Developing ships’ repair OI and OP in the Omani dockyard: co-association of proficiency, efficiency and concentration in the knowledge environment

Abstract

Maintaining knowledge and competencies in a public organization remains a challenging approach. The purpose of this study is to test and engage the organization through continuous ‘proficiency’ and ‘efficiency’ as the independent variables (IV), and ‘concentration’ as the mediating variable (MV), to understand the practitioners for development of organizational innovation (OI) and organizational performance (OP) as the dependent variables (DV). The paper intends to develop an understanding of the constructs’ relationships and their contributing effects to ships’ OI and OP in the Sultanate of Oman using a dedicated research framework. The mediating role of concentration drove and assisted all the variables. Proficiency, innovation and concentration employ single- and double-loop learning (adaptive and generative learning) to envision the entire process. Statistical methods were used to analyze the opinions of a large population (n = 362) for improvement. The research instrument was adapted/modified to suit the required study, following a “probability—simple random sampling design”. The hypothetical research framework was designed on the perceptions of understanding the practitioners/behaviour of the variables to develop OI and OP and to strengthen the availability of operational ships in a knowledge environment. The positive relation of IV, MV and DV were noted and, using Sobel mediation of MV, the results were found to be directly and indirectly significant leading to rejection of proposed hypotheses. These results were required to learn from the practitioner and to encourage further work on the necessary disciplines of naval ships’ repair innovation and performance for the participation and application of distinctive disciplines associated with knowledge and competencies (K&C). The requirements are outlined in both the discussion and conclusion, superimposed by K&C frameworks to contribute and develop improvement of OI and OP in the knowledge environment.