An empirical study of the role of Information Technology in effective knowledge transfer in the shipping industry

High human mobility in the shipping industry is one of the main reasons causing severe shortage of skilled and qualified personnel in the shipping industry. This paper looks into the issue from a new perspective where high mobility in the shipping industry is seen as a vehicle of knowledge flows that can be used for knowledge transfer. It argues that while organisations cannot stop personnel leaving, it is possible, however, to retain part of the knowledge that these leaving personnel carry through effective knowledge management practices. The paper suggests that advanced information and communication technologies, supported by a dedicated knowledge sharing culture, and strong leadership are essential factors in facilitating knowledge transfer in the context of shipping. The proposed effective knowledge transfer model was confirmed by an empirical study in which 275 questionnaires were sent and 166 valid answers were received. The study found that there was a positive relationship between perceived effectiveness of information technology related factors and the current and preferred means of communication between on] and off] shore management. The paper is structured as follows: section one is an introduction of the severity of high human mobility in the shipping industry and its impact on knowledge retention; section two examines the knowledge transfer model used in this study and establishes three hypotheses for empirical testing; section three explains the methodology of the study; section four presents the results of the mail survey; section five discusses the findings and their implications; and section six draws the conclusions.