Prihatin Lumbanraja

In the digitalization era, banks strive to implement digital transformations; digital culture, competence, and leadership become essential factors to advance the company’s digitalization. Digital transformation is indispensable in improving employee performance amidst rapid digital advancements, helping companies stay competitive and avoid falling behind fintech and banking rivals. The study aims to examine the influence of digital transformations on banking employee performance in Indonesia, targeting state-owned banks. Primary data were gathered through questionnaires involving 100 participants. Data analysis employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to assess the influence of independent on dependent and mediating variables. The results demonstrate that digital culture (p < 0.05), digital competency (p < 0.05), and digital leadership (p < 0.05) positively and significantly influence employee performance. Self-efficacy does not function as a substantial mediating variable between digital culture (p > 0.05) or digital competence (p > 0.05) and employee performance. However, self-efficacy is a crucial mediating variable connecting digital leadership to employee success (p < 0.05). The study demonstrates that digital transformation in terms of culture, competence, and leadership can improve performance. Self-efficacy is able to mediate the effect of digital leadership on employee performance but fails to affect the influence of digital culture and digital capabilities on the performance of banking employees.

Acknowledgment
The authors thank Universitas Sumatera Utara, especially the Research Institute, for their support. Acknowledgments are also expressed to the Kementerian Pendidikan dan Riset through the DRTPM program (number: 92/UN5.4.10.S/PPM/KP-DRTPM/2024), which has provided intellectual and financial assistance. The authors would also like to thank the Management Science Study Program, Universitas Sumatera Utara.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Stress is a significant issue affecting employee productivity worldwide. This is especially true for banking employees who are famous for their high workload and pressure. The study seeks to determine how stress management initiatives influence work-life balance and self-efficacy, and how these elements jointly drive employee performance. The research was conducted between December 2024 and January 2025, employing a quantitative research design. The population consisted of employees working in Indonesian State-Owned Enterprise banks. Data for this study were obtained using interval-scale questionnaires and processed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the assistance of SmartPLS 4. The results demonstrated that both work-life balance and self-efficacy exerted a positive and statistically significant impact on employee performance (p < 0.05). Moreover, a significant positive association was found between work-life balance and self-efficacy (p < 0.05), emphasizing its role in cultivating employees’ confidence and competence. Self-efficacy also acted as a mediating variable linking work-life balance to performance (p < 0.05). Collectively, these findings highlight that effective stress management contributes to improved employee outcomes. Within the banking sector, fostering work-life balance is a vital strategy to minimize stress and enhance performance, while strengthening self-efficacy amplifies these benefits. The mediating role of self-efficacy highlights its contribution in translating balanced work-life conditions into higher performance. Therefore, organizations experiencing high stress and turnover rates are encouraged to integrate work-life balance programs and self-efficacy development into their employee management strategies.

Acknowledgment
The author expresses sincere gratitude to Universitas Sumatera Utara, particularly the Research Institute, for their invaluable support throughout this study. Appreciation is also extended to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology through the DPPM program (number: 82/UN5.4.10.K/PT.01.03/KP-DPPM/2025), which has provided intellectual and financial assistance. 

Type of the article: Research Article

Lecturer performance in geographically dispersed higher education institutions depends on more than individual expertise; it also requires the coordinated use of academic knowledge. This study aims to examine how transformational leadership and perceived organizational support explain self-reported lecturer performance and whether interpersonal collaboration skills mediate these relationships in higher education institutions in the Nias Archipelago. Survey data from 217 permanent lecturers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Transformational leadership was positively associated with interpersonal collaboration skills (β = .340, p = .003) and self-reported lecturer performance (β = .226, p = .010). Perceived organizational support was positively associated with collaboration skills (β = .387, p < .001) and performance (β = .267, p = .003). Interpersonal collaboration skills had the strongest direct association with performance (β = .401, p < .001). The indirect effects of transformational leadership (β = .136, 95% CI [.039, .263]) and perceived organizational support (β = .156, 95% CI [.077, .244]) were significant, indicating complementary partial mediation. The model explained 46.6% of the variance in collaboration skills and 62.8% in self-reported lecturer performance. The findings show that leadership and organizational support contribute to perceived academic accomplishment partly by enabling lecturers to communicate, coordinate responsibilities, build trust, manage disagreement constructively, make joint decisions, and collaborate across units.

Acknowledgment
The authors thank the participating lecturers and the institutional contacts who supported the survey distribution. The authors also appreciate the editor and reviewers whose comments improved the methodological transparency and focus of the manuscript.