The Challenge of Achieving Safety at Sea – online DBA defense

On 27 May 2021 Mr. Deb Goswami successfully defended his DBA thesis titled: The challenge of achieving safety at sea: Observing regulatory compliance or making a profit? Analysis of five factors to prevent accidents, in an online session.

“I strongly recommend the DBA program to all corporate executives, especially for the ones who operate in highly volatile and competitive markets. The DBA is a top professional executive program and on successful completion, the person is awarded the highest recognition in a professional field. A DBA program helps a person to understand the business philosophy and ethos which, if applied in practice, can make him or her a very successful business entrepreneur, especially in the safeguarding of risks.”

About the research of Dr. Deb Goswami
Merchant shipping has always been exposed to accidental risks. Despite technological improvements, training, and strict safety regulations and labour regulations, accidents still occur at sea which negatively affects the global economy.

By analysing the accidents of seamen and shipping companies affecting the world economy, Dr. Goswami identified five factors impacting accidents at sea and why these companies are having more accidents than others. These factors are: regulation compliance, profit orientation, safety management system, safety culture, and accident prevention. These five factors provided focus to the research. High priority to reduce costs can lead to unsafe practices and cultures and also partial or no safety regulation compliance leads to accidents.

Two types of companies were identified by Dr. Goswami, Group A and Group B. Group A had a positive record in their safety culture and in their safety management, but Group B had a negative record in these two areas. Improving these areas in Group B companies will contribute to a significant reduction of accidents.

By using mixed method action research, it was found that Group B companies were weaker in regulation compliance and that their profit orientation had a negative effect on safety management system and on the safety culture. This resulted in a negative effect on the prevention of accidents when compared to Group A companies.

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