In recent years, ship operators, maritime unions, and governments in the maritime nations of Europe and Asia have made substantial productivity gains through more effective manning of merchant vessels. This has been accomplished through various combinations of shipboard automation, changes in ship operating company and vessel crew organization, and government maritime policies. The need to enhance the competitiveness of the U.S.-flag fleet has raised interest in the productivity improvement that might be realized through innovations in manning practices, and in the costs and consequences. At the request of the Maritime Administration, the Marine Board of the National Research Council established the Committee on Effective Manning which included persons with backgrounds in maritime labor union management, U.S.-flag vessel operations management, and U.S. government oversight of vessel operations and safety. Other expertise on the committee included a labor mediator with experience in maritime labor issues, a scholar whose research focuses on the effect of technology development on the American work force, a social psychologist who was involved in a number of effective manning experimental projects, and an expert in technical aspects of vessel design and operation. Consistent with the policies and programs of the National Research Council, appropriate balance of perspectives was an important consideration in choosing committee members.