Developing Maritime Human Capital: The Role of Nautical Leadership and Motivation, Empirical Studies from Indonesian Seafarers

Abstract

The maritime industry increasingly recognizes leadership competence as a critical factor in enhancing operational safety, crew performance, and organizational sustainability. However, empirical evidence examining how nautical leadership contributes to maritime human capital development, particularly through motivational mechanisms in developing maritime countries, remains limited. This study investigates the direct and indirect relationships between nautical leadership, motivation, and human capital among Indonesian seafarers. A quantitative explanatory design was employed using survey data collected from 350 seafarers enrolled in STCW-based leadership training programs at STIP Jakarta. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings demonstrate that nautical leadership has a strong positive effect on motivation (β = 0.974) and a significant direct effect on human capital (β = 0.481). Motivation also significantly enhances human capital (β = 0.505) and partially mediates the relationship between nautical leadership and human capital. The structural model exhibits substantial explanatory power, with R² values of 0.949 for motivation and 0.961 for human capital. These findings indicate that leadership competencies — including decision-making, team management, crisis communication, navigation leadership, and conflict resolution — not only strengthen seafarers' motivation but also improve their technical competence, adaptability, and career development. This study contributes to the maritime human capital literature by providing empirical evidence of the leadership–motivation–human capital relationship within Indonesian maritime education and offers practical implications for integrating leadership development and motivation enhancement into maritime education and training curricula.