The Role of Motivation as a Mediating Variable of the Influence of Transformational Leadership and Organizational Culture to Employee Performance

Abstract

This study aims to examine the mediating role of work motivation in the relationship between transformational leadership, organizational culture, and employee performance at the Regional Office of the National Logistics Agency (BULOG) of West Nusa Tenggara. The research adopts a quantitative approach with a causal associative research design and is analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The study involved all 128 employees as respondents, with data collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire. The findings reveal that transformational leadership and organizational culture have a positive and significant effect on both work motivation and employee performance. Work motivation also exerts a positive and significant influence on employee performance and significantly mediates the effects of transformational leadership and organizational culture on performance. An R-square value of 0.823 indicates a strong explanatory power of the proposed model. These results highlight the critical role of transformational leadership and a supportive organizational culture in enhancing work motivation and achieving optimal employee performance within public sector organizations. This study provides managerial implications for strengthening human resource policies through leadership development and the reinforcement of adaptive and collaborative organizational cultures. Future research is recommended to incorporate additional variables and expand the scope of analysis beyond a single institution, including both private organizations and government sectors.