Aligning People for Digital Transformation in Ports: The Role of Internal Marketing, Learning, and Leadership

As ports accelerate their digital transformation, the human dimension remains underexplored. This study investigates how internal marketing influences organizational transformation performance in Malaysian ports, focusing on the mediating role of absorptive capacity and the moderating role of transformational leadership. Drawing from a survey of 219 managerial-level port employees, data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that internal marketing plays a significant direct role in driving transformation outcomes and strengthens knowledge absorption pathways. Interestingly, transformational leadership, while expected to moderate these effects, showed no significant interaction, suggesting its influence may lie in overall climate shaping rather than pathway conditioning. This research contributes to the literature by integrating the resource-based view with dynamic capability theory in a port sector context. From a practical standpoint, the results highlight the need for port operators to invest not only in systems and infrastructure but also in internal campaigns that build awareness, engagement, and knowledge mobilization. The study offers a grounded roadmap for aligning people with digital ambitions in one of the world’s most critical logistics sectors.