<![CDATA[In the era of globalization and the industrial revolution 4.0, the quality of human resources (HR) is crucial for organizational success, especially in educational environments such as the University of North Sumatra. Effective HR management plays an important role in achieving organizational goals. This research aims to investigate the impact of work-life balance and organizational culture on job satisfaction and employee performance at the Faculty of Medicine, University of North Sumatra, while elucidating the role of job satisfaction as a mediator in this relationship. Quantitative research methods with path analysis techniques were utilized in this study. Data were obtained through questionnaires distributed to 99 employees of the Faculty of Medicine, while interviews were conducted to gain in-depth insight into their perceptions and experiences of the variables studied. Additional information was gleaned through documentation studies related to policies, procedures, and organizational culture at the Faculty of Medicine. The results of the path analysis confirm that work-life balance has a significantly negative effect on job satisfaction, while organizational culture has a significantly positive impact on job satisfaction. Moreover, work-life balance also significantly negatively influences employee performance, while organizational culture has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. These findings affirm that job satisfaction acts as a mediator in the relationship between work-life balance and employee performance, as well as organizational culture and employee performance. Based on the research results, it is recommended that the Faculty of Medicine, University of North Sumatra improve the performance appraisal system, address the imbalance between employees' work and personal lives, strengthen a positive organizational culture, and consider other factors such as the quality of work life in an effort to enhance employee job satisfaction and performance. Future studies are encouraged to broaden the scope of variables and sample population to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing employee job satisfaction and performance in educational institutions.]]>
