The Effect of Time Management and Work-Life Balance on Performance with Job Satisfaction as A Mediating Variable (A Study Graduate of The Open University at UT Kupang)

Abstract

The phenomenon of working students who undertake dual roles as employees and postgraduate students requires effective time management and optimal work-life balance to maintain workplace performance. This study aims to analyze the effects of time management and work-life balance on employee performance, with job satisfaction as a mediating variable, among postgraduate students of Universitas Terbuka (UT) at UT Kupang. This study employed a quantitative approach using purposive sampling involving 82 postgraduate students at UT Kupang who were also active employees. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) with the assistance of SmartPLS 4 software. The results show that time management and work-life balance each had positive and significant effects on employee performance and job satisfaction, while job satisfaction also had a positive and significant effect on employee performance. The mediation test results indicate that job satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between time management and employee performance but partially mediated the relationship between work-life balance and employee performance. These findings suggest that time management directly influences performance without involving job satisfaction as a mediating mechanism, whereas work-life balance requires job satisfaction as a psychological mechanism to enhance the performance of working students.