The Effect of Leadership, Motivation, and Work Environment on Employee Performance with Job Satisfaction as an Intervening Variable at the Center for Teachers and Education Personnel (BBGTK) of North Sumatra

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effects of leadership, work motivation, and work environment on employee performance, with job satisfaction serving as an intervening variable at the Center for Teachers and Education Personnel (BBGTK) of North Sumatra. The study involved 77 Civil Servants (ASN) selected using a saturated sampling technique. A quantitative approach was employed, and the data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. The results revealed that leadership, work motivation, and work environment had positive and significant effects on employee performance, with path coefficients of 0.358, 0.265, and 0.267, respectively. Leadership, work motivation, and work environment also positively influenced job satisfaction, while job satisfaction had a positive and significant effect on employee performance (β = 0.171; p = 0.005). Leadership emerged as the strongest predictor of both employee performance and job satisfaction. The mediation analysis further indicated that job satisfaction transmitted the effects of leadership, work motivation, and work environment on employee performance. The structural model explained 67.9% of the variance in job satisfaction and 92.9% of the variance in employee performance. Overall, the findings highlight that improving employee performance at BBGTK North Sumatra requires an integrated approach centered on effective leadership, supported by strong work motivation, a conducive work environment, and increased job satisfaction.