Influence Of Supervision And Human Relations On Employee Performance Through Motivation: Evidence From The Karo District Environmental Office

Abstract

This study aims to examine the influence of supervision and human relations on employee
performance through motivation: evidence from the Karo District environmental office, with
Motivation serving as an intervening variable. The research population consisted of all 31
permanent employees of the agency. Given the relatively small population size, a saturated
sampling technique was applied, meaning all members of the population were included as research
subjects. Data were collected through questionnaires as the primary source and documentation
studies as the secondary source. The data were then analyzed quantitatively using SPSS version
25 with t-tests, Sobel tests, and path analysis. The findings reveal that Supervision has a positive
and significant impact on employee Motivation. Similarly, Human Relations were found to
positively and significantly influence Motivation. This indicates that effective supervision and
harmonious interpersonal relationships contribute to higher levels of work motivation among
employees. Furthermore, both Supervision and Human Relations demonstrated a positive and
significant effect on employee Performance. Motivation itself was also shown to have a positive
and significant effect on Performance, suggesting that employees with stronger motivation tend to
achieve better work outcomes. The results of path analysis and the Sobel test confirmed that
Motivation mediates the relationship between Supervision and Performance, as well as between
Human Relations and Performance. These findings highlight the crucial role of Motivation in
strengthening the influence of supervisory practices and interpersonal relations on employee
performance. Overall, the study emphasizes that effective supervision, strong human relations, and
high motivation are key determinants in improving the performance of employees at the Karo
Regency Environmental Agency.
Keyword: Human Relations , Performance, Motivation and Supervision