Chapter 1: Chapter 1:

PERSMANPERSMAN

I. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

Personal management onboard a ship is all about governing officers who have bigger responsibilities because they are the ones who make decisions. They represent the administrative staff and it is their role to integrate the crew with the technical aspects so that the relationship between the officers and crew will improve.

A key activity in shipboard organization behaviour is to develop an environment in which the crew are motivated towards teamwork. Coordination refers to effective time and sequence in performing shipboard activities and cooperation which indicates the willingness of the crew to work together to accomplish the assigned task.

Crew motivation is essential to the operation of the ship. No Crew motivation is essential to the operation of the ship. No matter how sophisticated the vessel is, it cannot be run by a matter how sophisticated the vessel is, it cannot be run by a single person. Therefore, every person must be motivated to single person. Therefore, every person must be motivated to work in order to run the ship.work in order to run the ship.

Traditional ship management relied on principles to Traditional ship management relied on principles to provide “provide “one best wayone best way” of managing, such as:” of managing, such as:

1.1. Proper way to organize the work.Proper way to organize the work.2.2. Proper way to delegate the work.Proper way to delegate the work.3.3. Proper way to divide the work.Proper way to divide the work.

However, research today shows that the contingency approach is more interdisciplinary, more system-oriented and more research-oriented than the traditional approach. It helps to use in appropriate manner all the current knowledge about shipboard organization. Sometimes it is called situational approach because appropriate action depends on situational variables.

II. II. LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIPLeadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives

enthusiastically. Leadership is so important and its human factor binds a group together and motivates it towards a certain goal. Leadership is part of management because managers as leaders are required to plan and organize. They are to

Influence others to follow direction either right or wrong. This means that strong leaders can be weak managers if they are weak in planning and a manager can be a weak leader if he is weak in governing.

As society has learned more about leadership, it has become increasingly evident that strong leadership is a result of effective role behavior. Organizational leadership is a role behavior that unites and stimulates followers towards a particular objective in particular environment. Four elements are variables and affect each other in determining suitable role behavior:

1. Leader

2. Follower

3. Goal

4. Environment

The role behavior of a leader covers three different skills:The role behavior of a leader covers three different skills:

1. 1. TechnicalTechnical – refers to a person’s knowledge of proficiency in any – refers to a person’s knowledge of proficiency in any type of process of technique. It deals with things.type of process of technique. It deals with things.

2. 2. Human Human – the ability to interact effectively with people and to – the ability to interact effectively with people and to build teamwork. It deals with people.build teamwork. It deals with people.

3. 3. ConceptualConceptual – deals more with long-range plans, broad – deals more with long-range plans, broad relationship and other abstractions. It deals with ideas.relationship and other abstractions. It deals with ideas.

Effectiveness is the result in a contingency model of leadership Effectiveness is the result in a contingency model of leadership and is determined by the interaction of a follower oriented with and is determined by the interaction of a follower oriented with three additional variables:three additional variables:

1. 1. Leader- Member Relations Leader- Member Relations – are determine by the manner in – are determine by the manner in which the leader is which the leader is accepted by the accepted by the group.group.

2. 2. Task Structure Task Structure – reflects the degree to which the specific way – reflects the degree to which the specific way is required to do the is required to do the job. job.

3. 3. Leader Position Power Leader Position Power – describes the organizational power – describes the organizational power that is provided for the that is provided for the position the leader position the leader occupies.occupies.

Onboard a ship, what is a leader?Onboard a ship, what is a leader?

““A leader is an individual who knows the way, goes the way and A leader is an individual who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” After graduation, many of the graduates from the shows the way.” After graduation, many of the graduates from the Marine Transportation and the Marine engineering courses will Marine Transportation and the Marine engineering courses will definitely become deck and engine officers onboard sea-going definitely become deck and engine officers onboard sea-going vessels. In other words, they will become leaders in their respective vessels. In other words, they will become leaders in their respective departments. Therefore, it is important to train and prepare these departments. Therefore, it is important to train and prepare these soon-to-be officers to become real gentlemen.soon-to-be officers to become real gentlemen.

