The Influence of Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance with Work Discipline as an Intervening Variable among Civil Servants at Ministry X Christofel J A Roringkon1.
Alivia Nurkholivvah2 Kementerian Perhubungan1.
Badan Kepegawaian Negara2 christofeljoiman_armandororingkon@kemenhub.
Alivia.
nk@gmail.
Abstract This study aims to examine the influence of work motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance, with work discipline serving as an intervening variable among civil servants at Ministry X.
Using a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design, data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to 91 ASN employees from a technical unit under the Directorate General at Ministry X.
The research instrument was based on validated indicators from previous literature and used a Likert scale ranging from 1 .
trongly disagre.
to 5 .
trongly agre.
Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with the Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) method via SmartPLS 4.
0 software.
The analysis consisted of two stages: evaluating the measurement model .
uter mode.
to assess convergent validity, discriminant validity, and reliability.
and evaluating the structural model .
nner mode.
through path coefficients, t-statistics, and p-values.
The results indicate that work motivation and job satisfaction positively and significantly affect work discipline.
Furthermore, both work motivation and work discipline significantly influence employee performance, while job satisfaction does not have a significant direct However, job satisfaction indirectly influences employee performance through work discipline.
These findings highlight the critical role of discipline as a mediating factor and reinforce the importance of enhancing employee motivation to improve overall performance within the civil service sector.
Keywords: work motivation, job satisfaction, work discipline, employee performance.
INTRODUCTION
Amidst the ongoing wave of bureaucratic reform and increasing public demand for improved public services, the performance of civil servants (ASN) has emerged as a critical determinant of institutional effectiveness.
Bureaucratic reform is no longer limited to administrative restructuring.
it requires a deeper transformation in work culture and mindset from merely executing tasks to acting as agents of change who deliver tangible and meaningful results for society.
A recent study by (Nasution et al.
, 2.
emphasizes that the success of bureaucratic reform largely hinges on the quality of human resources, especially in terms of professionalism, integrity, and discipline.
Civil servants today are expected to go beyond administrative duties and contribute actively to the strategic objectives of their organizations.
In this context, one Technical Implementation Unit (UPT) under a Directorate General of a national ministry .
ereafter anonymized to preserve institutional integrit.
plays a crucial operational role in translating policy into However, challenges such as high absenteeism, fluctuating motivation, and weak adherence to standard operating procedures have raised concerns about human resource management effectiveness in this unit.
94 | The Influence of Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance with Work Discipline as an Intervening Variable among Civil Servants at Ministry X Tabel 1.
1 Summary of Employee Absenteeism.
January Ae December 2024
Type of Absence Unexplained Absences Sick
Number of Cases Average Cases per Employee 5,33% Remarks Highest, indicates weak
3,40%
Fluctuating relatively high Official Leave 4,27% High One employee absent 13 times/year on average Total Source: Human Resource Information System, 2024 Based on attendance records from January to December 2024, 91 employees accumulated 1,183 absence cases, with unexplained absences being the highest .
, followed by official leave .
, and sick leave .
This pattern suggests deeper issues of supervision, motivation, and work discipline.
Uncontrolled absenteeism in public service institutions not only hampers productivity but also undermines service delivery and organizational performance.
From a managerial standpoint, such trends signal dysfunctions in planning, implementation, and oversight of human resources.
High absenteeism often correlates with low motivation and job dissatisfaction two psychological dimensions that significantly shape employee behavior and output.
Robbins and Judge describe motivation as an internal force driving individuals to achieve specific goals, while job satisfaction is a personal evaluation of oneAos work conditions (Robbins.
, & Judge, 2.
When both are lacking, employee engagement and discipline tend to decline, affecting the institution's ability to achieve its mission.
This study aims to analyze the influence of work motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance, with work discipline positioned as a mediating variable.
Work discipline in this research is not viewed merely as compliance with rules, but as an embodiment of professional values and organizational commitment.
Prior studies (Mangkunegara, 2017.
Susanty & Miradipta, 2.
support the notion that discipline can act as a behavioral bridge between internal motivations and actual performance.
To strengthen this analysis, the researcher conducted a preliminary survey involving 32 employees within the UPT.
Tabel 2.
Summary of Employee Responses to Key Performance Factors (N = .
