Scientific Paradigms in Maritime Technological Innovation: Leadership and Epistemological Decision-Making
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61132/digitalinnovation.v2i2.211Keywords:
Epistemology, Scientific Paradigms, Technological Innovation, Maritime Leadership, Decision-MakingAbstract
The maritime industry is undergoing rapid technological transformation, yet the role of scientific paradigms in shaping technological decision-making remains underexplored. This study examines how epistemological reasoning influences leadership approaches to technological innovation in maritime business management. The research is motivated by the need to bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that technological advancements are implemented with structured decision-making rather than reactive adaptation. This study provides an original contribution by evaluating the intersection of leadership, epistemology, and technological adoption—a perspective largely overlooked in previous maritime innovation research. While digital transformation is widely discussed, few studies address how structured epistemological reasoning affects decision-making in technology adoption. The research seeks to answer: To what extent do scientific paradigms influence technological decision-making in maritime leadership, and what challenges hinder epistemological integration? Using a qualitative methodology, the study engages industry experts, lecturers, and postgraduate students, applying thematic and comparative analysis to explore epistemological competency development and sustainable innovation. Results indicate that leadership adaptability and epistemological literacy significantly enhance digital transformation efforts, yet barriers such as regulatory constraints and resistance to structured reasoning persist. The study concludes that embedding epistemology into maritime education and leadership training is essential for ensuring sustainable, data-driven technological decision-making in the industry.
Downloads
References
Akpinar, H., & Ozer-Caylan, D. (2021). Managing complexity in maritime business: Understanding the smart changes of globalization. Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, 32(4), 582–599.
Al-Mahaseneh, S., & Harb, Y. (2023). The assimilation of ICT knowledge management practices in organizations: An empirical study. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 14(2), 752–779. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-022-00938-7 (doi.org in Bing)
Alqahtani, M., Alqahtani, K., & Aksoy, M. S. (2022). The role of artificial intelligence and information technology in promoting knowledge management in business firms: A review. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4109705 (doi.org in Bing)
Berg, H. P. (2013). Human factors and safety culture in maritime safety. Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation: STCW, Maritime Education and Training (MET), Human Resources and Crew Manning, Maritime Policy, Logistics and Economic Matters, 107, 107–115.
Burns, J. M. (2014). Ethics, the heart of leadership. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
Chaithanapat, P., Punnakitikashem, P., Oo, N. C. K. K., & Rakthin, S. (2022). Relationships among knowledge-oriented leadership, customer knowledge management, innovation quality, and firm performance in SMEs. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(1), Article 100162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2022.100162 (doi.org in Bing)
Chilisa, B. (2019). Indigenous research methodologies. Sage publications.
Cicek, K., Akyuz, E., & Celik, M. (2019). Future skills requirements analysis in maritime industry. Procedia Computer Science, 158, 270–274.
Costa, V., & Monteiro, S. (2016). Key knowledge management processes for innovation: A systematic literature review. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 46(3), 386–410. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-02-2015-0017 (doi.org in Bing)
De Bem Machado, A., Secinaro, S., Calandra, D., & Lanzalonga, F. (2022). Knowledge management and digital transformation for Industry 4.0: A structured literature review. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 20(2), 320–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2021.2015261 (doi.org in Bing)
Edeh, F. O., Zayed, N. M., Nitsenko, V., Brezhnieva-Yermolenko, O., Negovska, J., & Shtan, M. (2022). Predicting innovation capability through knowledge management in the banking sector. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 15(7), Article 312. https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm15070312 (doi.org in Bing)
Erena, O. T., Kalko, M. M., & Debele, S. A. (2023). Organizational factors, knowledge management, and innovation: Empirical evidence from medium- and large-scale manufacturing firms in Ethiopia. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(4), 1165–1207. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-11-2021-0861 (doi.org in Bing)
Farooq, M. S., Riaz, S., Abid, A., Umer, T., & Zikria, Y. Bin. (2020). Role of IoT technology in agriculture: A systematic literature review. Electronics, 9(2), 319.
Farooq, R. (2024). A review of knowledge management research in the past three decades: A bibliometric analysis. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 54(2), 339–378. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-08-2021-0169 (doi.org in Bing)
Fischer, F., & Miller, G. J. (2017). Handbook of public policy analysis: theory, politics, and methods. Routledge.
