Cover -- Contents -- Foreword -- 1. A Truly Challenging Industry: Shipping Company Strategies -- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 1 -- TRADE- SPECIFIC IMPACTS ON THE MAJOR SHIPPING MARKETS -- FINANCIAL MARKETS -- TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP DESIGN -- CONCLUSION 1 -- 2. Commodity- Based Shipping: Playing The Market -- MARKET VIEW -- CLASSIC SHIPPING SEGMENTS -- SHIPOWNERS' CLASSIC RESPONSES- PLAY THE MARKETS -- UNDERSTAND THE MARKET BETTER -- DOING GOOD EVEN BETTER -- BEYOND THIS-" LIVE WITH" COMMODITIZATION -- CONCLUSION 2 -- 3. The Drive Toward Non- Commodity Segments -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE IMPACTING THE DEMAND SIDE -- DEMANDS FOR LARGER " PACKAGES" OF SHIP SERVICES -- INTEGRATION OF SEVERAL VALUE CHAIN SEGMENTS -- THE INVESTMENT SIZE PER SHIP AS A BARRIER TO ENTRY -- NON- COMMODITY BUSINESS GROWTH -- DISTINCTIVE INNOVATIVE COMPETENCES -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE -- HIGHLY SPECIALIZED SHIPPING BUSINESSES -- FURTHER EXAMPLES OF NICHE STRATEGIES -- CONCLUSION 3 -- 4. Portfolio Strategies -- THE CLASSIC PORTFOLIO MODEL APPLIED TO SHIPPING -- A PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT WORK STATION -- A " NEW" PORTFOLIO MODEL BASED ON DEVELOPING SEVERAL BUSINESS PLATFORMS PROACTIVELY -- POLITICAL RISK AND THE PORTFOLIO STRATEGY -- CONCLUSION 4 -- 5. Organizational Issues -- RELEVANT PREREQUISITES FOR SHIPPING ORGANIZATIONS -- NETWORK- TYPE ORGANIZATIONS -- CUSTOMER CENTRIC BUSINESS PRINCIPLES: HOW TO ACHIEVE CUSTOMER FOCUS -- A HIGH PERFORMANCE BUSINESS CULTURE -- THE NEED FOR " INTERNAL ENTREPRENEURS" -- DIVERSIFY OUT OF SHIPPING- OR NOT -- CONCLUSION 5 -- 6. The Future Of The Industry -- UNATTRACTIVENESS FOR PUBLIC FIRMS -- FAMILY FIRMS: SUCCESSION PLANNING, PROFESSIONALISM -- FAMILY MEMBERS WITH DIFFERENT RISK PROFILES -- THE NEED FOR CAPITAL -- STRATEGIC ALLIANCES -- THE STOCK MARKET: " STEEL" VERSUS SHARES -- CHANGE -- STABILITY -- SHAPING THE SHIPPING COMPANY OF THE FUTURE -- CONCLUSION 6 -- References -- Last Page.