The Influence of Work Commitment and Work Motivation on the Performance of Population and Civil Registration Service Employees in South Papua Province: The Mediating Role of Work Discipline

: This study delves into the intricate relationship between work commitment, work motivation, and employee performance, with work discipline serving as a mediating factor. Employing a quantitative research approach and causality analysis, a questionnaire was administered to all employees of the Population and Civil Registration Service in South Papua Province, encompassing Merauke, Boven Digoel, Mappi, and Asmat Regencies. Out of the 220 questionnaires distributed, 214 yielded valid responses suitable for data analysis. SEM-PLS analysis was utilized for hypothesis testing. The findings reveal a positive and significant influence of work commitment and work motivation on work discipline. Furthermore, work commitment, work motivation, and work discipline all demonstrate a positive impact on employee performance. Notably, work discipline effectively mediates the relationship between work commitment and work motivation on employee performance


I. Introduction
In the current era of intense competition, human resources stand as a crucial determinant of organizational success and long-term viability (Chams & García-Blandón, 2019).The interaction of human resources with capital, material, and machine factors underscores their pivotal role in guiding an organization through its entire life cycle (Jasin, 2022).Within government or public sector entities, human resources serve as the backbone of organizational operations and service delivery to the community (Aarons et al., 2011).
In the intricate landscape of government organizations, the Population and Civil Registration Service (Disdukcapil) stands out as a vital provider of public services.By delving into the Regency Strategic Plan and RPJMD documents, one can uncover the core performance indicators for population document services.However, a sobering reality emerges: despite these outlined targets, the performance of Disdukcapil in Merauke, Boven Digoel, and Mappi Regencies falls short of expectations.This shortfall is evident in the areas of child birth certificate coverage, ownership of birth certificates, and recording and printing electronic Residential ID Cards (KTP).In this vein, low employee performance can be identified as a primary cause of inadequate organizational outcomes (Notanubun, 2020).
Work commitment, work motivation, and work discipline are personal factors that hold significant sway over employee performance within an organizational setting (Arifin et al., 2018).Among these factors, work commitment has received extensive research attention for Employees with strong work discipline exhibit a tendency to perform well even without the explicit enforcement of rules and regulations.They demonstrate a high level of awareness and compliance with the standards established within the work environment (Jasin, 2022).However, an examination of archival data from the Merauke, Boven Digoel, and Mappi Regency Disdukcapil reveals that a significant number of employees lack the awareness and willingness to adhere to the regulations set forth and communicated by the regional government.This is evident in the low attendance rates at employee meetings, frequent occurrences of late arrivals and early departures, unauthorized leave-taking, and even instances of employees skipping work entirely without justification.These behavioral patterns could be contributing factors to suboptimal employee performance.This research delves into the mediating role of work discipline in the relationship between work commitment, work motivation, and employee performance.Researchers opt to employ work discipline as a mediating variable due to its significance as a contributing factor to employee performance.Additionally, findings from previous studies support the mediating role of work discipline in the relationship between work commitment, work motivation, and employee performance (Hasbiyadi & Azis, 2021;Karmila, 2020).This research introduces a novel perspective by focusing on the Population and Civil Registration Service (Disdukcapil) in South Papua Province, which encompasses Merauke, Boven Digoel, Mappi, and Asmat Regencies.Moreover, this study aims to strengthen the existing evidence concerning the impact of work commitment, work motivation, and work discipline on employee performance, particularly in light of conflicting findings from previous studies (Kelibulin et al., 2020).The findings of this research are expected to yield valuable insights for Disdukcapil in South Papua Province, enabling them to implement strategies that enhance employee performance and, consequently, deliver exceptional services to the community.

Employee Performance
In Viswesvaran and Ones (2000), employee performance encompasses actions, behaviors, and measurable results that contribute to achieving organizational goals.Employee performance is of paramount importance as it not only facilitates the success of an organization's business processes but also enables employees to fulfill their roles effectively (Muchhal, 2014).Consequently, effective employee management strategies are crucial in fostering optimal employee performance (Brhane & Zewdie, 2018;Warokka & Febrilia, 2015).