Variable Work Motivation Work Environment Work Discipline Emotional Intelligence Compensation Job Satisfaction Work Stress Leadership Style Organizational Commitment Self-Efficacy Number of Respondents Source: Preliminary survey by the researcher, 2024 Jurnal Good Governance Volume 21 No.
September 2025 | 95 Results showed that work discipline was identified by .
respondents as the most influential factor affecting performance, followed by work motivation .
and job satisfaction .
Employees reported that poor discipline stemmed from weak supervision and inconsistent rule enforcement.
Low motivation was linked to a lack of incentives and recognition, while dissatisfaction stemmed from limited career development and compensation issues.
These findings indicate that improving employee performance in public institutions demands more than technical fixes it requires attention to human-centered factors.
Motivation, satisfaction, and discipline are interrelated elements that must be addressed systematically to enhance organizational capacity and performance outcomes.
By constructing an empirical model through quantitative methods and path analysis, this research contributes to understanding the psychological and behavioral determinants of performance in public sector work units facing operational challenges.
RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
Drawing from the theoretical framework and a comprehensive review of previous empirical studies, the relationships among work motivation, job satisfaction, work discipline, and employee performance are recognized as complex, multifaceted, and Based on these studies, the following hypotheses are proposed:
H1: Work motivation has a positive and significant effect on employee performance.
Work motivation is a key driver in enhancing employee performance.
According to studies by (Budiarkah.
Widodo Sunaryo, 2023.
Rustandi et al.
, 2024.
Wahyudi & Suryani, 2.
, employees with high motivation are more likely to demonstrate improved productivity, stronger goal orientation, and greater drive to achieve organizational This is supported by additional evidence from (Anggraini, 2024.
Purwanto et , 2024.
Rachman & Saluy, 2.
, indicating that motivation directly influences performance by encouraging higher effort and focus.
H2: Work motivation has a positive and significant effect on work discipline.
Motivated employees are generally more disciplined in their work, adhering to rules and showing commitment to their tasks.
Research by (Budiarkah.
Widodo Sunaryo, 2023.
Hastuti, 2023.
Wahyudi et al.
, 2.
, supports this, showing that work motivation fosters greater punctuality, consistency, and responsibility in carrying out job duties.
Similar findings by (Rachman & Saluy, 2024.
Wahyudi & Suryani, 2.
, reinforce the idea that increased motivation encourages behaviors aligned with organizational H3: Job satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on employee performance.
Job satisfaction has long been associated with improved employee performance.
Studies such as those by (Astuti et al.
, 2020.
Budiarkah.
Widodo Sunaryo, 2023.
Wahyudi et , 2.
, indicate that satisfied employees due to supportive work environments, fair rewards, and positive interpersonal relationships tend to be more productive and This positive emotional state promotes better engagement and output, as also shown by (G.
Wahyudi & Suryani, 2.
H4: Job satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on work discipline.
Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to exhibit better work Research by (Fauziah, 2024.
Hastuti, 2023.
Wahyudi & Suryani, 2.
, highlights that satisfaction improves adherence to organizational norms and policies.
96 | The Influence of Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance with Work Discipline as an Intervening Variable among Civil Servants at Ministry X (Budiarkah.
Widodo Sunaryo, 2023.
Wahyudi et al.
, 2.
, also show that when employees feel valued and content, they are more punctual, diligent, and rule-abiding in their behavior.
H5: Work motivation positively and significantly affects employee performance, mediated by work discipline.
Discipline acts as a vital mediator between work motivation and performance.
This is evidenced by studies such as (Budiarkah.
Widodo Sunaryo, 2023.
Hastuti, 2023.
Rachman & Saluy, 2.
, which found that motivated employees who maintain strong discipline can convert internal drive into consistent performance.
The mediating role of discipline in translating motivation into results is further supported by (Rustandi et al.
Wahyudi & Suryani, 2.
H6: Job satisfaction positively and significantly affects employee performance, mediated by work discipline.
Work discipline serves as a significant intermediary between job satisfaction and performance outcomes.
Studies by (Fauziah, 2024.
Hastuti, 2023.
Wahyudi & Suryani, 2.
, demonstrate that job satisfaction fosters greater discipline, which in turn leads to better performance.
(Budiarkah.
Widodo Sunaryo, 2023.
Rachman & Saluy, 2.
, further confirm that employees who are both satisfied and disciplined contribute more effectively to achieving organizational goals.
H7: Work discipline has a positive and significant effect on employee performance.
