Amir Mahmud, Nurdian Susilowati, Puji Novita Sari
Despite the growing reliance on publication-based incentive systems in higher education, empirical evidence regarding the mechanisms through which publication rewards influence lecturers' research productivity remains inconclusive, particularly in developing-country contexts. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of publication reward, job satisfaction, and achievement motivation on lecturers' publication performance, and to investigate the mediating role of job satisfaction and achievement motivation between publication rewards and publication performance. This study uses a quantitative survey approach with hypothesis testing. Data were collected from 302 lecturers selected through simple random sampling at Universitas Negeri Semarang. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling – Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS modeling to assess both direct and indirect relationships among the constructs. The results reveal that publication rewards have a significant and direct effect on lecturers' publication performance, whereas job satisfaction and achievement motivation do not exhibit significant direct effects on performance. Although publication rewards significantly enhance job satisfaction and achievement motivation, neither variable mediates the relationship between publication rewards and publication performance. This finding suggests a contextual boundary of Achievement Theory, indicating that heightened achievement motivation does not necessarily function as the psychological mechanism translating extrinsic rewards into research output. By integrating Achievement Theory into the analysis of academic publication incentives, this study contributes to the literature by refining theoretical assumptions regarding the role of achievement motivation in performance-oriented reward systems. The findings offer theoretical implications for extending Achievement Theory within organizational and academic settings and provide practical insights for higher education institutions in designing publication reward schemes that align with actual performance drivers. This research contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 4 – Quality Education and SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, related to the impactful tri dharma of higher education. © 2027, Malque Publishing. All rights reserved.
Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia; Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia
