This study highlights the complexities of understanding
employee motivation as it can vary from employee to
employee based on their background, nationality, work
expectation and aspiration. The findings from this study
are by no means conclusive as it is based only on a small
sample. However, this study does reveal that there are
variations across the industry in terms of cruise ship companies’
service employees’ working conditions. Some
cruise ships do satisfy their employees’ needs, which in
turn motivate their employees to work hard, but there are
some who do not look after the wellbeing of their employees,
especially in relation to their working conditions.
This study would like to strongly emphasise the need for
management to recognise the uniqueness of working in
this industry and the implications of that on the employees’
motivation. Management needs to be more sensitive
to the life of these employees, who have an extended
period of time away from their family and loved ones.
Therefore, a more sensitive, human and individualistic
approach from the management on the cruise ships is
needed in order to understand employees and motivate
them appropriately.