The Role of Competency in Mediating the Impact of Training, Education, and Personal Characteristics on Successful Crew Recruitment in Indonesian Shipping Companies

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of successful crew recruitment in Indonesian shipping companies by analyzing the direct and indirect effects of training, education, and personal characteristics through competency as a mediating variable. Using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS), data from 165 HR division employees across Indonesian shipping companies were analyzed. The outer model evaluation confirmed convergent validity (factor loadings >0.70, AVE >0.50), discriminant validity (Fornell-Larcker criterion and HTMT), and reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha >0.70, Composite Reliability >0.70). The inner model demonstrated strong predictive power with R² values of 0.684 for competency and 0.726 for recruitment success. Hypothesis testing revealed that training, education, and personal characteristics significantly and positively influence both competency and successful crew recruitment. Furthermore, competency significantly mediates these relationships, with mediation effects confirmed through bootstrapping analysis (p <0.05, t >1.96). The findings indicate that competency serves as a critical linking mechanism transforming human capital investments and individual attributes into recruitment success. This research contributes to maritime human resource management theory by demonstrating a dual-pathway model and provides practical implications for enhancing crew selection processes through competency development programs.