The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement in the Influence of Performance and Workload on Employee Retention: A Study of Boarding Schools

Rahmat  Wiyoga; Nugraha  Saefudin

doi:10.47747/ijbme.v7i2.3486

Authors

Rahmat Wiyoga Universitas Widyatama
Nugraha Saefudin Universitas Widyatama

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47747/ijbme.v7i2.3486

Keywords:

employee engagement, employee performance, workload, employee retention, PLS-SEM, boarding school

Abstract

The phenomenon of rising turnover amid high performance achievement represents an anomaly that calls for psychological explanation. This study aims to examine the mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between employee performance and workload on employee retention in a boarding school setting. The research population consisted of 228 employees at Sekolah Islam Nurul Fikri Boarding School Serang, with a sample of 146 respondents selected through proportional random sampling. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that employee performance has a positive effect on employee engagement (β = 0.676, t = 11.781) but no direct effect on retention (β = 0.040, t = 0.363). Workload has no significant effect on employee engagement (β = -0.011, t = 0.123) yet exerts a negative effect on retention (β = -0.255, t = 3.994). Employee engagement fully mediates the influence of performance on retention (β = 0.445, t = 7.670), whereas its mediating role in the workload–retention link is not significant. These findings confirm that retention is not directly influenced by performance; rather, the effect is transmitted through employee engagement. In contrast, workload directly reduces retention without operating through the engagement mechanism. The integration of AMO theory, the JD-R model, and Social Exchange Theory successfully elucidates these dynamics, particularly within the high-demand context of boarding school education. The managerial implications underscore the need for employee engagement enhancement programs and structural workload management.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Al-Jedaiah, M. N., & Albdareen, R. S. (2020). The effect of strategic human resources management practices on organizational performance. Management Science Letters, 10(5), 1135–1144. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2019.11.023

Adams, J. S. (1963). Towards an understanding of inequity. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67(5), 422–436. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0040968

Appelbaum, E., Harrell-Cook, G., Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Kalleberg, A. L. (2001). Manufacturing Advantage: Why High-Performance Work Systems Pay off. The Academy of Management Review, 26(3), 459. https://doi.org/10.2307/259189

Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands–resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056

Bernardin, H. J., & Russell, J. E. A. (2015). Human resource management: An experiential approach. McGraw-Hill.

Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. Wiley.

DeNisi, A. S., & Murphy, K. R. (2017). Performance appraisal and performance management: 100 years of progress? Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 421–433. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000085

Galanis, P., Moisoglou, I., Papathanasiou, I. V., Malliarou, M., Katsiroumpa, A., Vraka, I., Siskou, O., Konstantakopoulou, O., & Kaitelidou, D. (2024). Association between Organizational Support and Turnover Intention in Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Healthcare, 12(3), 291. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030291

Gašić, D., & Berber, N. (2023). The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement in the Relationship between Flexible Work Arrangements and Turnover Intentions among Highly Educated Employees in the Republic of Serbia. Behavioral Sciences, 13(2), 131. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13020131

Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203

Handayani, N., & Pujianto, W. E. (2024). Uncovering the Impact of Workload and Burnout on Turnover Intention: The Critical Role of Resilience to Work. Jurnal Orientasi Bisnis Dan Entrepreneurship (JOBS), 5(1), 87–98. https://doi.org/10.33476/jobs.v5i1.4516

Hausknecht, J. P., Rodda, J., & Howard, M. J. (2009). Targeted employee retention: Performance‐based and job‐related differences in reported reasons for staying. Human Resource Management, 48(2), 269–288. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20279

Jiang, K., Lepak, D. P., Hu, J., & Baer, J. C. (2012). How Does Human Resource Management Influence Organizational Outcomes? A Meta-analytic Investigation of Mediating Mechanisms. Academy of Management Journal, 55(6), 1264–1294. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.0088

Kaufman, B. E. (2001). Human resources and industrial relations: Commonalities and differences. Human Resource Management Review, 11(4), 339–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-4822(01)00045-6

Kiazad, K., Hom, P., Schwarz, G., Newman, A., & Holtom, B. (2024). High-performance work practices and job embeddedness: A comprehensive test. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 155, 104066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2024.104066

Koesomowidjojo, S. R. M. (2017). Analisis beban kerja. Raih Asa Sukses.

Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2019). Human resource management (15th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Mvuyana, S., Nzimakwe, T. I., & Utete, R. (2025). Exploring the relationship between employee engagement and counterproductive work behaviour. Frontiers in Psychology, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1434350

Pohlan, L., & Steffes, S. (2025). Performance evaluations and employee turnover intentions: Empirical evidence from linked employer–employee data. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 64(3), 395–433. https://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12379

Prihantoro, A., & Sutianingsih. (2025). Workload, incentives, and job satisfaction: Their influence on employee retention. Annals of Human Resource Management Research, 5(2), 269–283. https://doi.org/10.35912/ahrmr.v5i2.2930

Rahmansyah, E., & Indiyati, D. (2024). The Influence of Workload and Work Environment on the Turnover Intention of Employees in PT. XYZ. International Journal of Science, Technology & Management, 5(5), 1099–1109. https://doi.org/10.46729/ijstm.v5i5.1165

Riadi, F., Riani, D., & Sunarsi, D. (2025). Analysis of The Influence of Job Satisfaction, Transformational Leadership, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) on Employee Performance and Its Impact on Employee Retention in Manufacturing Companies in Indonesia. Jurnal Riset Bisnis Dan Manajemen, 18(2), 227–239. https://doi.org/10.23969/jrbm.v18i2.21891

Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Utrecht University.

Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The Measurement of Engagement and Burnout: A Two Sample Confirmatory Factor Analytic Approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015630930326

Spector, P. E., & Jex, S. M. (1998). Development of four self-report measures of job stressors and strain: Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, Organizational Constraints Scale, Quantitative Workload Inventory, and Physical Symptoms Inventory. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 3(4), 356–367. https://doi.org/10.1037/1076-8998.3.4.356

Wang, Y. (2024). Exploring the impact of workload, organizational support, and work engagement on teachers’ psychological wellbeing: a structural equation modeling approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1345740

Wijaya, F., Suryana, Miftahuddin, A., Jamiat, N., & Yusup, I. (2026). Participatory digital branding in youth-driven geotourism: Community engagement and sustainable geosite development. Geojournal of Tourism and Geosites, 65(2), 925–933. https://doi.org/10.30892/gtg.65227-1732