Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance Case Study

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Environment

The risks involved with polar expeditions were great. These expeditions led to great failure because pack ice destroyed their ships. Many sailors were lost in the missions when their ships disappeared. For example, the Canadian Stefansson’s expedition to the Arctic led to the loss of the ship and eleven sailors died. In addition, the expenses incurred during expeditions were high and required funding.

Despite the risks, the exploration industry was full of adventures and it was a great opportunity to discover new regions in the north and south. It was a great accomplishment when some sailors went home alive after making new discoveries. Many nations decided to make a voyage to the South Pole thus stiff competition prevailed (Koehn, 2003). The transcontinental expedition involved numerous risks. The Weddell Sea known for its huge and volatile ice floes was a great threat. There was also the problem of impassable ice and unstable currents.

Shackleton organization

Shackleton was very successful in the marine industry because, at twenty-four, he achieved the level of full master. He was made eligible to command a profit-making ship. Many sailors admired Shackleton because of his humble and social character.

Shackleton’s presence in the National Antarctic Expedition (NAE) associated him with an exploration that was regarded as epic. The expedition required men of great courage, and great endurance because of harsh weather. Shackleton possessed all these qualities.

The Britain expedition faced some challenges. All the members in the NAE had no experience of the polar expedition (Koehn, 2003). Britain explorers had no experience with using dogs and skis to travel over ice like the Norwegian explorers. Additionally, Britain had a shortage of skilled men who could make vessels that tolerated harsh climate. The provision of good food was also a challenge. Only canned food was provided, which made explorers get diseases like scurvy (Koehn, 2003). These challenges made the Shackleton organization not achieve their vision of reaching the South Pole though they moved nearer to their vision. It was a risky mission, which became worse when Scott and Shackleton conflicted over issues such as food, direction, and traveling speed.

Nature of task

The exploration industry involved going to various continents to increase geographic and scientific information. The desire for scientific information caused many explorers and their funders to plan polar voyages. Explorers from different nations who managed to discover new regions were crowned victorious. The regions they discovered were given their names or their monarchy. Moreover, the most successful explorers and scientists increased their wealth and popularity.

Shackleton planned for his own exploration after the failure of the first expedition to the South Pole. Shackleton sought funding from business people and philanthropists. He asked the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) for scientific authority (Koehn, 2003). He praised his mission stating it would involve the use of cars on ice instead of sled dogs. This decreased the risks involved.

Shackleton managed to raise enough money for the mission and attained crucial scientific approval. The expedition took two years and Shackleton was considered heroic in his nation. Shackleton with his three sailors managed to break a new record of going further south (Koehn, 2003). They decided to go back to unwillingly because of food scarcity and frostbite. Later, Shackleton planned for another expedition, which involved crossing Antarctica. He faced opposition from people who regarded him to be weak.

Reference

Koehn, N. (2003). Leadership in Crisis: Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance. USA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

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IvyPanda. 2021. "Ernest Shackleton and the Epic Voyage of the Endurance." April 22, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/ernest-shackleton-and-the-epic-voyage-of-the-endurance/.

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