a. Work Discipline
Work discipline encompasses an employee's willingness and awareness to uphold and adhere to all applicable regulations, norms, and duties (Susita et al., 2017).As noted by Sitopu et al. (2021), achieving optimal organizational outcomes is challenging without a strong foundation of employee work discipline.Kale et al. (2019) further emphasized that organizations with well-established work discipline practices are better equipped to safeguard their employees during the implementation of organizational regulations.Meyer and Herscovitch (2001) define commitment as the binding force that compels an individual to engage in actions aligned with specific goals.An employee's commitment to the organization serves as a safeguard for its continued existence (Mesmer-Magnus et al., 2012).Work commitment has been consistently demonstrated as a predictor of a range of critical work-related and non-work-related behaviors (Chen & Francesco, 2003).Wright (2001) advises public sector organizations to pay greater attention to employee work motivation because it is very important to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public organizations.Employees need motivation to feel comfortable and able to work optimally Ganta (2014).Employees who have motivation will be able to empower their behavior and show good work results compared to employees who do not have motivation (Suominen et al., 2001).

Hypothesis Development a. Work Commitment and Work Discipline
A substantial body of research has established a positive relationship between work commitment and employee work discipline (Huda & Aslamiah, 2022;Setiawati et al., 2019).Within the context of public sector organizations, Hitu et al. (2022) demonstrated that work commitment positively impacts the work discipline of civil servants.High levels of work commitment foster the discipline necessary to consistently produce high-quality work (Setiawati et al., 2019).Based on this evidence, the following hypothesis is proposed: H1: Work commitment positively influences the work discipline of South Papua Province Disdukcapil employees.

b. Motivation and Work Discipline
A wealth of research has established a positive connection between work motivation and employee work discipline (Habib et al., 2022;Huda & Aslamiah, 2022).When employees possess high levels of work motivation, they are more likely to approach their work with greater dedication and adherence to established disciplinary guidelines (Roy & Sumartik, 2021).As Clark (2003) aptly observed, even individuals with exceptional skills or expertise may be reluctant to exert effort in the absence of motivation.Drawing upon these findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H2: Work motivation positively influences the work discipline of South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service employees.

c. Work Discipline and Employee Performance
A substantial body of research has consistently demonstrated a significant positive impact of work discipline on employee performance (Jasin, 2022).Employees with a high level of work discipline exhibit a strong tendency to adhere to organizational norms and regulations, thereby contributing to enhanced productivity and organizational effectiveness (Prasetyo et al., 2021).Moeins et al. (2017) identified the efficient utilization of employee time as a key factor in fostering work discipline, which in turn leads to improved performance.Based on these findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H3: Work discipline positively influences the performance of South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service employees.

d. Work Commitment and Employee Performance
A comprehensive body of research has established that work commitment has the potential to influence employee performance levels (Soomro & Shah, 2019;Sungu et al., 2020).When employees possess a strong sense of work commitment, they are more likely to demonstrate high levels of performance (Sungu et al., 2019).Riyanto and Prasetyo (2021) in their study of civil servants across various Indonesian ministries and government institutions, also found a positive and significant relationship between work commitment and employee performance.Building upon these findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H4: Work commitment positively influences the performance of South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service employees.

e. Work Motivation and Employee Performance
Work motivation holds a prominent position in the realm of organizational research, offering valuable insights into employee performance and turnover rates (Honore, 2009).Previous studies, such as those conducted by F. Chien, 2023, andRiyanto andPrasetyo (2021) have established a positive and significant relationship between work motivation and employee performance.Drawing upon these findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H5: Work motivation positively influences the performance of South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service employees.

f. Work Commitment, Work Discipline, and Employee Performance
Work commitment stands as the cornerstone of a productive workforce, playing a pivotal role in achieving organizational objectives and cultivating a positive work environment (Aggarwal et al., 2022).A growing body of research has established that work commitment can influence employee performance through the mediating role of work discipline (Mariadi et al., 2021).Building upon these findings, this research proposes the following hypothesis: H6: Work commitment has a positive indirect effect on employee performance at the South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service through the mediating role of work discipline.

g. Work Motivation, Work Discipline, and Employee Performance
Previous research has consistently demonstrated that work motivation indirectly influences employee performance through the mediating role of work discipline (Rahayu & Wardhani, 2023).When employees possess high levels of work motivation, they are more likely to exhibit greater dedication to their work and adherence to established disciplinary guidelines, ultimately leading to enhanced performance levels (Habib et al., 2022).Based on these findings, the following hypothesis is proposed: H7: Work motivation has a positive indirect effect on employee performance in readiness for civil servant retirement at South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service through the mediating role of work discipline.
Based on the development of the hypotheses, the following research model is proposed in Figure 1.

