Introduction
Approximately 80 percent of the world’s merchant fleets are manned by mixed nationality crews (Marcom Project, 1998).  This means that a ship’s crew composition is made up of seafarers with different nationalities having a diversity of culture.  There are many different crew compositions that a merchant marine fleet may adopt.  It could be a single nationality crew drawn from the ship-owner’s country, or a single nationality drawn from a country other than the ship-owner’s.  

The crew could also be composed of officers from the ship-owner’s country and ratings from a third world country; or senior officers from the ship-owner’s country, junior officers from a third world country, and all the ratings from still another third world country; or the master could come from the owner’s country and all the rest of the officers and ratings from a wide range of countries (Moreby, p.115). 

The different cultural backgrounds of the crew manning the ship may present a problem in the safe and efficient operation of a ship. Reports have shown that casualties have occurred more often on ships with mixed crews than on ships operated by a single nationality (IMO News, No. 3: 1994).  

It is in this context that National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) conducted this study to identify the different problems encountered by Filipino seafarers in their relationship with the rest of the crew who are of other nationalities.  The study’s findings will serve as very useful basis or input in the formulation of training programs or any other industry-related activity particularly on cultural awareness that would help solve or minimize the occurrence of such problems, hence, the safe and efficient operation of ships.

Specifically,  the objectives of the study are:

1.       To find out which nationalities are frequent companions of Filipino crew on board oceangoing vessels.

2.       To determine which nationality is frequently dominant on board oceangoing vessels.

3.       To identify the different problems encountered by Filipino seafarers in working with seafarers of other nationalities.

4.       To identify the causes of these problems.

5.       To determine or identify potential solutions to these problems.

6.       To recommend training programs or other related activities aimed at providing Filipino seafarers the needed knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to cope or deal with culturally oriented problems related to multinational crewing of vessels.

Methodology
A pre-survey was conducted to all shipping and manning agencies with vessels plying in the international route to determine which of these companies have vessels manned by mixed crew.  Based on the results of the pre-survey, companies with mixed crewing vessels were then identified.  Coordination with these companies was made for the conduct of the actual data gathering. 

A total of 1140 questionnaires from seafarer-respondents representing 160 shipping companies, were gathered. Seafarers awaiting the processing of their documents at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) were administered survey questionnaires.  Seafarer-Trainees enrolled at NMP were also asked to participate in the study.

Respondents of the Study
Respondents are seafarers with work experience on board vessels manned by mixed crew.   Of the 1140 respondents, 40% have boarded more than six vessels with mixed nationality crews such as in Bulk Carrier (29%), Tanker and General Cargo (28%), and Container (13%).   Majority (62%) have been at sea for one to ten years.  A few (8%) are on their first employment or have just finished their first contract on board; 3 percent have more than 20 years sea experience.

In terms of position, 67 percent are holding ratings’ positions; only 33 percent are in the officers’ positions (9% are management level officers and 24% are operational level officers).

The frequent companions of Filipinos on board ships are Europeans (58%), specifically, Greeks and Germans.   Asians (38%) are represented by the Japanese, Koreans and Indians. Seafarers from America, Africa and Oceania account for only 4%. These nationalities are holding officers’ positions (84%) and they are the superiors of Filipino crew.

The dominance of Filipinos in the international shipping market was again validated in the study when 94% of the respondents reported that they are the dominant nationality in the vessel they boarded.  Dominant nationality refers to the nationality that has the most number of crew on board a vessel. 

Problems Encountered: Causes, Effects and Measures Taken
About two-thirds (66%) of the respondents claim that they have not encountered any serious problems with crews of different nationalities while 31% said that they have experienced some problems with them.   

Most of the respondents who indicated having no problem with mixed nationality crews, attribute this to the following reasons:  1) they have established smooth interpersonal relationship (33%); 2) they focus on their work; (12%); 3) respect (9%); 4) obedience to orders and commands in the line of duty (7%); 5) patience (7%) and 6) understanding (7%).

On the other hand, the 31 percent respondents who have experienced problems on board ships manned by mixed crew, identified communication and language (75%) and attitude-related (67%) as their main problems.  Other problems include those related to work habits and practices, job performance, food-related, personal hygiene and corruption.

