Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Well-Being Among Seafarers: An Investigation of Interaction Effects Through the Lens of Self-Determination Theory

Enhancing employee well-being is a primary goal for enterprise sustainable development. Although seafarers represent a major human resource in the maritime industry, the distinctive demands of their profession often compel them to compromise on certain elements in fulfilling their basic psychological needs, thereby contributing to mental health challenges. Recently, COVID-19 and its associated border control measures have prolonged the voyages of seafarers, drawing public attention to the topic of seafarer well-being. In this study, self-determination theory was used to explore the effects of autonomy, competence, and relatedness as fundamental psychological needs on seafarer well-being. After the independent effects of these needs were examined, their interaction patterns were explored to determine their influence on seafarer well-being. Three types of basic psychological needs satisfaction were identified: interaction, balance, and threshold. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 400 active seafarers in the domestic maritime sector. Regression analysis was performed with well-being as the dependent variable to verify the independent effects of the three aforementioned types of satisfaction. In addition, from the perspectives of interaction, balance, and threshold, the effects of the interactive relationships of these three types of satisfaction on well-being were examined. Data analysis revealed that each type of satisfaction independently influenced well-being. After a certain threshold was reached, the effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction on well-being diminished. However, the interactive effects of the three types of basic psychological needs satisfaction on well-being were nonsignificant.