The Effect of Training, Motivation, and Compensation on Employee Performance with Job Satisfaction as a Mediating Variable (A Study of Credit Marketing Personnel at BRI Medan Region)

Abstract

Credit marketing productivity remains a challenge at Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) Region Medan, where only 51% of staff met their lending targets in March 2026. This study examines the effects of training, motivation, and compensation on employee performance, with job satisfaction as a mediating variable. Using a quantitative explanatory cross-sectional design, an online five-point Likert questionnaire was sent to all 1,754 credit marketing staff, and 453 complete voluntary responses (25.8%) were collected on 26–30 August 2026. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with 10,000 bootstrap subsamples. The measurement model met the convergent validity, reliability, and discriminant validity criteria, with one cross-loading exception on a job satisfaction item. Training (β = 0.243), motivation (β = 0.529), and job satisfaction (β = 0.179) had positive and significant effects on employee performance, whereas the direct effect of compensation was not significant (β = −0.065; p = 0.156). Training (β = 0.155), motivation (β = 0.342), and compensation (β = 0.511) had positive and significant effects on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction mediated all three relationships, with complementary partial mediation for training and motivation and indirect-only mediation for compensation. The model explains 74.1% of the variance in job satisfaction and 66.0% in employee performance, and sensitivity analyses confirmed these conclusions. As the sample was voluntary and cross-sectional, the findings indicate statistical associations rather than causal effects. BRI Region Medan may prioritize motivation and career support, design compensation policies that strengthen perceived fairness, and review training frequency and reach.