<![CDATA[Academic productivity in Islamic higher education is shaped not only by lecturers’ professional competence but also by the institutional conditions in which academic work is performed and interpreted. This study examined the relationships among lecturer competency, institutional environment, job satisfaction, and academic productivity in Private Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKIS) in Jambi, Indonesia. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed, involving 62 permanent lecturers in the quantitative phase and five purposively selected informants in the qualitative phase. Quantitative data were analyzed using PLS-SEM, followed by reflexive thematic analysis of explanatory interviews. The findings showed that competency and institutional environment were significantly associated with academic productivity, while the institutional environment was also significantly associated with job satisfaction. Job satisfaction mediated the relationship between institutional environment and academic productivity but did not mediate the competency–productivity relationship. Qualitative findings further showed that lecturers interpreted competence through professional and ethical responsibility and understood productivity beyond formal output indicators, including educational and societal contributions. The study demonstrates that personal and organizational resources contribute to academic productivity through different pathways, highlighting the importance of aligning lecturer competence with supportive institutional conditions and meaningful academic work.]]>
