REQUIREMENTSOF THE MYANMARSEAFARERS FOR THE … · 2018. 12. 16. · Power distance •Hofstede’s...

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REQUIREMENTS OF THE MYANMAR SEAFARERSFOR THE INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING MARKET

MARITIME CONFERENCE MYANMAR 2018

Martin Hernqvist

The Swedish Club & ALL Academy


My workplaces


Extensive experience from accidents

Costa Concordia, 13 January 2012USD 1,7 billion (No 1 P&I cost)



Rena, 5 October 2011USD 425 million (No 2 P&I cost)



Cosco Busan, 7 November 2007USD 210 million (No 5 P&I cost)


Accident experience MRM training

Maritime Resource Management (MRM)training in Manila


MRM goal: Creating competent seafarers

Attitudes

SkillsKnowledge

Competency


Attitudes and behaviour

• We need to change attitudes, not skills.

• What are attitudes? Why are attitudes important?

Attitudes:Your thoughts about

somebody or something

Your behaviour towardssomebody or something

depends on your attitudes


Competency

Competency may be described as

Competency = Knowledge + Skills + Attitudes

But it is rather

Competency = (Knowledge + Skills) x Attitudes

If attitudes are poor or negative, it doesn’t matter what technical skills and knowledge you have got


Requirements of seafarers

• No difference in the requirements of Myanmar seafarers compared with non-Myanmar seafarers

• So, is there a difference in competency? I.e. the:

Knowledge

Skills

Attitudes

• Let’s look at one important Attitude issue – ”Power Distance”

(And the related terms: ”Authority and Assertiveness”, ”Challenge and Response”)


Authority and Assertiveness


Question:

Why do people not “challenge” mistakes and unsafe acts?


Seafarers attitudes to challenging

If a superior officer, or pilot, makes a mistake.Do you challenge?

• No, it is not my job.

• I might be wrong.

• No, I might lose my job.

• Never again. He hasn’t talked to me since last time.


Challenge and Response


No Challenge - No Response


Back to the root of the problem:

Why do people not “challenge” mistakes and unsafe acts?

Has this to do with culture?


Question:

What is “culture”?


Power distance

• Hofstede’s Power Distance Index measures the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.

• Power distance reflects how decisions of the power holders should be viewed – challenged or accepted.


Power distance

High power distance ship Low power distance ship


Power distance index

Malaysia 104

Panama 95

Indonesia 78

Brazil 69

France 68

Hong Kong 68

Turkey 66

Belgium 65

Thailand 64

Portugal 63

South Korea 60

Iran 58

Taiwan 58

Spain 57

Japan 54

Hungary 46

United States 40

Australia 36

U. K. 35

Finland 33

Norway 31

Sweden 31

Ireland 28

Denmark 18

Philippines 94


Power distance, Myanmar

“Hofstede’s cultural dimensions offer some relevant insights into Myanmar culture, as consumers reported cultural traits associated with high power distance, collectivism, femininity, and uncertainty avoidance. Such findings are similar to how other Southeast Asian countries rank on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.”

Myanmar’s Cultural Dimensions: Exploring the Relationship among the Social Identity, Attitudes towards Globalisation and Preferences of Myanmar Consumers in Yangon.

Alana Rudkin & Joseph Erba, January 2018


Power distance, Myanmar

“One of the biggest ways to lose face in Myanmar is to be contradicted, criticised or disagreed with by a junior (e.g. a child or any kind of subordinate). Such an action shows a lack of respect, which is both embarrassing for the person being disrespected, and uncouth of the speaker.”

Cultural Atlas (https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au)


Cultures

National

Professional

Organizational


Cultures, attitudes and behaviour

Attitudes Behaviour

National

Professional

Organizational


Conclusions

• Don’t forget the “Attitude” component of Competency

• Focus especially on ”Power Distance”

• Myanmar is a High Power Distance society

• Make sure you establish:

a good balance between Authority and Assertiveness

a workplace culture encouraging Challenge and Response

• Attitudes can be changed but time, training and some efforts are required


Thank you!

I do hope that you shall rememberwhat we discussed at this Conference in November,

I have given you some useful tipsthat can be used both ashore and on board ships,

Feel free to send me a mail, or give me a callI’d like to hear from you all,

I can even come back to where you are‘cause I don’t live very far from Myanmar.

Martin Hernqvist

REQUIREMENTSOF THE MYANMARSEAFARERS FOR THE … · 2018. 12. 16. · Power distance •Hofstede’s...

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