An Investigation of Work Stress among Malaysian Seafarers during the Endemic

Ruhiyah Sakinah Kayati; Siti Nazilah Mat Ali; Raja Zirwatul Aida Raja Ibrahim; Jumadil Saputra; Mohd Nurrul Faiz Mohd Taib

doi:10.56225/ijassh.v3i2.356

Authors

Ruhiyah Sakinah Kayati Department of Counselling, Faculty of Business, Economic and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Siti Nazilah Mat Ali Department of Counselling, Faculty of Business, Economic and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Raja Zirwatul Aida Raja Ibrahim Department of Counselling, Faculty of Business, Economic and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Jumadil Saputra Department of Economics, Faculty of Business, Economic and Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
Mohd Nurrul Faiz Mohd Taib Department of Malaysia Marine, 42007 Port Klang, Selangor, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56225/ijassh.v3i2.356

Keywords:

Work stress, Malaysian seafarers, Endemic

Abstract

The shipping industry contributes more than 95% of global trade and plays an important role in global economic growth. Besides its importance, seafaring is also known as a stressful occupation. They are exposed to more stressful work lives, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts prolong the endemic phase. However, minimal attention has been paid to surveying the level of work stress, particularly among Malaysian seafarers. This cross-sectional study has surveyed work stress among 390 Malaysian seafarers using nonproportionate random sampling. Online questionnaires in Google Forms with an appended consent form were distributed to the respondents by an appointed representative. The online questionnaire comprised demographics and the Malay version of the Job Stress Scale (JSS). Data was collected in approximately four weeks and analysed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the level of work stress among seafarers was at a moderate level overall and for each subscale. This study contributes to more understanding about stress especially work stress among seafarers and how COVID-19 impacts their level of work stress. Further study is highly recommended to confirm its relationship with other related factors.

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