Updated on 12 August 2026
Conformity: behaviour that follows the usual standards that are expected by a group or society — Cambridge Dictionary
It seems paradoxical. On the one hand, the shipping industry is known for its technological and business innovations, thanks to those who follow new and independent paths. On the other hand, it has a culture of conformity that has gone unnoticed.
One might call it by the simpler term “herd mentality”. It comes to the surface in the run-up to the Day of the Seafarer (25th of June). To mark the event, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) comes up every year with a nice-sounding slogan. Right on cue, the catchphrase is repeated by many across the entire industry.
Nobody stops to ask why the IMO spearheads the celebration and not the ILO, the UN agency dealing with labour standards and promoting decent work for all women and men.
It is par for the course. One hallmark of the culture of conformity is that certain organisations are regarded as sacred cows. Many grumble about the training overload on seafarers and the mountain of shipboard paper work officers have to wrestle with. Yet, no one calls out the IMO, which is responsible for creating these problems.
Likewise, nobody questioned the charities when they launched their depression at sea campaign not long ago. It was obvious, however, that they were drumming up the issue in order to get more corporate donations. The unions make more money than the charities by championing the rights of seafarers, but who cares?
Conformity in shipping also manifests itself in the almost universal need for recognition. A promotion at work, a lecture delivered, and a plaque of appreciation received are events that maritime professionals love to trumpet on LinkedIn. Those who do so may feel that they stand above the crowd, but they are still very much part of it.
There is conformity as well in language. Seafarers are regularly described as “key workers”. They are “invisible” but “essential to shipping” because they “move global trade”. The repetition of such clichés can be annoying, but it goes on all the time.
The shipping press is no less conformist than the industry it covers. By and large, it has become an agent for the maritime establishment, churning out puff pieces and regurgitating press releases. Cut-and-paste journalism is common, which makes maritime news portals and publications seem like dogs of the same breed.
Why all the conformity? The shipping industry does not like mavericks. To conform is to play it safe and not jeopardise one’s job or career. It is to be accepted by the crowd. Last but not the least, it is to make life less complicated in a complicated world.
~ Barista Uno
