Job performance of shipyard workforce in the shipbuilding and ship repair industry: do competencies matter in Malaysian shipyards?

Abstract

Malaysia’s Shipbuilding and Ship Repair (SBSR) Industry provides the backbone for the development of the maritime sector. Malaysian shipyards are capable of building various types of small- to medium- sized vessels. Lately, SBSR is attributed as demonstrating poor performance due to the delayed vessel delivery as per contract, and despite using technology, there has been no change. It is thought that using competencies might improve the job performance of the shipyard workforce. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the influence of competencies on job performance in the SBSR industry. A cross-sectional design was adopted and 100 respondents were selected as the population. The data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and they were analyzed through descriptive, correlation and regression analyses. The study results revealed a strong positive and significant influence between competencies and job performance. The study recommended that Shipbuilding and Ship repair industry players develop competencies in order to increase their performance.