Work Motivation as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Workplace Spirituality, Intellectual Intelligence, and Employee Performance

Abstract

This study examines the role of work motivation as a mediating variable in the relationship between workplace spirituality, intellectual intelligence, and employee performance. A quantitative research approach was employed using a saturated sampling technique, in which the entire population of 35 employees was included as the research sample. The variables examined were workplace spirituality, intellectual intelligence, work motivation, and employee performance. Data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) approach.

The findings reveal that workplace spirituality has a positive and significant effect on both work motivation and employee performance. In contrast, intellectual intelligence has no significant effect on either work motivation or employee performance. Furthermore, work motivation does not significantly affect employee performance and is unable to mediate the relationships between workplace spirituality and employee performance or between intellectual intelligence and employee performance.

These findings suggest that fostering workplace spirituality plays a crucial role in enhancing employees' motivation and performance. Therefore, organizations are encouraged to strengthen a work environment that supports spiritual values, promote employees' psychological well-being, and improve performance management systems and competency development to achieve optimal and sustainable employee performance.

Keywords: workplace spirituality; intellectual intelligence; work motivation; employee performance.