open access
Linkage of job ranks and personality traits with augmented stress: a study on Indian marine engineers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Indian Maritime University, Kolkata Campus, Kolkata, India
open access
Abstract
Background: Marine engineering is a profession that affects a high level of physical and psychological stress. Such a high level of stress was further aggravated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. On the other hand, personality traits and perceived stress are linked with each other, while job ranks also influence stress levels among employees. However, very few clinical studies are available on this mechanism in seafarers. This study explores the hidden area through the collection of cross-sectional data.
Materials and methods: Big Five personality traits instrument, along with a stress augmentation questionnaire, were administered among 280 Indian marine engineers across job ranks who have sailed prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collected data were analysed using Kruskal-Wallis test and structural equation modelling.
Results and Conclusions: The analysis reveals significant differences among Indian marine engineers across their job ranks towards their perception of augmented stress levels. It also indicates that, except for extraversion, personality traits have linkages with levels of augmented stress among Indian marine engineers during the pandemic.
Abstract
Background: Marine engineering is a profession that affects a high level of physical and psychological stress. Such a high level of stress was further aggravated during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. On the other hand, personality traits and perceived stress are linked with each other, while job ranks also influence stress levels among employees. However, very few clinical studies are available on this mechanism in seafarers. This study explores the hidden area through the collection of cross-sectional data.
Materials and methods: Big Five personality traits instrument, along with a stress augmentation questionnaire, were administered among 280 Indian marine engineers across job ranks who have sailed prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collected data were analysed using Kruskal-Wallis test and structural equation modelling.
Results and Conclusions: The analysis reveals significant differences among Indian marine engineers across their job ranks towards their perception of augmented stress levels. It also indicates that, except for extraversion, personality traits have linkages with levels of augmented stress among Indian marine engineers during the pandemic.
Keywords
allostasis load, Big Five personality traits, structural equation modelling, Cronbach’s alpha, heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlations
Title
Linkage of job ranks and personality traits with augmented stress: a study on Indian marine engineers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal
Issue
Article type
Original article
Pages
112-121
Published online
2023-06-30
Page views
1285
Article views/downloads
350
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
IMH 2023;74(2):112-121.
Keywords
allostasis load
Big Five personality traits
structural equation modelling
Cronbach’s alpha
heterotrait-monotrait ratio of correlations
Authors
Toorban Mitra
- Cox T, Griffiths A, Rial-Gonzalez E. Work-Related Stress. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg 2000.
- Hammen C. Stress and depression. Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2005; 1: 293–319.
- Kendler KS, Karkowski LM, Prescott CA. Causal relationship between stressful life events and the onset of major depression. Am J Psychiatry. 1999; 156(6): 837–841.
- Workplace Stress: a collective challenge, ILO, 2016, p. 5.
- McEwen BS. Stressed or Stress out: What is the difference? J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2005; 30(5): 315–318.
- Wright TA, Hobfoll SE. Commitment, psychological well-being and job performance: an examination of construction of resources (COR) theory and job burnout. J Business Management. 2004; 9(4): 389–406.
- Griffin M, Clarke S. Stress and well-being at work. In: Zedeck S (Ed.). APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology, Vol 3: Maintaining, expanding, and contracting the organization. 2011: 359–397.
- Bakker AB, Demerouti E. Multiple Levels in Job Demands-Resources Theory: Implications for Employee Well-being and Performance. Diener E, Oishi S, Tay L (Eds.). Handbook of Wellbeing 2018: 1–13.
- Blewett V, Shaw A, LaMontagne T, Dollard M. Job stress : causes, impact and interventions in the health and community services sectorservices sector. 2006. file:///C:/Users/jniezgoda/Downloads/lamontagne-stresscauses-2006.pdf.
- Clarke S. Managing the Risk of Workplace Stress. 1st ed. Routledge 2004.
- Bartlett D. Stress perspectives and processes. Open University Press, Buckingham, England 1998.
- Sahni D. Impact of COVID-19 on Employee Behavior: Stress and Coping Mechanism During WFH (Work From Home) Among Service Industry Employees. Int J Operations Management. 2020; 1(1): 35–48.