Work discipline plays a crucial role in enhancing employee performance.
Multiple studies, including those by (Efendi, 2021.
Rachman & Saluy, 2024.
Wahyudi et al.
, show that employees who maintain high discipline are more efficient, productive, and aligned with performance expectations.
Additional support from (Fauziah, 2024.
Purwanto et al.
, 2024.
Rustandi et al.
, 2.
, illustrates how punctuality, adherence to procedures, and consistency contribute significantly to improved outcomes.
Based on the hypotheses outlined above, the researcher has developed the research model presented in Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Research Model This model integrates the key variables work motivation, job satisfaction, work discipline, and employee performance and illustrates their proposed relationships.
The model serves as a conceptual framework for understanding the interconnections between these variables and provides a basis for testing the hypotheses in the context of the current Jurnal Good Governance Volume 21 No.
September 2025 | 97
METHOD
This study employs a quantitative method with an associative approach, aiming to examine the influence of work motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance, with work discipline serving as an intervening variable.
The study is categorized as explanatory research, which seeks to explain causal relationships among variables through hypothesis testing.
Data were collected using an online questionnaire distributed via Google Forms to 91 civil servants (ASN) working at one of the Technical Implementation Units (UPT) under a Directorate General within Ministry X.
The research instrument was developed using a likert scale ranging from 1 (Austrongly disagreeA.
to 5 (Austrongly agreeA.
, based on indicators drawn from prior studies.
The total number of items was adjusted to meet the minimum recommended sample size, which is at least five times the number of indicators, in accordance with SEM sampling theory.
The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach, utilizing SmartPLS version 4.
0 software.
The model testing was conducted in two stages: the first was the assessment of the measurement model .
uter mode.
, which evaluated convergent validity, discriminant validity .
hrough AVE, cross-loadings, and the FornellAeLarcker criterio.
, and reliability .
sing CronbachAos Alpha and composite The second stage was the structural model .
nner mode.
evaluation, which included assessing the coefficient of determination (RA), multicollinearity (VIF), and testing the significance of relationships through t-statistics and path coefficients.
Hypotheses were accepted if the t-statistic value exceeded 1.
96 and the path coefficient was greater than 0.
1 (Ghozali.
Iman, 2.
Tabel 3.
Respondent Demographic Data Demographic Category Sub Category Male Female TOTAL 21-25 years 26-30 years Age 31-35 years >36 years TOTAL High School Diploma (D1/DII/D.
Education Bachelor (DIV/S.
MasterAos (S.
TOTAL 1-5 years 5-10 years Years of Service 3.
10-15 years 15-20 years >20 years TOTAL
Gender
Frequency Percentage 70,3% 29,7% 25,3% 27,5% 26,4% 20,8% 20,9% 35,2% 40,7% 3,3% 46,2% 26,4% 20,9% 1,1% 5,4 % 98 | The Influence of Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance with Work Discipline as an Intervening Variable among Civil Servants at Ministry X
DISCUSSION
Figure 2.
Stuctural Model Convergent validity refers to the principle that indicators .
anifest variable.
of a construct should correlate strongly with one another.
This validity is assessed based on the loading factor and the Average Variance Extracted (AVE).
According to the commonly used rule of thumb, convergent validity is achieved when the loading factor 7 and the AVE is greater than 0.
5 (Ghozali, 2.
The results of the loading factor evaluation are presented Tabel 4.
Loading Factors of the Research Model Variable Indicator Work Motivation X1.
X1.
X1.
X1.
X1.
X1.
X1.
Loading Factor Variable Indicator Loading Factor Job Satisfaction X2.
X2.
X2.
X2.
X2.
X2.
X2.
Jurnal Good Governance Volume 21 No.
September 2025 | 99 X2.
X2.
X2.
Variable Indicator Loading Factor Employee Performance Work Discipline Based on Table 4, indicators X2.
10 (Job Satisfactio.
and Z.
2 (Work Disciplin.
were found to be invalid due to their loading factors falling below 0.
Additionally, a review of the AVE values revealed that some constructs did not meet the threshold of 0.
address this, a number of indicators were removed to ensure that both AVE values and the Fornell-Larcker criterion for discriminant validity met the required standards.
The revised AVE values for each latent variable are shown in Table 5.
100 | The Influence of Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance with Work Discipline as an Intervening Variable among Civil Servants at Ministry X Tabel 5.
