Purpose

A significant body of literature suggests that shipping companies operate in an extremely volatile and risky environment, relying on the effective use of information to remain competitive. However, decision-making in this market is demanding because of the high uncertainty, market competition and significant capital investments. Moreover, the rapid spread of COVID-19 renders information uncertainty a daunting challenge for companies engaged in global trade. Hence, this study aims to explore the information behavior of managers in a time of crisis seems compelling.

Design/methodology/approach

This study provides novel insights into the information behavior of senior managers by adopting a qualitative approach. Forty-nine semi-structured face-to-face interviews with individuals from Hellenic shipping companies were conducted. Moreover, this study explores the extant theory qualitatively, using the grounded theory methodology and shows that an unprecedented event (pandemic crisis) can redefine the information behavior of managers.

Findings

This study highlights the importance of information in decision-making. Moreover, the results show that, during a pandemic, managers resort to alternative information sources, adopt collaborative information behaviors and take advantage of digital technology.

Originality/value

There is limited research in exploring the information behavior of managers in times of pandemics. This research underscores the fact that during a crisis, managers seek information from digital information resources and decision-making assumes a more decentralized form. This study concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

中文翻译：

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大流行危机期间航运经理的信息行为

目的

大量文献表明，航运公司在极其不稳定和风险极大的环境中运营，依靠有效利用信息来保持竞争力。然而，由于高度不确定性、市场竞争和大量资本投资，该市场的决策要求很高。此外，COVID-19 的迅速传播使信息不确定性成为从事全球贸易的公司面临的一项艰巨挑战。因此，本研究旨在探讨危机时期管理者的信息行为似乎很有说服力。

设计/方法/方法

本研究通过采用定性方法为高级管理人员的信息行为提供了新的见解。对来自希腊航运公司的个人进行了 49 次半结构化的面对面访谈。此外，本研究使用扎根理论方法对现有理论进行了定性探索，并表明前所未有的事件（大流行危机）可以重新定义管理者的信息行为。

发现

这项研究强调了信息在决策中的重要性。此外，结果表明，在大流行期间，管理者求助于替代信息来源，采用协作信息行为并利用数字技术。

原创性/价值

在大流行期间探索管理者的信息行为的研究有限。这项研究强调了这样一个事实，即在危机期间，管理者从数字信息资源中寻求信息，决策采取更加分散的形式。本研究最后讨论了这些发现的理论和实践意义。