- Pauksztat B, Andrei DM, Grech MR. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of seafarers: A comparison using matched samples. Saf Sci. 2022; 146: 105542.
- Carroll D. Health Psychology: Stress, Behaviour and Disease. 1st ed. Routledge 1992.
- Carroll D, Lovallo W, Phillips A. Are large physiological reactions to acute psychological stress always bad for health? Social Personality Psychology Compass. 2009; 3(5): 725–743.
- Chida Y, Steptoe A. Greater cardiovascular responses to laboratory mental stress are associated with poor subsequent cardiovascular risk status: a meta-analysis of prospective evidence. Hypertension. 2010; 55(4): 1026–1032.
- Hengartner MP, van der Linden D, Bohleber L, et al. Big five personality traits and the general factor of personality as moderators of stress and coping reactions following an emergency alarm on a Swiss University Campus. Stress Health. 2017; 33(1): 35–44.
- Hengartner MP, Ajdacic-Gross V, Wyss C, et al. Relationship between personality and psychopathology in a longitudinal community study: a test of the predisposition model. Psychol Med. 2016; 46(8): 1693–1705.
- Rai S, Kumar VV. Five Factor Model of Personality & Role Stress. Published by: Shri Ram Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources Stable URL : http://www.jstor. Indian J Industrail Relation. 2012; 48(2): 341–353.
- Costa PT, Somerfield MR, McCrae R. Personality and coping: A reconceptualisation. Handbook of Coping: Theory, Research, ApplicationsIn. In: Zeidner M, Endler NS (Eds.). Wiley, New York 1996: 44–61.
- Bolger N, Schilling EA. Personality and the problems of everyday life: the role of neuroticism in exposure and reactivity to daily stressors. J Pers. 1991; 59(3): 355–386.
- Gunthert KC, Cohen LH, Armeli S. The role of neuroticism in daily stress and coping. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1999; 77(5): 1087–1100.
- O'Brien TB, DeLongis A. The interactional context of problem-, emotion-, and relationship-focused coping: the role of the big five personality factors. J Pers. 1996; 64(4): 775–813.
- Ebstrup JF, Eplov LF, Pisinger C, et al. Association between the Five Factor personality traits and perceived stress: is the effect mediated by general self-efficacy? Anxiety Stress Coping. 2011; 24(4): 407–419.
- Hintsa T, Hintsanen M, Jokela M, et al. The influence of temperament on long-term job strain and its components: The cardiovascular risk in Young Finns Study. Personality Individual Differences. 2010; 49(7): 700–705.
- Hintsanen M, Hintsa T, Widell A, et al. Negative emotionality, activity, and sociability temperaments predicting long-term job strain and effort-reward imbalance: a 15-year prospective follow-up study. J Psychosom Res. 2011; 71(2): 90–96.
- Sutin AR, Costa PT. Reciprocal influences of personality and job characteristics across middle adulthood. J Pers. 2010; 78(1): 257–288.
- Jeżewska M, Leszczyńska I, Jeremin B. Work-related stress at sea self estimation by maritime students and officers. Int Marit Health. 2006; 57(1-4): 66–75.
- Parker AW, Hubinger LM, Green S, Sargent LS, Boyd B. A survey of the health stress and fatigue of Australian seafarers. Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Australian Government 1997.
- Oldenburg M, Jensen HJ, Latza U, et al. Seafaring stressors aboard merchant and passenger ships. Int J Public Health. 2009; 54(2): 96–105.
- Oldenburg M, Jensen HJ, Wegner R. Burnout syndrome in seafarers in the merchant marine service. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2013; 86(4): 407–416.
- Carotenuto A, Molino I, Fasanaro A, et al. Psychological stress in seafarers: a review. 2012; 63(4): 188–194.
- Iversen RT. The mental health of seafarers. Int Marit Health. 2012; 63(2): 78–89.
- MacLachlan M, Kavanagh B, Kay A. Maritime health: a review with suggestions for research. Int Marit Health. 2012; 63(1): 1–6.
- Oldenburg M, Baur X, Schlaich C. Occupational risks and challenges of seafaring. J Occup Health. 2010; 52(5): 249–256.
