Human Capital Sustainability Leadership and Employee Job Performance in Public Asset Management: The Mediating Role of Innovative Work Behavior Among Indonesian Civil Servants

Public sector organizations face mounting pressure to improve employee performance while pursuing sustainable management practices, yet evidence on how sustainability-oriented leadership relates to tangible performance outcomes remains scarce, particularly in regional government settings. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this study examines the association of Human Capital Sustainability Leadership (HCSL) with Employee Job Performance (EJP) and the mediating role of Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) among Indonesian civil servants managing regional government assets (Barang Milik Daerah). Survey data were collected from 541 civil servants across the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government using validated multi-item scales and analyzed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). HCSL was positively associated with IWB (β = 0.834, p < 0.001) and EJP (β = 0.438, p < 0.001), and IWB was positively associated with EJP (β = 0.383, p < 0.001). Bootstrap analysis indicated a complementary partial mediation of the HCSL–EJP relationship through IWB (β = 0.319, 95% CI [0.194, 0.440]). The model accounted for 61.9% of the variance in EJP and 69.5% in IWB, though the cross-sectional, single-source design and very high construct reliabilities mean these estimates should be read as upper bounds. The findings suggest that sustainable leadership development may be one credible lever for supporting innovation and performance in public asset stewardship, with implications for sustainable governance and human capital development.