The most common form of communication and language problems are language barrier and raising of voice when giving orders experienced by both officer- and rating-respondents with their Japanese, Korean and Greek superiors.  Their difficulty lies in their inability to understand the English language as these nationals speak it.  The Japanese and Korean language belongs to the same Altaic group, which has its own characteristics, thus, requiring longer time to decipher the meaning of the word.  Hence, it takes them longer time to accomplish the job thereby making it stressful and tiring.  

Raising of voice when giving orders is perceived by the respondents to be caused by superiority complex.  Respondents believe that these nationals shout thinking that they know more about the job than their counterpart Filipino crew.  The Filipino crew being shouted at suffer a loss of face or hiya especially when it is done in the presence of other people.  This leads to the disturbance of the interpersonal relationship.  To cope with such kind of problem on board, respondents say they simply have to try to understand what the other national is saying.  Others stress the importance of being more patient and striving to do their job as best as they can.

Another common problem on board is attitude-related (67%), such as arrogance and lack of trust (54%), superiority complex (39%), and prejudice (1%).  These were cited by both officer- and rating-respondents with their Japanese and German superiors.   These are ethnocentric attitudes which respondents believe to be attributed to superiority complex (37%)  which stems from the following: 1) they think that they know more about the job than their counterpart Filipino crew (55%); 2)  the owner or principal of the vessel is from their own country (30%); and 3)  they are better off economically (13%).  

Respondents perceive such attitude-related problems as caused also by racial prejudice (24%) due to creed, color or race. As a consequence, the interpersonal relationship of the crew as well as the efficiency in accomplishing the work is affected. Being more patient, proving to others that they can do more, and doing the job as best as they can are the coping mechanisms employed by respondents to this group of problem.

Potential Solutions
When asked to give suggestions or solutions to cope or minimize problems in mixed nationality crew, the following came out: 1) develop the ability to deal with others; 2) value your work; 3) have respect for one another; 4) have more patience; and 5) strive for better understanding of other people’s way of life.  These are culturally-based values of Filipino values which should further be enhanced or strengthened.

Recommendations
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are proposed.  These were grouped into sectors of the maritime industry, which should address these recommendations.

For Training Institutions
Development of a cultural awareness training program to cope with problems on board. 

This training would develop and enhance Filipino appreciation of their own culture thereby strengthening or enhancing their own personal values, which are useful mechanisms in dealing with mixed-cultural problems.  It would also help develop confidence in themselves so they would not feel inferior and be able to face other nationalities on an equal basis on equal footing.

Attitudes, like cultural relativity, and core values, such as freedom, quality, opportunity, respect, and impartial justice, should be developed and inculcated in the seafarers.  These attitudes and values should be integrated in the training program.

Government Agencies
Government agencies, such as the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), should review and enhance their orientation policies in the deployment of seafarers giving more emphasis on the cultural background of   seafarers of other nationalities whom Filipinos will encounter on board.

Formulation of a Code of Conduct for mixed nationality crews so that seafarers will be guided on the proper decorum on board ship.

For Shipping and Manning Agencies
Employers of seafarers should enhance the pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS), taking into consideration the cultural diversity of the crew particularly the seafarers of other nationalities whom Filipinos will work with on board.

Review and revision of recruitment and selection policies taking into consideration the nationalities that can effectively work on board vessels.  Induction and orientation policies for the deployment of seafarers should also be reviewed.  We find this necessary because in the PDOS little attention is given on the cultural background of the different nationalities that compose the vessel’s complement.

Racial discrimination was identified to be one of the causes of the problems identified in the study.  To minimize this problem,  representations should be made with ship-owners regarding recruitment policies that would address discrimination.

Ship Owners/Managers
One of the main problems cited by the respondents is on communication and language.  To address this issue, ship owners/managers should improve the linguistic capabilities of their seafarers in English and familiarize their seafarers with other languages commonly encountered on board.

All Concerned
Study common causes of discord for Filipinos on board ships with mixed nationalities so that appropriate measures or specific interventions may be given or formulated to minimize conflicts aboard ship.