Factors that affect conflict in a cultural diversified workforce: The case of the shipping company Seascope

Sammanfattning: Title: Factors that affect conflict in a cultural diversified workforce in the shipping industry: The case of the shipping company Seascope Level: Master thesis in Business Administration Author: Ioannis Siarapis Supervisor: Maria Fregidou-Malama Examiner: Akmal Hyder Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate factors that affect conflict in a workforce characterized by cultural diversification in the shipping industry. Methodology: A qualitative approach was used. The primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten employees who were interviewed both on the yacht and in the on-shore office of the company. In order to generalize the results from the case study, the inductive approach was used. Thematic analysis was also my approach for finding different patterns in the empirical findings Findings: There are different factors that affect conflict either by enhancing it or by eliminating it. These are the differences in cultural values, differences in communication, continues feedback to the employees, establishment of a “family” climate and the general management of cultural diversity. In addition, when the employees in high positions are from the same background with the owners, this reduces the possibility of conflict. Limitations: The research was based on a Greek company with approximately 10 employees working on the yacht. Therefore, the current limitation is the relatively small number of employees comparing to big ship companies. Contribution: The managers of shipping companies should consider these factors and act accordingly for the benefit of the company. There are significant differences in the employees’ behavior when they are coming from a different cultural background. Moreover, there are differences in the way they communicate. Key words:  intercultural communication, yacht, conflict, cultural diversity management, shipping industry.