The Relationship of Competence, Motivation, and Work Environment with Employee Performance as a Basis for Developing Employee Key Performance Indicators: A Qualitative Study at Nahdlatul Ulama University of West Kalimantan

Abstract

This study aims to analyze and describe in depth the conditions of employee competency, work motivation, and work environment at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Kalimantan Barat (UNU Kalbar) and their relationship with employee performance, while identifying factors that need to be strengthened as a foundation for developing a Key Performance Indicator (KPI)-based performance measurement system. This research employs a descriptive qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with three informants selected through purposive sampling. The findings reveal that: (1) employee competency still requires improvement, particularly in IT skills and proactive attitudes, as well as the absence of competency-development training for employees; (2) work motivation is affected by suboptimal fulfillment of physiological needs; (3) the physical work environment is not yet optimal, however interpersonal relationships are harmonious; (4) employee performance has not fully met institutional expectations; and (5) UNU Kalbar has not yet formally implemented a KPI system. As a practical contribution, this study proposes an Aswaja-Integrated KPI Model (KPI-ASWAJA), cascaded across organizational, unit, and individual levels and meeting SMART criteria, as a basis for implementing a performance measurement system at UNU Kalbar.