Employee Satisfaction on Cruise Ships

Master's Thesis from the year 2003 in the subject Business economics - Personnel and Organisation, grade: 70 (distinction), 1.0, The University of Surrey (School of Management), language: English, abstract: The concept of job satisfaction is one of the most extensively researched area in organisational management as a consequence of its association with individual and organisational outcomes. In order to explain the concept, the study explores traditional, e.g. Maslow¿s ¿hierarchy of needs¿, and new theories of job satisfaction. Although many studies were conducted in various industries there seems to be a lack of research amongst seafarers on cruise ships. The cruise industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors within the tourism industry over the last decade and it is estimated that the industry continues to grow by 10% annually (Testa et al., 1998a). Cruise ships offer a unique work environment so that this research aims to assess job satisfaction of seafarers in relation to employee expectations and experiences, supervisor and co-worker relationships, as well as working and living conditions.

For this cross-sectional study the researcher used a quantitative research design and undertook the investigation in a non-contrived setting. The lack of an appropriate instrument to measure the above mentioned variables in such a unique and complex workplace led the researcher to develop a new scale suitable for the cruise industry. The instrument was developed by reviewing popular scales, such as, the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. The sample of seafarers was taken from two ships of an American cruise line operating in the luxury cruise market.

The investigation revealed that the developed instrument is a valid and reliable measure to assess job satisfaction in the cruise industry. Significant results were found throughout the study and it appeared that seafarers are generally satisfied with their job. However, on Ship B there was indication that some crew members perceived racial discrimination on board so that their satisfaction levels were below average. Thus, the results obtained are valuable for the cruise line insofar as the identified factors which cause dissatisfaction could be improved or eliminated. From a theoretical point of view the study confirmed Maslow¿s conclusion that individuals proceed along the hierarchy of needs.