Essay: OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AND ITS IMPLICATIONS TO WORK PERFORMANCE OF FILIPINO SEAFARERS

CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
A stressful working environment can put a person under extreme pressure, to the point that they feel helpless, exhausted, burned out, and unable to cope on its environment and to the people around them. Stress at work can cause physical and mental breakdown. The possible causes include the feeling of being overworked, time pressured, stressed out or having disunity and conflict between with their colleagues. Extreme commitment to work that results them to disregard their own needs and necessities may also be the root cause of it. The wellness and well-being of seafarers has been a big concern in the maritime industry, because of its unique field of work at sea. In line with this, the researchers would like to know the effects of burn out and other stressors that have been mentioned that may trigger occupational stress to seafarers.
The Physical stressors such as heat in workplaces, noise, ship movement, sea sickness, hard physical work, lifting, carrying, lack of exercise and climatic changes during the voyage are considered as the most vital factors in influencing the seafarers stress when they are on-board. The Psychosocial stressors such as irregular shift, long working times per day, irregular working times & the lack of sleep would actually put the seafarers in great stress. The psychosocial stressors of the seafarers may even lead to accidents. (Rengamani&Murugan2012)
Studies of seafarers’ mortality indicate that this population is still characterizedby a high risk of fatal accident, diseases that result from unhealthy lifestyles, andalso by the increased levels of suicides in the seafaring population, which could be seen as a reaction of impaired mental health. The physical health of seafarers has been the subject of numerous studies, which have focused mostly on cardiovascular diseases and cancer. On the other hand, the mental health and psychological well-being of seafarers are relatively less well-explored.
The purpose of this research is to study and identify the different factors contributing to occupational stress. The researchers would like to determine how occupational stress affects the work performance of seafarers on board ships.Finally, this paper gives guidance for further studies, additional information and as well as recommendations for minimizing the negative effects of occupational stressors and risks on seafarers’ health (Slišković & Penezenić 2015).
Background of the Study
With the increasing demand on the Maritime Industry, it is a must for the personnel of shipping companies to deliver. However, the added pressure and stress to the crew on board ships also escalates and the compensation on the sudden changes in working conditions may lead to different effects on the well-being of the seafarers. This thesis research covers the occupational stresses developed on board ships and how it is implicated to the performance of seafarers at sea.
The researchers will tackle about the factors that affect the seafarers’ competency in terms of excess physical, mental, and psychological aspects.
The maritime domain is high-risk and seafarers have to endure an incredibly harsh working environment, often for long periods of time without respite. Personnel can be deployed at sea for periods of more than six months with long shifts and few rest days (Harvey, Stanton, and Zheng 2013). Occupational stressors are normal for a seafarer’s line of work. Seafarers deal with these more often than other people do given the work environment. Particular attention should be paid to preventive organizational measures such as avoiding long-time separation from family, time-pressure, extremely long working days, and a long stay on board (Oldenburg, Jensen, Latza, and Baur 2009). Thinking so much about their families at home due to long-time separation might influence their elaborate thinking and decision-making. Working on long working days and over time may result to burnout which is being incapable of a person to cope to their surroundings due to exhaustion and huge amount of stress that they are experiencing. Fatigue is also a major issue, -with many contributory factors including disrupted watch patterns, long working hours, sleep problems of crew members, stress and work pressures, issues with on-board relationships and voyage cycle time. Scheduled rest times may not provide conditions for adequate sleep, as the noise and motion of the ship may be disturbing and seafarers may also need to perform personal tasks such as contacting relatives during this time (Oldenburg, Jensen, Latza, and Baur 2009). Being exposed to these factors may lead for a seafarer to fall into depression and go through over fatigue. The physical, mental, and psychological effects to the seamen would be a large factor that leads to incompetency on board ships.
Statement of the Problem
This study sought to answer the following questions:
1. What are the factors that trigger stress among seafarers in terms of:
1.1 Position
1.2 Hours of Work
1.3 Relationship with fellow seafarers
2. What are the stress management practices of the seafarers on board?
In what way does stress management enhances seafarers work performance?
Conceptual Paradigm
INPUT                                  PROCESS                             OUTPUT
Figure 1.1
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Figure 1.1 shows the paradigm of the study. It presents the variables and how it would relate to one another and into the research such as factors that triggers stress among seafarers in terms of position, hours of work, relationship to fellow seafarers, stress management practices of seafarers on board and how does these practices enhance their performance in work. The paradigm also presents the process of gathering information from the respondents and discussion. It also presents the output of the study which are the recommendations on how to improve seafarers job performance.
Significance of the Study
The purpose of this study is to determine the factors that stimulate stressors in seafarers. Furthermore, the study finds its significance and benefit for the following:
To Seafarers.The seafarers will mostly benefit from this study because they will be conscious of the factors that may affect them that may lead to occupational stress. They will also, manage to prevent or minimize the stressors followed by their actions.
To Shipping Companies.The shipping companies will be able to apprehend based on the results of this study to prioritize the wellness and well-being of the seafarers.
To Maritime Students. The students will be aware of the future stressors that they may encounter in their field of work and how they minimize the possibility of acquiring them.
To Future Maritime Students. The future maritime students will benefit from this study because they will know the risks they may be facing in the future on this type of career or line of work.
To the Future Researchers. The result of the study will serve as a guide for future researchers who are interested in conducting similar studies. They can use the information gathered and they can also add new knowledge and information.
Scope and Limitations
The scope of the study was focused on the occupational stresses and its implications to work performance of seafarers.
The study focused on factors that contribute to stress suffered by seafarers while working on board. It also covered the issues on working condition of seafarers. Samples will be Filipino seafarers who have experienced working on board ships and endured such stresses. There were no regards on to what is the gender of the respondents.
Definition of Terms
For better understanding, the following words are defined as it is used in the study:
Occupational stress. It is stress-related to one’s job. Occupational stress often stems from unexpected responsibilities and pressures that do not align with a person’s knowledge, skills, or expectations, inhibiting one’s ability to cope.
Burnout. It is a state of chronic stress that leads to: physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.
Fatigue. It is a state of extreme tiredness, typically resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness.
Work performance. It is the way employees perform their work. An employee’s performance is determined during job performance reviews, with an employer taking into account factors such as leadership skills, time management, organizational skills and productivity to analyze each employee on an individual basis.
Filipino seafarers. It is also referred to as Filipino seamen or Filipino sailors are seamen, sailors, or seafarers from the Philippines.