Advances in Human Resource Management Research

The Role of Trust and Knowledge Sharing in Encouraging Innovative Work Behavior: An Empirical Study of SMEs in Tarakan City

Nurul Hidayat, Dean Nelson Mojolou, Fearozh Madli, Suddin Lada, Ang Hong Loong — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study aims to examine the role of trust (horizontal and vertical) and knowledge sharing (knowledge donation and knowledge collection) in enhancing innovative work behavior (idea generation and idea realization) among SMEs in Tarakan City. The main issue addressed is the low level of innovation capacity influenced by relational factors and knowledge management practices.

Research Method: This research employs a quantitative explanatory design. Data were collected through Likert-scale questionnaires from 150 SME actors using purposive sampling. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-PLS) software.

Results and Discussion: The results indicate that both horizontal and vertical trust positively influence knowledge donating and knowledge collecting. Knowledge donating significantly affects idea generation and idea realization, while idea generation strongly influences idea realization. However, knowledge collecting does not significantly affect innovative work behavior. These findings suggest that innovation is primarily driven by active knowledge contribution rather than passive knowledge acquisition.

Implications: This study highlights the importance of fostering a trust-based organizational culture and promoting knowledge-donating practices to enhance SME innovation, while also contributing to the development of knowledge management theory in the SME context.

Work-Life Balance on Performance of Career Women: Mediated by Family Support

Lina Mariana, Ceskakusumadewi Baharuddin, Panus Panus — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the effect of work-life balance on the performance of career women and assess the role of family support as a mediating variable. This study seeks to provide empirical insight into how family and life role management affect the professional performance of women working in a police environment.

Research Method: This study employs a quantitative approach, with primary data collected via questionnaires. The research sample comprised 25 female police officers and civil servants, selected using a total sampling technique. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the direct and mediating effects of family support.

Results and Discussion: The study indicates that work-life balance has a positive and significant effect on the performance of career women. In addition, family support has been proven to mediate this relationship, so that work-life balance supported by the family environment can strengthen the performance of female police officers in carrying out their official duties.

Implications: This study contributes to the development of human resource management policies in police institutions, particularly regarding programs that support members' welfare and strengthen families' roles in supporting the performance of female personnel.

Discipline and Incentives on Employee Performance

Andi Makkulawu Panyiwi Kessi, Megawaty Megawaty, Hendriadi Hendriadi — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study aims to empirically analyze the influence of discipline and incentives on employee performance at Perumda Air Minum Kota Makassar (PDAM Makassar). This study seeks to explain the extent to which these two factors contribute to improving employee performance in public service organizations.

Research Method: This study employed a quantitative approach, relying on primary data collected via questionnaires distributed to employees of Perumda Air Minum Kota Makassar. Data analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the assistance of SmartPLS software. The analytical procedure evaluated both the measurement and structural models, followed by a bootstrapping technique to test the direct and simultaneous effects statistically.

Results and Discussion: The results show that discipline has a positive and significant effect on employee performance, indicating the importance of rule compliance and consistent work behavior in improving performance. Conversely, incentives have a positive but insignificant effect, indicating they are not strong enough to encourage improved performance. These findings confirm that non-financial factors, such as discipline, are more decisive in determining performance in public organizations like PDAM.

Implications: This study provides practical guidance for PDAM to maintain and strengthen its work-discipline culture, a key strategy for improving performance. In addition, the company needs to evaluate its incentive system to ensure that it is more relevant, fair, and directly linked to performance achievements.

Intellectual Capital on Innovation Performance: The Mediating Role of Inter-Organizational Learning in Frozen Shrimp SMEs

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study examines the effect of intellectual capital on innovation performance of frozen shrimp SMEs in North Kalimantan, with inter-organizational learning as a mediator.

Research Method: A quantitative survey was conducted on 278 SMEs. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed with PLS-SEM to test direct and mediating relationships among variables.

Results and Discussion: Intellectual capital significantly improves both inter-organizational learning and innovation performance. Inter-organizational learning has the strongest effect on innovation, indicating that collaboration and knowledge exchange with external partners are critical. It also mediates the relationship between intellectual capital and innovation performance, showing that internal resources become more effective when supported by external learning.

Implications: The findings suggest that SMEs should strengthen knowledge-based resources and expand collaborative networks to enhance innovation. Policymakers should support capacity building and partnerships. Future studies may include additional variables or sectors for broader insights.

The Influence of Leadership and Motivation on Performance in High-Discipline Organizations: A Study of Brimob Personnel

Hartati Hartati, Akbar Setiawan, Siti Sarah Alyyasa-Gan, Mulyana Machmud — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study examines the effects of leadership and work motivation on personnel performance in a paramilitary institution, specifically Batalyon B Pelopor Brimob Parepare, and hypothesizes that both variables significantly influence performance, with motivation as the dominant factor.

Research Method: A quantitative correlational design was applied using a census sample of 39 personnel in Parepare, Indonesia. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using multiple linear regression to test both partial and simultaneous effects of leadership and motivation on performance.

