The Influence of Employee Experience and Organizational Support on Employee Performance Through Employee Skills as an Intervening Variable at Pt Gruti Lestari Pratama

Ardianta Kamis, September 03, 2026
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Employee Experience and Organizational Support Drive Plantation Workforce Performance Through Skill Enhancement

Positive employee experiences and strong organizational support significantly boost workforce performance in agribusiness by enhancing employee skills. This empirical study was conducted by Donas Putra, Yeni Absah, and Endang Sulistya Rini from Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) and published in the Indonesian Journal of Economic & Management Sciences (IJEMS) in June 2026. The research offers crucial management insights for agribusiness leaders seeking to resolve inconsistent work target achievements and improve operational efficiency across commercial plantation operations.

Background and Agribusiness Workforce Challenges

Optimizing workforce performance is a central priority for modern human resource management, directly shaping operational productivity and long-term business sustainability. In the plantation and agribusiness sector—such as PT Gruti Lestari Pratama in Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatra—companies face ongoing operational hurdles in maintaining consistent worker productivity.

Initial field observations revealed that while plantation employees regularly complete daily assigned tasks on schedule, active participation in teamwork and individual initiative regarding problem-solving remain limited. Many workers struggle to adapt to evolving operational demands or develop advanced job competencies. These productivity gaps stem from suboptimal onboarding activities, weak supervisor communication, and insufficient organizational recognition or employee welfare initiatives. Addressing these organizational hurdles requires a clear understanding of how workplace experience and corporate support drive worker competency and job performance.

Research Methodology

The researchers from Universitas Sumatera Utara conducted a quantitative explanatory study at PT Gruti Lestari Pratama in Sinunukan I, Mandailing Natal Regency, North Sumatra, between November 2025 and April 2026. The study evaluated the direct and indirect impacts of employee experience and organizational support on performance, examining employee skill as an intervening mechanism. Key aspects of the methodology include:

  • Sample Selection: From a total population of 250 plantation employees, a sample of 154 respondents was selected using simple random sampling based on Slovin's formula with a 5% margin of error.
  • Data Collection: Primary data was gathered using structured questionnaires utilizing a five-point Likert scale, supplemented by corporate documentation and structured interviews.
  • Structural Equation Modeling: Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS version 4. The evaluation included measurement model testing (validity and reliability) and structural model assessment ($R^2$, $F^2$, path coefficients, and bootstrapping mediation analysis).

Key Research Findings

The analytical results from Universitas Sumatera Utara demonstrate strong, positive relationships across all evaluated organizational variables:

  • Positive Impact of Employee Experience: Employee experience positively and significantly affects employee skills (path coefficient 0.440, p-value 0.000) and direct employee performance (path coefficient 0.381, p-value 0.000).
  • Strong Effect of Organizational Support: Perceived organizational support exerts a significant positive influence on employee skills (path coefficient 0.505, p-value 0.000) and performance (path coefficient 0.449, p-value 0.000). Organizational support represents the strongest contributor to skill development ($F^2 = 0.571$).
  • Direct Influence of Employee Skills: Employee skills exert a strong, direct positive impact on overall job performance (path coefficient 0.546, p-value 0.000).
  • Partial Mediation Mechanism: Employee skill serves as a significant mediating variable. Indirect path evaluations confirm that employee experience (indirect coefficient 0.240, p-value 0.000) and organizational support (indirect coefficient 0.276, p-value 0.000) drive higher workforce performance most effectively when they first enhance employee skills.
  • Substantial Explanatory Power: Combined employee experience and organizational support account for 71.6% of the variance in employee skills ($R^2 = 0.716$). Furthermore, the full structural model accounts for 63.9% of the total variance in employee performance ($R^2 = 0.639$).

Real-World Impact and Industry Implications

The findings provide actionable guidelines for agribusiness executives, plantation managers, and human resource practitioners. Agricultural enterprises cannot expect sustained high productivity merely by setting strict performance targets. Instead, corporate leadership must build supportive work environments that systematically nurture employee competencies.

Agribusiness firms should prioritize comprehensive onboarding programs, transparent supervisory communication channels, and equitable welfare incentives. By delivering robust organizational backing and positive workplace experiences, companies equip workers with practical technical and adaptive skills. Higher skill levels directly translate into improved work quality, enhanced teamwork, and reliable target achievement across plantation operations.

Emphasizing the connection between supportive management and skill development, the research team highlighted the strategic value of employee growth. "Positive employee experiences and meaningful organizational support form the fundamental basis for workforce development," stated Donas Putra, Yeni Absah, and Endang Sulistya Rini of Universitas Sumatera Utara. "Upgraded employee skills act as the essential bridge that transforms company support into higher operational productivity and long-term organizational success."

Author Profiles

  1. Donas Putra, S.E., M.M.: Human resource researcher and Master of Management graduate from Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), specializing in organizational behavior and workforce management in the agribusiness sector.
  2. Prof. Dr. Yeni Absah, S.E., M.Si.: Professor and senior lecturer in the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), with expertise in strategic human resource management and organizational leadership.
  3. Prof. Dr. Endang Sulistya Rini, S.E., M.Si.: Professor and senior lecturer in the Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), specializing in operational management and organizational performance.

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