Modeling human critical success factors for maritime safety: a DEMATEL approach

• DEMATEL maps cause-and-effect links among 11 human success factors in maritime safety. • Training, leadership, and communication are top causal factors driving safety results. • Crisis management and safety culture are top effect factors shaped by key drivers. • Decision-making skills mediate key causal drivers to enhance the effect factors. • Differences in professional roles shape safety factors’ impact on maritime operations. Maritime safety is vital for safeguarding human life, protecting the marine environment, and preserving valuable assets while ensuring compliance with international standards such as SOLAS and the ISM Code. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of the dynamics among human critical success factors (CSFs) in maritime safety, identifying their most prominent cause-and-effect relationships. Employing the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) methodology, the analysis combines a systematic literature review with insights from maritime experts. The study uniquely assesses perceptions across a broad sample of experts representing different professional groups—Executive Leadership Professionals, Onboard Operational Officers, and Administrative Professionals—highlighting variations and commonalities in their views on safety practices. The core findings emphasize the significance of an integrated approach to managing human factors, primarily through comprehensive training programs, robust leadership, and clear communication. Central to this approach are decision-making skills, which serve as a mediator, channeling the synergistic effects of the aforementioned causal factors to significantly enhance safety culture and strengthen crisis management practices within the maritime industry. By focusing on these pivotal areas, maritime organizations can enhance their safety protocols, thereby fostering a more resilient and effective safety management system. The interconnected nature of human CSFs in maritime safety, as identified in this study, opens paths for theoretical exploration in future research using diverse lenses such as Systems Theory, Contingency Theory, and Organizational Culture Theory.