New Zealand Merchant Naval Officers: a Study of Occupational Dissatisfaction

Abstract

The objective of this study is to determine the major causes of occupational dissatisfaction among New Zealand merchant naval officers. The study also seeks to determine the nature of the processes underlying theses causes of dissatisfaction, and to relate these processes to broader issues found within the wider society. Research into the occupational attitudes of merchant naval officers, on a world-wide basis, is limited both in quantity and qualify. These limitations arise because, firstly, little research has been undertaken and what has been undertaken is frequently not available for examination. Secondly, the concepts and models drawn from the wider literature have been applied without adequate care. Frequently the conclusions drawn have been left as fragmented and inconsistent explanations divorced from their theoretical sources. As a consequence, the maritime literature is unable to provide a coherent model upon which to base the study. Its contribution is thus limited to indicating specific issues that should be investigated.