The Mediating Role Of Work Behaviour In The Relationship Between Work Engagement, Self-Efficacy, And Civil Servants' Performance: Evidence From Indonesia

Abstract

Orientation: Failure to achieve organisational objectives frequently erodes public trust and diminishes institutional legitimacy. Strengthening internal human resource management is therefore essential for ensuring goal attainment and enhancing organisational reputation.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of work engagement (WE) and self-efficacy (SE) on employee performance (EP), with work behaviour (WB) as a mediating construct.

Motivation for the study: Understanding how personal and behavioural factors interact to influence employee performance is crucial for developing evidence-based strategies to strengthen public service delivery in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative design was applied, using survey data from 209 civil servants at the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Manpower, Republic of Indonesia. Analysis was conducted with structural equation modelling (SEM-PLS).

Findings: The structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis indicated that all seven proposed relationships, including both direct and indirect pathways, were statistically significant. Work behaviour acts as a pivotal mediator linking personal factors to employee performance, with higher work engagement and self-efficacy encouraging positive work behaviours that, in turn, improve employee performance.

Practical implications: The findings emphasise the role of work behaviour as a fundamental approach to achieving sustained performance improvements in the public sector.

Originality/Value: This study proposes a contextual model that integrates personal and behavioural factors of Social Cognitive Theory to explain civil servants’ performance in developing countries and represents one of the first empirical studies to test this integrated model in the Indonesian public sector