The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment in the Relationship Between Democratic Leadership, Compensation, Work Discipline, and the Performance of Nonteaching Academic Staff

The performance of nonteaching academic staff plays a vital role in supporting the success and quality of higher education institutions. This study examines the mediating role of organizational commitment in the influence of human resource management practices, namely democratic leadership style, compensation, and work discipline, on the performance of educational personnel at State Polytechnics in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. A quantitative survey was conducted with a sample of 139 civil servants across eight State Polytechnic campuses. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling with the partial least squares approach. The results revealed that organizational commitment not only had a direct effect on performance but also served as a significant mediator in the relationship between the three independent variables and performance. Specifically, democratic leadership style and work discipline did not have a significant direct impact on performance. However, their effects became significant when mediated by organizational commitment. These findings indicate that organizational commitment serves as a key psychological mechanism bridging managerial practices and actual performance improvement. Therefore, efforts to enhance the performance of educational personnel should prioritize strengthening organizational commitment.