Workplace fiddles in the shipping industry
ISSN: 0142-5455
Article publication date: 15 April 2020
Issue publication date: 22 May 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways in which workers employ rule breaking, rule bending and deviations from management defined norms in the workplace and the impact this has on their occupational health and safety (OHS) experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with 37 seafarers working on board four vessels engaged in international trade. The data were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using NVivo software.
Findings
The findings indicate that seafarers utilised workplace fiddles – which included rule breaking, rule bending and deviating from management defined norms – in order to engender a workable system in which they could remain safe but also profitable to those who controlled their labour. Moreover, the findings suggest that shore-side management deflected the responsibility for rule violations by deferring many of the decisions regarding features of life on board – such as the scheduling of work hours – to the senior officers on board.
Originality/value
The paper sheds light on where, in practice, responsibility for OHS lies in the international shipping industry, an industry in which workers experience relatively high rates of work-related fatalities, injuries and mental health conditions.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the four ships that hosted the research and the seafarers who shared their experiences with us. The authors also wish to thank Professor David Walters for his guidance.Funding: This research was supported by a Seafarers International Research Centre-Nippon Foundation Fellowship.
Citation
Devereux, H., Wadsworth, E. and Bhattacharya, S. (2020), "Workplace fiddles in the shipping industry", Employee Relations, Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 933-948. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-07-2019-0294
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited