Project information
Project manager
Cecilia Österman
Other project members
Magnus Boström, Linnaeus University; Jeanette Wetterström, Age R Consulting, Sweden; Johan Östergren, Sjömansskolan Stockholm AB, Sweden
Participating organizations
Linnaeus University, Age R Consulting and Sjömansskolan Stockholm AB, Sweden
Financier
Trafikverkets sjöfartsportfölj
Timetable
1 May 2020–30 Apr 2022
Subject
Maritim science (Kalmar Maritime Academy, Faculty of Technology)
More about the project
The Swedish transport industry predicts a labour shortage of more than 30,000–40,000 jobs by 2030. The maritime industry face similar challenges.
Knowledge and understanding of maritime operations are vital not only for crew onboard, but also those who, directly or later in life, apply for a land-based occupation in shipping. To meet these challenges, it is necessary to recruit more women, as they are currently an untapped resource when it comes to the industry's need for labour.
Previous research has clearly shown that strategies based on a binary understanding of gender equality and the simplified principle of just add women and stir – that all that is needed is to hire more women – fails to adequately take into account to structural and contextual factors that reproduce inequality. It is well known that physical, organizational, and social working conditions affect our job satisfaction and thus the job motivation and the desire to stay in the profession. This has also been studied by the research group at Kalmar Maritime Academy.
Working conditions can be linked to socially sustainable values such as security and business benefits. Creating work and study environments where reasonable norms and values are shared and confirmed in daily work can in the long term contribute to competitive advantages and business value.
The purpose of this project is to identify incentives at individual, organizational and industry levels for the supply of skills in a socially sustainable shipping, and to investigate how these incentives can be put into practice. The goal is to lay a knowledge-based foundation for the road ahead with results that can be followed up long after the project has been formally finalized.
The project is part of the research in the Maritime science research group.
