The Role of Work Motivation in Mediating the Influence of The Transformational Leadership Style of Sub-District Heads on the Performance of Neighborhood Heads at the Medan Baru Subdistrict Office

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the role of work motivation in mediating the influence of sub-district head transformational leadership on neighborhood head performance at the Medan Baru Sub-district Office in Medan City. The background of this study is based on differences in performance among neighborhood heads, which are influenced by leadership, motivation, and working conditions. Transformational leadership is considered capable of creating positive change through the leader's ability to inspire, stimulate intellectually, and give individual attention to subordinates. Meanwhile, work motivation is seen as a psychological force that drives individuals to achieve and contribute optimally to the organization. This study used a quantitative approach with a population of 64 neighborhood heads in Medan Baru District, all of whom were included in the saturated sample. Data analysis techniques used Partial Least Squares (PLS) through the SmartPLS 4.0 application. The results showed that transformational leadership had a positive but insignificant effect on the performance of neighborhood heads, but had a positive and significant effect on work motivation. Furthermore, work motivation has a positive and significant effect on the performance of neighborhood heads and is proven to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and performance. The coefficient of determination (R²) value shows that 64.8% of the variation in work motivation and 94.8% of the variation in performance can be explained by the research model. These results indicate that improving the performance of neighborhood heads does not only depend on the transformational leadership style applied by the sub-district head, but is also greatly influenced by the level of individual work motivation. Therefore, a leadership strategy that focuses on empowerment, individual attention, and the provision of continuous rewards and guidance is needed to improve the motivation and performance of officials in the Medan Baru Sub-district.