Abstract:

The maritime transportation has an important place in world trade because it allows the transport of very large amounts of goods at very low costs per ton. One of the most important service arms operating in maritime transportation is the shipping agency. Shipping agents operate by protecting the rights and interests of the ship or its representative in the ports where they are located. The shipping agencies, when ships enter any port in the world, have great responsibilities such as the ship’s entrance and exit processes, health care processes, staff change, demand made by the ship and the tracking of the operational process. These responsibilities are fulfilled by employees who need to have many criteria, such as experience, meeting professional requirements, to be successful in human relationships. The point that shipping agents should prioritize in order to ensure continuity in an environment where there is intense competition is human factor. The characteristics that are sought in people who will operate in an intense environment and work in shipping agencies in the service sector are an important factor for the shipping agency to stay standing. The study is aimed at identifying the degree of importance of the qualifications that are sought in the staff to work in shipping agencies along with the literary research and the expert opinion. For this purpose, the opinions of the managers in the shipping agencies were addressed and the criteria were emphasized using the Method of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). When the results are studied, the most important criteria are the ability to openly communicate in customer relationships and the quick and solution-oriented approach to expectations.

Keywords: