Sailing against the current: women’s integration into maritime work through organisational socialisation

Purpose This study aims to examine how organisational socialisation unfolds for women seafarers within a male-dominated maritime industry. It explores how women navigate exclusionary conditions, adapt to organisational realities and sustain participation through identity work over time. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on Feldman’s (1976) stage-based organisational socialisation model, the study adopts a qualitative approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 women seafarers across ten districts of Gujarat. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to interpret experiences across anticipatory, encounter and adaptation stages. Findings Women’s socialisation in maritime work is a negotiation influenced by organisational unreadiness, gendered expectations and surveillance. It begins with recruitment expectations, involves scrutiny, emotional regulation and isolation. Adjustment encompasses behavioural changes and the redefinition of success. Identity work – through endurance, autonomy and informal recognition – is vital to persist despite structural exclusion. Research limitations/implications The study’s findings are based on qualitative interviews with a limited sample of women seafarers in Gujarat, India and may not be generalisable to all maritime contexts. Future research should adopt longitudinal and comparative designs, including multiple organisational perspectives, to examine how socialisation and identity work evolve across career trajectories and cultural contexts. Practical implications Maritime organisations should address gendered conditions by investing in gender-responsive infrastructure, transparent recruitment and inclusive leadership training to reduce women’s conditional acceptance. Ongoing inclusion practices will boost retention and diversify participation. Originality/value This research extends Feldman’s organisational socialisation framework to a gendered occupational context by reconceptualising adjustment as adaptation and highlighting identity work as a crucial outcome. It adds to organisational analysis by demonstrating how women maintain their involvement in exclusionary maritime environments.