Personal Values of Future Seafarers: Cross-Cultural Study Among Maritime University Students

Abstract

Seafarers are key workers who play a crucial role in international trade. Many studies have investigated various factors that influence the well-being, motivation and work performance of seafarers. According to the results of studies conducted among the general population, personal values could be important for the well-being of seafarers, but have not yet been investigated. The aim of this study was therefore to look into the differences in the personal values of future seafarers in a cross-cultural context. 423 students from maritime universities in Croatia, Spain and Iran took part in the online study. The participants completed the demographic questionnaire and the Portrait Values Questionnaire. The results show the differences in the perceived importance of values between students from different countries. For example, Croatian students considered value preservation less important than Spanish and Iranian students, while openness to change and self-improvement were more important for Iranian than for Croatian and Spanish students. In addition, differences were found in conformity, self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, power, security and achievement. The Iranian students considered the above values to be more important than Spanish and Croatian students. These results emphasize the importance of intercultural training for the different stakeholders in the maritime sector.