The Effect of Cultural Competence on Civil Servants' Performance: The Mediating Role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior

I Gusti Agung Dewi Tarini; Gde Bayu Surya Parwita; Made Ika Prastyadewi

doi:10.63922/ijebir.v5i05.5850

I Gusti Agung Dewi Tarini Magister Management, Faculty of Economic and Business Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar
Gde Bayu Surya Parwita Magister Management, Faculty of Economic and Business Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar
Made Ika Prastyadewi Magister Management, Faculty of Economic and Business Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar

DOI: https://doi.org/10.63922/ijebir.v5i05.5850

Keywords: Cultural competence, OCB, Public sector, Human resource management, Culture-based governance

Abstract

The increasing demand for responsive and citizen-centered public services has highlighted the importance of developing civil servants' competencies beyond technical capabilities. Among these competencies, cultural competence has emerged as a critical factor in enhancing employee effectiveness, particularly in public organizations operating within culturally diverse environments. This study examines the effect of cultural competence on civil servants' performance and investigates the mediating role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) in this relationship. A quantitative explanatory research design was employed using a cross-sectional survey of civil servants working in the Denpasar City Government, Indonesia. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that cultural competence positively influences both Organizational Citizenship Behavior and civil servants' performance. Furthermore, Organizational Citizenship Behavior has a positive effect on employee performance and partially mediates the relationship between cultural competence and civil servants' performance. These findings indicate that employees with stronger cultural competence are more likely to engage in discretionary organizational behaviors, which subsequently enhance their work performance. The study contributes to the public sector human resource management literature by demonstrating the behavioral mechanism through which cultural competence improves employee performance in a culture-based governance context. From a practical perspective, the findings suggest that public organizations should strengthen cultural competence through continuous training, intercultural communication development, and organizational initiatives that foster citizenship behavior to improve service quality and organizational effectiveness.

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