of loud voices in the noisy space when there was no control room yet in a vessel. An example of a hand signal that Japanese crews used to use in the past was putting your right hand into your left armpit, which means “measure”. One of the advantages of hand signals is that they are a useful communication tool in such a noisy environment. In addition, as another advantage, if there are internationally common maritime hand signals, it would be a useful communication tool among multicultural and multilingual crews on board. This paper focuses on engineer instructors on training ships. They use megaphones when they need to explain something or give orders to cadets in noisy engine rooms. Thus, taking into account the past hand signals used by Japanese crews and the diversity of meaning of gestures in different countries, we study the potential for utilizing hand signals during training in noisy engine rooms
What’s wrong with these folks?” Developing intercultural competency as the key to “merge” different world views
Get PDFThe main problem of working in multilingual crew onboard ships is that it is a double-edged sword. While it can boost the number of ideas achieved due to various perspectives coming together to solve a problem, it can also lead to higher levels of conflict other than what may be in conventional crews. If crew members are unable to set aside their differences and communicate effectively, that generates mutual understanding, the solution of bringing together all the most excellent minds in the world will not have the ability to solve that problem. When seafarers with a single cultural perspective on the world happen to come together, they will quickly finish asking themselves: “What’s wrong with these folks?” When seafarers with intercultural competence come together something surprising happens. The multilingual crew members can help each other to talk about their perceptions. They have the power to present to each other their new ways of thinking. They can work together to solve problems in ways that they have never tried before. Ultimately, they can “merge” their different worldviews into a “commonly accepted” way of thinking beyond the constraints of everyone’s cultural custom. This paper tries to identify the reasons for developing the ability of seafarers to shift their mindset from national to international, redefining which group they belong to, saying: I am an international seafarer vs. I am a Romanian/Finnish/Swedish/Filipino/Indian/..…. seafarer
