Digitalization as a Driving Force for the Sustainable Business in the Spanish Maritime Sector: The Mediating Effect of Human Capital and CSR

ABSTRACT Digital transformation is reshaping the maritime industry, yet its implications for Business Performance remain contested. This paper investigates how digitalization influences Business Performance in the Spanish maritime sector through the mediating roles of Human Capital and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Building on the resource and knowledge‐based views and Stakeholder Theory, authors conceptualize digitalization as an enabling capability that requires complementary investments in Human Capital and CSR to translate into sustainable competitive advantages. Authors conducted a survey of senior managers and functional heads in 171 Spanish maritime firms and analyzed the data using the PLS–SEM method. The refined measurement model distinguishes between digitalization practices, Human Capital development, CSR activities, and Business Performance, avoiding conceptual overlap among constructs. Results show that digitalization has a strong positive effect on Human Capital, which in turn enhances both CSR and Business Performance. CSR also exhibits a substantial positive impact on Business Performance. The direct effect of digitalization on Business Performance is weak, but its total effect becomes significant through the joint mediating mechanisms of Human Capital and CSR. These findings suggest that digital transformation alone is insufficient to improve business outcomes: firms must simultaneously develop their Human Capital and embed CSR into their strategies to realize the full benefits of digitalization. The study contributes to the emerging literature on sustainable digitalization in the maritime sector by offering an integrated, stakeholder‐oriented framework that connects digital capabilities, human capital, CSR, and sustainable business performance, with practical implications for managers navigating the ecological transition and the SDG.