Connected at Sea: The Influence of the Internet and Online Communication on the Well-Being and Life Satisfaction of Cruise Ship Employees

Abstract

This study aims to elucidate the idiosyncratic effects of the Internet and online communication on the well-being and life satisfaction of cruise ship employees. Cross-sectional surveys and covariance-based structural equation modelling tools were used. In addition, univariate variance analysis was used to address the effects of socio-demographic variables (years of service on a cruise ship, working department on a cruise ship, gender, age, educational level and place of residency) on latent variables of the conceptual model. The conceptual model draws on existing theory and previous research and was empirically tested on a sample of cruise ship employee internet users. Result show that while being onboard a cruise ship, employees experience strong social pressure to be constantly available and they fear of missing out on important information and life events. Thus, relatedness to friends and family needs satisfaction is of paramount importance for cruise ship employees because they are fully aware that they are dispensable and replaceable to cruise ship companies, however to their friends and family, they are indispensable and unique. Moreover, employees who engage in other tasks/activities while taking part in online communication with friends and family exhibit reduced performance, which leads to poor interaction and social dissatisfaction. Lastly, employees experiencing under-reciprocating exchanges show significant negative effects on their well-being. Overall, the results provided several important theoretical and practical implications relevant to cruise tourism and human resource management.The recent advancements in communication technologies have altered how human beings communicate and associate with one another [24]. The belief that free Internet is a moral human right [10] and should be provided to all seafarers, including cruise ship employees [5] has become increasingly popular. Internet access enhances our lives by providing free, instant, worldwide communication [10]; social network sites play central roles in our everyday activities [25] due to their capability to extend and connect social capital that has stimulating effects on personal psychological well-being [26]. Internet and online communication were introduced as a vision of a connected world where anybody could share experiences and feel less alone [27].

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