III. Research Method
This research employed a quantitative approach with a causal analysis methodology.The target population was all state civil servants in the Population and Civil Registration Service in South Papua Province, encompassing Merauke, Boven Digoel, Mappi, and Asmat Regencies.The research sample comprised 222 state civil servants who had been employed for over five years.A questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale served as the primary research instrument.The data obtained from the questionnaire distribution was subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis and Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) analysis.Table 1 outlines the research variables, the number of indicators used to measure them, and the respective measurement sources.

IV. Discussion
A total of 222 questionnaires were distributed to the research sample, of which five were not returned and three were incompletely filled out.Consequently, only 214 questionnaires were deemed usable, resulting in a response rate of 96.40%.The demographic characteristics of the respondents were analyzed based on their education level, position, and length of service.As shown in Table 2, the majority of respondents possessed a bachelor's degree (50.47%), held a staff position (70.09%), and had a work tenure of 16-20 years (35,51%).

Assessing the Measurement Model in PLS Analysis
The initial phase of PLS analysis involves a rigorous evaluation of the measurement model.This assessment focuses on the validity and reliability of the measures employed to represent each construct or variable.The factor loading values for each item, Average Variance Extracted (AVE), Cronbach's Alpha (CA), and Composite Reliability (CR) are presented in Table 3.Based on this table, eight items were excluded from the model due to their low factor loading values: DK10, DK14, DK1, DK7, DK8, DK9, MK4, and KK1.The remaining items exhibit factor loading values greater than 0.5, indicating their validity.The resulting valid measurement model is depicted in Figure 2.  Furthermore, the AVE values in Table 3 demonstrate that all variables exhibit AVE values exceeding 0.50, conforming to the convergent validity criteria.Construct reliability was assessed by examining the CA and CR values.As per Table 3, it is evident that all variables possess CA values ranging from 0.820 to 0.904, surpassing the minimum threshold of 0.60, and CR values ranging from 0.870 to 0.921, also exceeding the minimum threshold of 0.60.These indicate that all variables exhibit good construct reliability.Discriminant validity was evaluated by scrutinizing the HTMT values in Table 4.The results reveal that no HTMT values exceed 0.90, confirming that the measurement model possesses satisfactory discriminant validity.

Structural Model Analysis
The coefficient of determination (R²), also known as the R-squared, reflects the extent to which the latent construct's variance is explained.The results presented in Table 5 indicate that work discipline exhibits an R² value of 0.333, implying that the ability of work commitment and work motivation variables to explain work discipline is categorized as weak since it only accounts for 33.3% of the variance.Subsequently, the R² value for the employee performance variable is 0.435, indicating that work commitment, work motivation, and work discipline variables collectively explain 43.5% of the variance in employee performance.Next, the predictive relevance Q² was employed to assess the effectiveness of the model in generating observed values and parameter estimates.Higher Q² values of 0, 0.25, and 0.50 represent small, medium, and large predictive relevance of the PLS path model.Based on the results in Table 5, it is evident that work commitment and employee performance demonstrate a small predictive relevance value.The decision to support or refute a hypothesis is based on the values of the path coefficient, t-statistic, and p-value.A coefficient is considered statistically significant if the tstatistic value exceeds 1.65 and the p-value is less than 0.05.Based on the results of the direct influence hypothesis testing presented in Table 6, it is evident that all direct influence hypotheses, namely H1, H2, H3, H4, and H5, are supported.All direct influence hypotheses exhibit a t-statistic value greater than 1.65 and a p-value less than 0.05.

