LOCUS OF CONTROL AND CIVIL SERVANT PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF WORK RESILIENCE
DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.19480542Published:
2026-02-28Downloads
Abstract
This study examines the role of work resilience as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between locus of control and civil servant performance in a highly regulated public organization in Indonesia. Drawing on the resource-based view and job demands-resources theory, this study positions locus of control as an upstream psychological resource that is converted into performance through adaptive capabilities. Data were collected from civil servants at the Samarinda Class I Harbormaster and Port Authority Office and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that the locus of control significantly influences performance and strongly shapes work resilience, which subsequently improves performance. The significant indirect effect confirmed that resilience served as the primary transmission mechanism. These findings extend work control theory by emphasizing the importance of adaptive capabilities in explaining public sector performance and offer managerial implications based on strengthening work control and organizational resilience.
Keywords:
Locus Of Control , Work Resilience , Civil Servant Performance, Public Sector, Adaptive CapabilityReferences
Aguinis, H., Villamor, I., & Ramani, R. S. (2020). MTurk research: A review and recommendations. Journal of Management, 47(4), 823–837. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320969787
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2023). Job demands resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 28(2), 141–156. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000334
Galy, A., Chênevert, D., Fouquereau, E., & Groulx, P. (2023). Toward a new conceptualization of resilience at work as a meta construct. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1211538. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1211538
Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage Publications.
Hartmann, S., Weiss, M., Newman, A., & Hoegl, M. (2023). Resilience at work: A multilevel review and research agenda. Journal of Management, 49(1), 46–81. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221124662
Hobfoll, S. E., Halbesleben, J., Neveu, J. P., & Westman, M. (2018). Conservation of resources in the organizational context: The reality of resources and their consequences. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 5, 103–128. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032117-104640
Knies, E., Boselie, P., Gould Williams, J., & Vandenabeele, W. (2024). Strategic human resource management and public sector performance: Contextual contingencies and causal complexity. Public Management Review, 26(3), 415–437. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2023.2213247
Li, X., Zhang, Y., & Sun, J. (2023). Personality traits and public service performance: Revisiting control beliefs in bureaucratic settings. International Journal of Public Administration, 46(9), 657–672. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2022.2045678
Nguyen, LBN, Kesavayuth, D., & Rangkakulnuwat, P. (2022). Effect of locus of control on job performance: Evidence from panel data. Asian Journal of Applied Economics, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.334377
Nguyen, T.T., & Nguyen, H.T. (2022). Locus of control and employee performance in public organizations: The moderating role of organizational support. Public Organization Review, 22(4), 721–739. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-021-00565-4
Plimmer, G., Berman, E.M., Malinen, S., Franken, E., Näswall, K., Kuntz, J., & Löfgren, K. (2022). Resilience in public sector managers. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 42(2), 338–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X20985105
Rauvola, R. S., & Rudolph, C. W. (2022). Control at work: An integrative, lifespan informed review. Work, Aging and Retirement, 8(2), 117–145. https://doi.org/10.1093/workar/waab015
Srimongkolkul, P., Boriraj, J., & Charoenboon, R. (2025). Effects of authentic leadership, employee resilience, job satisfaction, and innovative work behavior on employee work performance in transport and logistics. Cogent Business and Management, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2025.2511282
Thai, KP, To, AT, Tran, TS, Tran, QT, & Dang, TMT (2024). Drivers of employee resilience and its relationships with work engagement and job performance after the COVID 19 pandemic. Interdisciplinary Journal of Management Studies, 17(3), 717–730. https://doi.org/10.22059/ijms.2023
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Sahrun Asis, Irsan Tricahyadinata, Dwi Martiyanti

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

