Competence and Organizational Culture as Drivers of Employee Performance: The Mediating Role of Work Motivation

Public-sector performance depends not only on employees’ individual capability but also on the organizational values and motivational processes that convert capability into sustained effort. Yet limited evidence explains how competence and organizational culture jointly translate into performance through work motivation in accountability-intensive local government institutions. This study examines the direct effects of competence and organizational culture on employee performance and the mediating role of work motivation among 55 employees of the North Konawe Regency Inspectorate, Indonesia. A quantitative census design was analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Competence and organizational culture positively predicted work motivation and employee performance, while work motivation showed the strongest direct relationship with performance (β = 0.850, p < .001). The model explained 62.7% of the variance in work motivation and 93.5% of the variance in employee performance. The original analysis also reported significant indirect effects through motivation. The study contributes to public-sector HRM by showing that capability-based and culture-based resources are translated into performance partly through motivational activation. Strengthening technical competence, integrity-oriented culture, and motivational conditions should therefore be treated as complementary priorities in local-government inspectorates.