Pvalues Results
H1 Work Commitment → Work Discipline 0,378 6,613 0,000 Supported H2 Work Motivation → Work Discipline 0,290 4,806 0,000 Supported H3 Work Discipline → Employee Performance 0,196 3,221 0,001 Supported H4 Work Commitment → Employee Performance 0,389 7,850 0,000 Supported H5 Work Motivation → Employee Performance 0,215 4,337 0,000 Supported Source: Processed data (2023) compensation that meets their basic living expenses.These findings align with those of Pham et al. (2022) who identified extrinsic motivators such as salary and benefits as key factors in shaping employee motivation, particularly for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.Motivation plays a pivotal role as it encourages, directs, and energizes employees to work with diligence and enthusiasm, fostering a disciplined work ethic (Aristanti et al., 2022).
Work discipline has demonstrated a positive and significant impact on employee performance, reinforcing the conclusions drawn from previous research (Jasin, 2022).Employees consistently demonstrate punctuality by arriving on time and actively participating in morning roll call activities at the office.This commitment to punctuality is often reflected in employee performance, with those who arrive on time consistently outperforming their tardy counterparts.Late arrivals directly contribute to reduced working hours, leading to extended completion times for tasks and projects (Thompson, 2017).Moreover, work commitment has been consistently demonstrated to exert a positive and significant influence on employee performance, aligning with the findings of previous studies (Soomro & Shah, 2019;Sungu et al., 2020).In accordance with the work commitment theory proposed by Mowday et al. (1982) employees with high commitment exhibit a sense of identification with the organization, actively engage in their work, demonstrate loyalty, and maintain a positive attitude towards the organization's goals and objectives.
Work motivation has consistently demonstrated a positive and significant impact on employee performance, corroborating the findings of previous studies(F.Chien, 2023;Riyanto & Prasetyo, 2021).Employee work motivation is generally high, as it is bolstered by competitive salaries and allowances, and timely compensation payments.The undeniable influence of financial incentives on employee behavior is well-documented (Ryan & Deci, 2000).As suggested by Chien et al. (2020) linking salary and benefit indicators to job performance evaluations and directly incorporating them into incentive schemes can lead to enhanced employee performance.The mediation hypothesis testing results presented in Table 7 demonstrate that work discipline serves as a mediating factor in the relationship between work commitment and employee performance, as well as between work motivation and employee performance.These findings provide support for the proposed sixth hypothesis (H6) and seventh hypothesis (H7).The mediating role of work discipline indicates that both work commitment and work motivation influence the performance of South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service employees.
Work discipline partially mediates the relationship between work commitment and employee performance, which aligns with the findings of previous researchers (Aggarwal et al., 2022).When employees exhibit high work commitment, they tend to demonstrate strong work discipline, ultimately leading to improved performance in their work execution.Work commitment serves as a key driving force for fostering work discipline, thereby cultivating a more productive and harmonious work environment that benefits both employees and the organization as a whole (Dockel et al., 2006).
Moreover, work discipline has emerged as a mediating factor in the relationship between work motivation and employee performance.These findings align with previous research that has also established work discipline as a mediator in this relationship (Rahayu & Wardhani, 2023).A higher level of work motivation tends to lead to heightened work discipline, which ultimately translates into improved employee performance.Employees who feel motivated exhibit a stronger drive to adopt a more disciplined approach to their work and personal lives (Yanto et al., 2023).This discipline enables them to carry out their tasks more effectively, resulting in enhanced performance.

V. Conclusion
This research provides compelling evidence that work commitment and work motivation exert a significant influence on work discipline and employee performance.Moreover, work discipline has been demonstrated to have a positive impact on employee performance and can effectively mediate the relationship between work commitment and work motivation on employee performance.These findings underscore the crucial role of work commitment and work motivation in enhancing employee discipline and performance.
The implications of this research hold significant relevance for public sector organizations, particularly the South Papua Province Population and Civil Registry Service, in their endeavors to enhance employee performance.Organizations should consider implementing activity planning applications and electronic employee work assessments, conducted monthly, to foster improved work discipline.Additionally, organizations should evaluate the performance allowances in accordance with the workload, responsibilities, and risks associated with each employee's position.This approach will serve as a motivator for employees to continuously strive for performance excellence.Furthermore, organizations should implement regular monthly evaluations and assessments to monitor the implementation of discipline, motivation, work commitment, and performance of core tasks, functions, and responsibilities assigned to all employees.
For future research, the researcher recommends incorporating additional variables that are hypothesized to influence employee performance.These variables include organizational culture, leadership, and work environment.Additionally, future researchers may consider employing mixed research methods, combining qualitative and quantitative data, to further elucidate the findings obtained from respondent interviews.

References
Figure 1.Research Model

Table 1 .
Variable Names, Number of Indicators, and Measurement Sources

Table 2 .
Demographic Characteristics of Respondents.

Table 3 .
Factor Loadings and Reliability Coefficients

Table 7 .
Summary of Mediation Effect Test Results