Work Environment As A Mediator of Competence, Work Discipline, and Leadership Effects on Employee Performance in Indonesia’s Public Sector

Abstract

This study examines the effects of competence, work discipline, and leadership on employee performance, with the work environment serving as a mediating mechanism, among civil servants at the Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted using a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire. From a population of 145 non-structural civil servants, 107 respondents were selected using the Slovin formula at a 5% precision level. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modelling in SmartPLS 4. The measurement model satisfied internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity requirements. Competence (β=0.795, p=0.001), work discipline (β=0.744, p=0.002), leadership (β=0.692, p=0.001), and the work environment (β=0.682, p<0.001) positively affected employee performance. Competence, work discipline, and leadership also positively affected the work environment. The reported indirect effects through the work environment were significant for competence (β=0.560, p<0.001), work discipline (β=0.620, p=0.001), and leadership (β=0.659, p<0.001), indicating partial mediation. The findings show that employee capability, behavioural discipline, and leadership practices are more effectively translated into performance when the organisation provides a supportive relational and operational environment.