Workplace Conditions Matter for Educational Performance
Employee performance is an important factor in maintaining the quality and effectiveness of educational institutions. Teachers and other staff members are responsible not only for completing routine tasks but also for supporting teaching quality, administration, and the overall delivery of educational services.
At Indonesian Methodist Christian College Region 1 Medan, known as PKMI-1 Medan, the researchers identified several workplace challenges associated with employee performance. The institution operates under Christian values and the Indonesian Methodist Church and holds a “Very Good” accreditation.
The article reports concerns involving employee training, organizational discipline, leadership communication, workplace facilities, interpersonal relationships, and job satisfaction. Some administrative reports and learning materials reportedly required revisions because of errors or inadequate preparation. The study also describes monotonous teaching methods and learning materials that were not always aligned with the curriculum.
Organizational culture was another concern. Inconsistent enforcement of workplace rules could make employee performance fluctuate depending on circumstances or supervision. Leadership challenges included limited communication, decision-making that did not consistently involve teachers and staff, and insufficient encouragement and professional support.
The physical and social work environment also presented challenges. Poorly organized workspaces, outdated facilities, the physical condition of the school, strained employee relationships, and ineffective internal communication were identified as factors that could reduce workplace comfort and teamwork.
Study Examined 67 Teachers
Samosir, Goh, and Silalahi used a quantitative survey design to examine the relationships between organizational culture, leadership style, work environment, job satisfaction, and employee performance.
The study population consisted of 67 teachers at PKMI-1 Medan. Because the population was relatively small, the researchers used total population sampling, meaning all 67 teachers were included in the sample. Questionnaires were combined with direct observation, while statistical analysis was used to examine the relationships among the variables.
The analysis found that organizational culture, leadership style, and work environment collectively explained 56.9% of the variation in employee job satisfaction. The remaining 43.1% was associated with other factors outside the model.
Leadership Emerged as the Strongest Predictor of Job Satisfaction
All three organizational factors had a statistically significant positive relationship with job satisfaction.
- Organizational culture significantly affected job satisfaction, with a significance value of 0.049.
- Leadership style had a significant effect, with a significance value below 0.001 and a standardized beta coefficient of 0.412.
- Work environment also significantly affected job satisfaction, with a significance value of 0.001 and a standardized beta coefficient of 0.294.
Among the three factors, leadership style was the strongest predictor of job satisfaction. The authors associate effective leadership with the ability to motivate, guide, communicate with, and support employees.
Job satisfaction itself also had a significant positive effect on employee performance. The analysis produced a t-value of 2.719 and a significance value of 0.008, indicating that employees with higher job satisfaction tended to demonstrate better performance.
The three organizational factors also directly influenced employee performance. Organizational culture had a significance value of 0.005, leadership style 0.035, and work environment 0.022. Job satisfaction remained a significant predictor, with a significance value of 0.008.
Job Satisfaction Strengthens the Relationship
One of the most important findings concerns the role of job satisfaction as a mediator.
The researchers used the Sobel test to determine whether organizational culture, leadership style, and work environment influenced employee performance indirectly through job satisfaction.
The results were statistically significant for all three relationships:
- Organizational culture → job satisfaction → employee performance: Sobel statistic 2.10
- Leadership style → job satisfaction → employee performance: Sobel statistic 2.10
- Work environment → job satisfaction → employee performance: Sobel statistic 2.22
Each value exceeded the critical value of 1.96, indicating that job satisfaction significantly mediated the relationships.
In practical terms, the findings suggest that organizational improvements can influence performance through employees’ experience at work. A stronger organizational culture can increase satisfaction, which can contribute to better performance. Effective leadership can similarly improve satisfaction and subsequently strengthen performance. A more favorable work environment can also improve satisfaction and contribute indirectly to better employee outcomes.
Implications for Educational Institutions
The findings provide practical guidance for PKMI-1 Medan and potentially other educational institutions facing similar human-resource challenges.
Improving employee performance should not focus only on measuring work output. Institutions can also strengthen the organizational culture, improve leadership communication and support, upgrade workplace facilities, encourage healthier interpersonal relationships, and pay attention to employees’ perceptions of fairness and recognition.
The study particularly emphasizes leadership because leadership style showed the strongest relationship with job satisfaction among the three organizational factors examined. Improving the way leaders motivate, guide, communicate with, and support employees may therefore be an important starting point for improving workplace satisfaction.
The authors from Universitas Methodist Indonesia conclude that organizational culture, leadership style, and work environment collectively contribute to employee performance through job satisfaction. Their findings position job satisfaction as an important mechanism connecting organizational conditions with employee performance.
Author Profiles
Laura Chintya Samosir is the corresponding author of the article and is affiliated with Universitas Methodist Indonesia.
Thomas Sumarsan Goh is a co-author affiliated with Universitas Methodist Indonesia.
Sahat Parulian Remus Silalahi is a co-author affiliated with Universitas Methodist Indonesia.
Research Source
Article Title: The Influence of Organizational Culture, Leadership Style and Work Environment on Employee Performance Through Employee Job Satisfaction at PKMI-1 Medan
Journal: International Journal of Economic, Finance and Business Statistics (IJEFBS)
Publication: Volume 4, No. 4, 2026, pages 597–610
Authors: Laura Chintya Samosir, Thomas Sumarsan Goh, and Sahat Parulian Remus Silalahi
Affiliation: Universitas Methodist Indonesia
DOI: 10.59890/ijefbs.v4i4.3
URL: http://journalijefbs.my.id/index.php/ijefbs
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