Average Variance Extracted (AVE) Variable Average Variance Extracted (AVE) Work Discipline Job Satisfaction Employee Performance Work Motivation As seen in Table 5, all latent variables meet the AVE threshold of 0.
The lowest AVE was observed for Work Motivation .
, while the highest was for Job Satisfaction .
Reliability Evaluation Reliability was assessed using CronbachAos alpha and composite reliability.
According to (GHOZALI, 2.
, a latent variable is considered reliable if it has a CronbachAos alpha or composite reliability above 0.
The results are shown in Table 6.
Tabel 6.
CronbachAos Alpha and Composite Reliability Variable Work Discipline Job Satisfaction Employee Performance Work Motivation Cronbach's Alpha Composite Reliability All variables demonstrated high reliability, with the lowest reliability shown by Work Motivation (CronbachAos alpha = 0.
CR = 0.
, and the highest by Employee Performance (CronbachAos alpha = 0.
CR = 0.
After evaluating the measurement model, the structural model was assessed to determine whether the proposed hypotheses were supported.
A hypothesis is considered accepted if the t-statistic is greater than 1.
and the path coefficient is above 0.
1 (Ghozali.
Iman, 2.
The hypotheses tested are grouped into direct and indirect effects, as presented in Tables 7 and 8.
Direct Effect Hypotheses Testing Tabel 7.
Direct Effect Hypotheses Testing Hypoth
Path
Work Motivation Ie Employee Performance Work Motivation Ie Work
Discipline Job Satisfaction Ie Employee Performance Job Satisfaction Ie Work
Discipline Work Discipline Ie Employee Performance Path
Coefficient Conclus
( )
( )
(-)
( )
( )
Jurnal Good Governance Volume 21 No.
September 2025 | 101 H1: Work Motivation also significantly affects Employee Performance .
ath coefficient = 0.
t = 3.
p = 0.
, indicating a 42.
6% positive contribution.
H2: Work Motivation significantly affects Work Discipline .
ath coefficient = 0.
p = 0.
, supporting the hypothesis.
H3: Job Satisfaction does not have a significant effect on Employee Performance .
ath coefficient = -0.
t = 0.
p = 0.
, thus the hypothesis is rejected.
H4: Job Satisfaction positively and significantly affects Work Discipline .
ath coefficient = 0.
t = 3.
p = 0.
, supporting the hypothesis.
H7: Work Discipline has a significant positive effect on Employee Performance .
ath coefficient = 0.
t = 6.
p < 0.
This supports the hypothesis that improved discipline enhances performance by 52.
Indirect Effect Hypotheses Testing Tabel 8.
Indirect Effect Hypotheses Testing Hypot Path Path Coefficient Ie 0.
Ie Work Motivation Work Discipline Employee Performance Job Satisfaction Ie Work 0.
Discipline Ie Employee Performance t-statistics p-value Conclu
( )
( )
H5: Work Motivation also shows a significant positive indirect effect on Employee Performance through Work Discipline .
ath coefficient = 0.
t = 2.
p = 0.
confirming the mediating role of discipline.
H6: Job Satisfaction has a significant positive indirect effect on Employee Performance through Work Discipline .
ath coefficient = 0.
t = 3.
p = 0.
This suggests discipline partially mediates this relationship.
CONCLUSION
This study investigated the influence of work motivation, job satisfaction, and work discipline on employee performance within a public-sector organizational setting.
The results provide robust empirical evidence that both work motivation and work discipline have direct and significant positive effects on employee performance.
Moreover, job satisfaction significantly influences work discipline, which in turn serves as a mediating variable that channels the effect of job satisfaction and work motivation on employee While job satisfaction does not exhibit a direct significant relationship with performance, its indirect effect through work discipline underscores the importance of fostering a disciplined work culture as a conduit for translating employee satisfaction into tangible performance outcomes.
The findings also highlight that motivation is both a direct driver of performance and an indirect one via discipline, emphasizing its dual role.
Overall, the results of this research suggest that improving employee performance in the public sector requires a comprehensive approach one that enhances motivational factors and job satisfaction while simultaneously reinforcing work discipline.
These insights can 102 | The Influence of Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance with Work Discipline as an Intervening Variable among Civil Servants at Ministry X inform human resource policies aiming to strengthen organizational performance through well-structured behavioral and attitudinal development programs.
DAFTAR PUSTAKA