Results and Discussion: The findings indicate that leadership and work motivation both have positive and significant effects on personnel performance, individually and jointly. Motivation has a stronger influence than leadership. The regression model explains 93.3% of the variance in performance, indicating strong explanatory power. These results confirm the critical role of motivational factors in high-risk, structured organizational settings.

Implications: The study highlights the importance of integrating effective leadership practices with robust motivational strategies to enhance performance in paramilitary organizations. It contributes to extending leadership–motivation–performance frameworks into underexplored contexts and recommends future research with larger samples and comparative institutional settings.

Employee Performance in Primary Healthcare: The Roles of Competence, Motivation, and Workplace Empathy

Asniwati Asniwati, Fitriani Latief — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study examines the effects of competence, motivation, and workplace empathy on employee performance at the Takkalalla Community Health Center in Wajo Regency, while also identifying the most influential variable in the proposed model.

Research Method: The study employed a quantitative case study design with census sampling, involving all 55 employees of the health center as respondents. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed in SPSS version 24. The analytical procedures included descriptive statistics, validity and reliability tests, classical assumption testing, multiple linear regression, partial t-tests, and coefficient-of-determination analysis.

Results and Discussion: This study demonstrates that employee performance in the Takkalalla Community Health Center is significantly influenced by competence, motivation, and workplace empathy. The findings confirm that performance in primary healthcare is not determined solely by technical skills, but by the combined effects of cognitive, psychological, and interpersonal factors.

Implications: These findings suggest that efforts to improve employee performance in primary healthcare should not focus solely on competence and motivation, but also on strengthening workplace empathy. The study contributes to policy and practice by proposing a more comprehensive performance model for community healthcare settings. Future research is recommended to test this model in broader healthcare institutions with larger samples and more diverse organizational contexts.

Synergy Between Training and Digital Capabilities: Transforming Competencies to Achieve Competitive Advantage for Retail Apparel SMEs

Shandra Bahasoan, Asniwati Asniwati, Surianto Surianto — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study examines the influence of digital capability and job training on competitive advantage, with employee competence serving as a mediating variable among clothing stores in Bulukumba Regency.

Research Method: This study employed a quantitative explanatory design. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to 100 retail employees in Bulukumba, South Sulawesi. Using purposive sampling, the data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4.0.

Results and Discussion: The results indicate that digital capability and job training have a significant effect on employee competence. Employee competence also has a significant effect on competitive advantage, whereas digital capability and job training do not directly affect competitive advantage. In addition, employee competence fully mediates the relationships between digital capability, job training, and competitive advantage.

Implications: These findings highlight the importance of human capital development in the retail sector, suggesting that technology adoption and training initiatives enhance competitiveness only when they successfully improve individual employee competence. This study contributes to the small business management literature by emphasizing that, for local retailers, the human aspect of digital transformation and skills development constitutes the critical pathway to achieving a sustainable competitive advantage in a dynamic market.

The Role of Job Satisfaction in Mediating the Effects of the Digital Work Environment, Organizational Culture, and Work Commitment on Banking Employee Performance

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study aims to examine the effects of the digital work environment, organizational culture, and work commitment on employee performance, with job satisfaction serving as a mediating variable in the banking sector in Makassar.

Research Method: This study employed a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design. Data were collected from 184 banking employees using purposive sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the assistance of AMOS to test both direct and indirect relationships among the variables.

Results and Discussion: The findings indicate that the digital work environment, organizational culture, and work commitment have positive and significant effects on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction also has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. Furthermore, the digital work environment and work commitment have both direct and indirect effects on employee performance, indicating partial mediation through job satisfaction. In contrast, organizational culture does not directly affect employee performance, but it has a significant indirect effect through job satisfaction, indicating full mediation.

Implications: The study highlights the importance of integrating digital transformation initiatives with effective human resource management practices. Banking organizations should focus on creating supportive digital work environments, strengthening organizational culture, and fostering employee commitment in order to enhance job satisfaction and improve overall performance.

Leadership and Implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) on Employee Performance with the Mediating Role of Motivation

Yana Fajriah, Syamsul Alam, Edy Jumady, Heslina Heslina, Reski Arianty Akob — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Purpose: This study aims to examine the effects of leadership and Total Quality Management (TQM) on employee performance, with motivation as a mediating variable, at the Regional Drinking Water Company (Perumda Air Minum) in Makassar City.

Research Method: This research employed a quantitative causal-explanatory approach. The population consisted of 163 permanent employees, and a census sampling technique was applied, in which all employees were selected as respondents. Data were collected via questionnaires and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS software.

Results and Discussion: The findings indicate that leadership has a positive and significant effect on employee performance and employee motivation. TQM also positively and significantly affects employee performance and motivation. Furthermore, motivation has a significant positive effect on employee performance. Motivation was shown to mediate the relationships between leadership and performance, as well as between TQM and performance. These results suggest that effective leadership practices and the consistent implementation of TQM can improve employee motivation, ultimately enhancing organizational performance.

Implications: The organization should strengthen leadership, improve employee engagement, maintain continuous quality improvement, and develop motivational strategies such as rewards, recognition, and career development programs. These actions are expected to enhance employee productivity and service quality.