- Slišković A, Penezić Z. Occupational stressors, risks and health in the seafaring population. Rev Psychol. 2016; 22(1-2): 29–39.
- Slišković A, Penezić Z. Lifestyle factors in Croatian seafarers as relating to health and stress on board. Work. 2017; 56(3): 371–380.
- Rengamani J, Poongavanam S, Shameem A. Assessing the job stress of Indian seafarers’ based on job demand control model. Int J Mechanical Engineering Technology. 2017; 8(12): 150–159.
- Leszczyńska I, Jeżewska M, Jaremin B. Work-related stress at sea. Possibilities of research and measures of stress. Int Marit Health. 2008; 59(1-4): 93–102.
- https://unctad.org/news/united-nations-bodies-call-further-action-end-seafarer-crisis (accessed on 25.07.2022).
- Doumbia-Henry C. Shipping and COVID-19: protecting seafarers as frontline workers. WMU J Maritime Affairs. 2020; 19(3): 279–293.
- Hebbar AA, Mukesh N. COVID-19 and seafarers' rights to shore leave, repatriation and medical assistance: a pilot study. Int Marit Health. 2020; 71(4): 217–228.
- Slišković A. Seafarers' well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study. Work. 2020; 67(4): 799–809.
- Wong C. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of the stranded seafarers. Maritime Business Review. 2021.
- https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---normes/documents/genericdocument/wcms _741024.pdf (accessed on 25.07.2022).
- Erdem AT, Tutar H. Impact of COVID-19 anxiety on work stress in seafarers: the mediating role of COVID-19 burnout and intention to quit. Int Marit Health. 2022; 73(3): 133–142.
- https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1135870/Suicides-at-sea-go-uncounted-as-crew-change-crisis-drags-on (accessed on 09.01.2023).
- Saulsman LM, Page AC. The five-factor model and personality disorder empirical literature: A meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2004; 23(8): 1055–1085.
- Fornell C, Larcker D. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. J Marketing Res. 1981; 18(1): 39.
- Bentler PM, Chou CP. Practical issues in structural modeling. Soc Methods Res. 2016; 16(1): 78–117.
- Byrne BM. Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS, Basic concepts, Applications, and Programming (Second). Routledge 2016.
- Murphy MLM, Miller GE, Wrosch C. Conscientiousness and stress exposure and reactivity: a prospective study of adolescent females. J Behav Med. 2013; 36(2): 153–164.
- Schlatter S, Louisy S, Canada B, et al. Personality traits affect anticipatory stress vulnerability and coping effectiveness in occupational critical care situations. Sci Rep. 2022; 12(1): 20965.
- Perry SJ, Witt LA, Penney LM, et al. The downside of goal-focused leadership: the role of personality in subordinate exhaustion. J Appl Psychol. 2010; 95(6): 1145–1153.
- Zellars KL, Perrewé PL, Hochwarter WA, et al. The interactive effects of positive affect and conscientiousness on strain. J Occup Health Psychol. 2006; 11(3): 281–289.
- Ikizer G, Kowal M, Aldemir İD, et al. Big Five traits predict stress and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence for the role of neuroticism. Pers Individ Dif. 2022; 190: 111531.
- Nikčević AV, Marino C, Kolubinski DC, et al. Modelling the contribution of the Big Five personality traits, health anxiety, and COVID-19 psychological distress to generalised anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Affect Disord. 2021; 279: 578–584.
- Getzmann S, Digutsch J, Kleinsorge T. COVID-19 pandemic and personality: agreeable people are more stressed by the feeling of missing. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021; 18(20).
- Roesch S, Wee C, Vaughn A. Relations between the Big Five personality traits and dispositional coping in Korean Americans: Acculturation as a moderating factor. Int J Psychology. 2006; 41(2): 85–96.
- Xu Q, Li D, Dong Y, et al. The relationship between personality traits and clinical decision-making, anxiety and stress among intern nursing students during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2023; 16: 57–69.
- Mirhagi M, Sarabian S. Relationship between perceived stress and personality traits in emergency medical personnel. J Fundamentals Mental Health. 2016; 18(5): 265–271.