<![CDATA[Employee performance is an important factor in supporting the effectiveness of public sector organizations, including judicial institutions. Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the relationship between Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) and employee performance, indicating the need to examine the mechanism through which LMX may influence employee performance. This study aims to examine the effect of LMX on employee performance and the mediating role of Work Engagement in First-Instance Courts in the Serang Region. This study employed explanatory quantitative design. Data was collected from 120 active non-judge State Civil Apparatus (ASN) through a questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results show that LMX has a positive and significant effect on employee performance and Work Engagement. Work Engagement also has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. Furthermore, Work Engagement mediates the relationship between LMX and employee performance. These findings indicate that the quality of leader–employee relationships are associated with employee performance both directly and through Work Engagement as a mediating mechanism. The study provides empirical evidence on the role of Work Engagement in explaining the relationship between LMX and employee performance in the context of First-Instance Courts in the Serang Region.]]>
