A new study by our PhD student, Moe Kyaw, addresses a question that matters deeply to the maritime industry: what determines how well merchant seafarers perform their jobs?

The research, focusing on Myanmar merchant seafarers aboard ocean-going vessels, finds that job performance is shaped by a combination of fair compensation, genuine career advancement opportunities, and the quality of relationships on board. Crucially, it is the latter that proves most influential. Seafarers who feel supported by their senior officers and co-workers consistently demonstrate stronger job performance, pointing to the profound role that shipboard culture and leadership play in driving results.

The study makes an important contribution to maritime human resource management, offering employers, recruiters, and policymakers evidence-based insight into where investment in seafarer welfare is most likely to pay off.

We are proud to celebrate this achievement by one of our own doctoral researchers.

Read the full open-access article: https://doi.org/10.36941/mjss-2026-0096