Is the European shipping industry aware of corporate social responsibility? The case of the Greek-owned short sea shipping companies

This paper attempts to clarify the meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the European maritime sector and examines its application in the case of the Greek-owned short sea shipping companies. CSR is assessed in terms of a number of variables such as employees’ satisfaction, corporate productivity and efficiency, social welfare, awareness and social accountability of managers and directors, et al. Focus is given on the applicability of CSR to shipping companies of small and medium size. For this purpose a survey has been conducted. Based on the findings of the qualitative research performed, it is concluded that the application of CSR is restricted only to companies that either are subsidiaries of international conglomerates or owned by ship-owners personally aware of the corporate benefits derived from social responsible behaviour . Based on improved knowledge of managers’ and directors’ attitudes and views towards CSR solutions, the paper offers some ways forward for policy informing.