Resumen de Maritime culture: A sociological perspective
The aim of this paper is to analyse and discuss the multifaceted cultures within the merchant navy. It is within this multicultural context that the construction of different cultures occur. If maritime managers are to work successfully with their designated ships, and the seafarers working and living aboard these ships, they need to understand that different cultures exist within the industry. The argument put forward is that maritime management needs the necessary soft skills to develop cultural awareness and become culturally sensitive. The primary source of data was drawn from netography and qualitative methodologies. Secondary data was obtained through maritime dissertations, face-to-face interviews, maritime newspaper articles, maritime journal articles and social media. Two main conclusions emerged: firstly, in maritime scholarship there is a lack of research of the existing maritime cultures; and secondly, few maritime companies are aware of how different cultures are integrated. It is significant that healthy cultures within the merchant marine rely on management’s cultural knowledge and their soft skills.