Character formation for the future seafarers must be given due Character formation for the future seafarers must be given due regards by schools for maritime studies in preparation for a life of regards by schools for maritime studies in preparation for a life of service on the sea.service on the sea.

As what Capt. Rodolfo D. Estampador says in his speech during the 2nd Merchant National Conference-Workshop of the Master and Mates Association of the Philippines, Inc.” held in Cebu City on November 20-22, 1998:

“In general, our approach in the development of leadership skills depends on an individual’s actual exposure of observation. If he boards a ship with good leadership skills for sure, he will end up as a good leader, but if he boards a ship with poor leadership skills (tayo-tayo lamang), he will surely end up as a poor leader.”

Is there any measure to adopt minds to correct the differences and come up with better approach on values formation in leadership?

Yes. Value formation in leadership must be incorporated into the subjects offered by maritime schools or be mandatory training as required for continuous professional education, this will lead our marine professional towards professionalism in preparation for being “world class”.

Leadership styles:

1. Traditional- they always demand respect for people they served.

2. Bureaucrat- they follow the manual exactly (procedures like parliamentary is closely observed).

3. Dependable- the jack-of-all-trades and knows everything (the followers need not worry because leader takes care of everything).

4. Example- they are leaders who give responsibilities to their followers gradually so that in the future, they can stand on their own.

5. Participative- they encourage their members to take their responsibilities even at risk of making mistakes so that everyone will learn leadership by leading.

Kinds of Leadership:1. Autocratic Leadership – centralized power and decision-

making for themselves. The members are obedient to the leaders who dictate everything, thinking that their members are not capable of making their own decision.

Characteristics and personality:a. Perfectionist – basically insecure (task and not person-

oriented).b. Getting what they want by threat or bribes –

commanding (always refuse to listen to others).c. Strong personality to demand obedience by fear – can not admit any mistakes (looking for scapegoats when

something goes wrong).d. Give orders which must be obeyed – demand service

but would not serve.e. Have all powers for themselves – proud and aristocratic.

2. Liberal Leadership – free rein leader who sees their members as responsible. Every member is entitled to be heard and to be responsible for what he does. As a result, there is no controlling authority. Confusion is present because everybody claims to be right.

Characteristics and Personality:a. Listens to everybody – easygoing.b. Trusts everyone to be responsible – open and tolerant of everything and to everybody.c. Accepts everything without evaluating – leaves everything for a chance.d. Gets along well with everybody – good group-mixer.

III. PREPARING MARITIME STUDENTS FOR THE SEAFARING WORLD

During the time of preparation for the life of prospective seafarers, it is important to motivate them into the direction of their chosen profession. It is also of utmost importance to ascertain that goals don’t bring them away

from their final dream but compels them to see and take a realistic view of life onboard a ship, their relationship with others, the work and problems such as loneliness and longing for their families.

Onboard ship life can be a challenging and an enriching experience where a man gains new insights and knowledge of new cultures. Life onboard ship may be lonely, tough, boring, dehumanizing and maybe even conducive to abuse and injustice, therefore, life at sea is full of struggles with the elements of risks.

Seafarers need deep relationship that lasts, because living among strangers will make them always long for concern and understanding back home. Loneliness is a worst scenario for a person who have not made themselves their first friend. It will become serious when he is afraid to be alone with oneself and is frequent when he does not believe in himself enough to go out to make friends.

In time of preparing the maritime cadets to belong to a community of seafarers is also one of ways of motivating them to be good members of the community that belongs to them – onboard ship and on shore.

Factors that will help the seafarers persist in his goal and share happiness with his shipmates

The technical aspects which they learned in maritime schools are very important but there are also personal aspects which are also important to be corrected such as their failure to recognize their real motives for the thing they do. It means that they find difficulties to be truthful to the motives of some of their actions. This is true when real motives go against the image that they are trying to present before others. Therefore, it is more important that motivation should be injected in the minds of the maritime cadets.