NARCISSISTIC TRAITS AND LIFE SATISFACTION IN ISOLATED HIERARCHIES: A STRUCTURAL EQUIVALENCE MODEL ON THE MODERATING EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL REGULATIN DIFFULTIES AMONG SHIP CREW MEMBERS

Özet

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between narcissistic personality traits and life satisfaction among seafarers working within the isolated and rigid hierarchical structure of the maritime sector, and to investigate the moderating role of emotion regulation difficulties in this relationship. The study sample consists of 220 seafarers working at different hierarchical levels. Employing a quantitative framework, empirical data were gathered utilizing standardized instruments measuring narcissism, emotional dysregulation, and life satisfaction. Subsequent hypothesis testing and construct validation were executed through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) within the AMOS software. The research findings statistically demonstrate that seafarer’s narcissistic tendencies negatively affect their life satisfaction. Furthermore, it was found that difficulty in emotion regulation plays a significant moderating role in this destructive interaction; narcissistic individuals who struggle to manage their own emotions experience a much more pronounced loss of life satisfaction under conditions of isolation and hierarchy. Consequently, the study emphasises that the traditional “stern-tempered authority” figure in the maritime sector is, in fact, a risk factor that undermines individual psychology, and theoretical recommendations for sector-specific human resources policies have been presented.