Maritime Leadership and Management in Selected Maritime Institutions in The Region III: Basis for an Operational Framework

This mixed-methods explanatory sequential design aimed to evaluate the leadership and management competencies of selected administrators in maritime schools in Region 3. One hundred forty-one (141) faculty members and thirty-nine (39) middle management personnel supplied data for the study’s quantitative phase. The MySkillsProfile/Assessments—Management and Leadership questionnaire serves as the primary instrument for data collection in this study. The study revealed that most maritime school administrators are male, aged 25–35, holding instructor positions, with 1–5 years of administrative experience and a bachelor’s degree. Faculty and middle managers rated the administrators highly in strategic thinking, creativity, decision-making, innovation, policy implementation, problem solving, communication, and relationship building. There were no significant differences in these ratings based on age, designation, or educational attainment, but differences were observed based on gender and years of administrative experience. Administrative challenges included leadership style inconsistencies, conflict resolution difficulties, resistance to technology adaptation, and a lack of crisis management preparedness. To address these issues, an operational framework was proposed, aiming to enhance administrative effectiveness in maritime institutions. The study concludes with recommendations for targeted recruitment, professional development programs, gender sensitivity training, comprehensive professional development in leadership and conflict resolution, and the creation of a dedicated task force to oversee the implementation of the proposed framework.