Grandinetti, R. (2016). Absorptive capacity and knowledge management in small and medium enterprises. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 14(2), 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1057/kmrp.2016.2 (doi.org in Bing)
Harris, R., Krenz, A., & Moffat, J. (2021). The effects of absorptive capacity on innovation performance: A cross-country perspective. JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies, 59(3), 589–607. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.13108
Hiong, L. S., Ferdinand, A. T., & Listiana, E. (2020). Techno-resonance innovation capability for enhancing marketing performance: A perspective of RA-theory. Business: Theory and Practice, 21(1), 329–339. https://doi.org/10.3846/BTP.2020.12117 (doi.org in Bing)
House, D., & Saeed, F. (2016). The seamanship examiner: for STCW certification examinations. Taylor & Francis.
Hurtado-Palomino, A., De la Gala-Velásquez, B., & Ccorisapra-Quintana, J. (2022). The interactive effect of innovation capability and potential absorptive capacity on innovation performance. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(4), Article 100259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2022.100259 (doi.org in Bing)
Iqbal, M., Astuti, E. S., Trialih, R., Wilopo, Arifin, Z., & Aprilian, Y. A. (2020). The mediation of KM in the ACAP–Innovation relationship. Empirical study using PLS-SEM. [No DOI available]
Issa, M., Ilinca, A., & Martini, F. (2022). Ship energy efficiency and maritime sector initiatives to reduce carbon emissions. Energies, 15(21), 7910.
Katz, J. (2015). A theory of qualitative methodology: The social system of analytic fieldwork. Méthod (e) s: African Review of Social Sciences Methodology, 1(1–2), 131–146.
Kim, T., & Mallam, S. (2020). A Delphi-AHP study on STCW leadership competence in the age of autonomous maritime operations. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 19(2), 163–181.
Kim, T., Sydnes, A. K., & Batalden, B.-M. (2021). Development and validation of a safety leadership Self-Efficacy Scale (SLSES) in maritime context. Safety Science, 134, 105031.
Lam, J. S. L., et al. (2021). KM and innovation capability. Review article. [No DOI available]
Listiana, E., et al. (2020). Innovation adoption and techno-resonance. Conceptual study. [No DOI available]
Lu, Y., et al. (2024). Absorptive capacity, innovation capability, and open innovation. Empirical study. [No DOI available]
Martín-de Castro, G. (2015). Knowledge management and innovation in high-tech firms: A systematic review. Journal of Knowledge Management. [No DOI available]
Merriam, S. B., & Grenier, R. S. (2019). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis. John Wiley & Sons.
Panjaitan, H., et al. (2021). TRIC and competitive advantage. Conceptual study. [No DOI available]
Pantouvakis, A., & Vlachos, I. (2020). Talent and leadership effects on sustainable performance in the maritime industry. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 86, 102440.
Paulus, R. (2023). Knowledge sharing, absorptive capacity, and innovation. Empirical study. [No DOI available]
Plaza-Hernández, M., Gil-González, A. B., Rodríguez-González, S., Prieto-Tejedor, J., & Corchado-Rodríguez, J. M. (2021). Integration of IoT technologies in the maritime industry. Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Special Sessions, 17th International Conference, 107–115.
Rachmad, Y. E. (2022). Leadership Flexibility Theory. Pontevedra Rías Publicaciones Internacionales Edición Especial.
Santoso, D., et al. (2024). Replication and expansion of the TRIC concept. Conceptual study. [No DOI available]
Silvianita, A., & Pradana, M. (2022). KM and ACAP as antecedents of innovation capability. Empirical study. [No DOI available]
Siregar, R., et al. (2024). Knowledge breadth and depth in shaping absorptive capacity. Empirical study. [No DOI available]
Sukomardojo, T., & Ratnaningsih, D. (2022). The Using of Media Games to Improve SMCP (Standard Marine Communication Phrases) Vocabulary in Maritime English. ICES 2021: Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference of Education and Science, ICES 2021, November 17-18, 2021, Jakarta, Indonesia, 56.
Theotokas, I., Lagoudis, I. N., & Kotsiopoulos, N. (2014). Leadership profiling of ocean going ship masters. The Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics, 30(3), 321–343.
Ubaidillah, A. F., Bafadal, I., Ulfatin, N., & Supriyanto, A. (2020). Cultivating marine leadership character through multicultural boarding-school system. Cakrawala Pendidikan, 39(1), 191–206.
Wahl, A. M., & Kongsvik, T. (2018). Crew resource management training in the maritime industry: a literature review. WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 17(3), 377–396.
Willig, C. (2014). Interpretation and analysis. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Data Analysis, 481.
Wu, W., et al. (2021). Absorptive capacity in SMEs. Empirical study.
Zaderei, A. (2020). Ensuring the sustainability of the human resources management system of maritime industry enterprises. Access: Access to Science, Business, Innovation in Digital Economy, 1(2), 146–156.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Digital Innovation : International Journal of Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
