Analysis of The Free Nutritional Meal Program (MBG) from A Human Resource Management (HR) Perspective

Abstract

Background and Aims: MBG is frequently considered as a social or health initiative focused at increasing the quality of human resources and welfare. Human resource development (HRD) is an important part of a country's growth. This study aims to analyze the Free Nutritious Meal Program (Program Makan Bergizi Gratis, MBG) as a national policy for human resource development from a Human Resource Management (HRM) perspective, particularly through the lenses of Human Capital Theory, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) framework, and Public Sector HRM. Study Design:  This study adopts a conceptual and analytical literature review design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted through a systematic review of peer-reviewed international and national literature indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, and SINTA, as well as official Indonesian government policy documents, published during the period 2019–2026. Methodology: The study employs a qualitative literature review approach with thematic analysis. Relevant academic articles and policy documents were identified through systematic database searches using keywords related to nutrition programs, human capital development, strategic HRM, and public sector HRM. The selected literature was analyzed thematically to examine MBG as a macro-level HRM intervention, focusing on human capital outcomes, policy integration, and human resource implementation challenges. Results: The findings indicate that the MBG program represents a long-term, macro-level HRM investment aimed at strengthening national human capital through improved nutrition, health, and cognitive capacity. However, the analysis reveals several critical challenges, including limitations in human resource capacity among implementing actors, weak strategic alignment across education, health, and labor policies, and the absence of outcome-based human capital performance measurement. These challenges may reduce the program’s effectiveness in achieving sustainable human resource development goals. Conclusion: The study concludes that while MBG has strong potential as a strategic public sector HRM policy supporting Indonesia’s long-term human capital development, its success depends on improved HR governance, cross-sector policy integration, and the adoption of outcome-oriented performance evaluation mechanisms.