In today's competitive business era, companies are required to implement the right strategy to achieve goals in the market. A crucial aspect that needs to be considered is quality human resources (HR), because HR plays a role in determining the success of the company in achieving its goals. Quality human resources can be the key determinant for companies to achieve their organizational goals and provide increased competitiveness in the market. Therefore, effective human resource management is very important for the success of the company (Sulistyowati et al., 2023).

Employees are an important asset for companies that play a major role when carrying out Company operations (Fernando et al., 2024). Employee performance is the result of a person's work in carrying out the tasks assigned to him and how much the employee contributes to the organization, employee performance reflects what the employee does or does not do (Fitrah & Prasetyo, 2024). High productivity and work motivation can provide increased employee performance and achievement, thus benefiting the company (Resta & Endratno, 2023). Therefore, the company seeks to provide in accordance with their respective authorities and responsibilities in an effort to achieve organizational goals legally, not violate the law and not conflict with morals and ethics (Neysyah et al., 2023).

Supermarkets have become an integral part of modern life. A shopping concept that allows customers to choose and provide a wide variety of daily necessities in an organized, clean, and comfortable environment. Modern supermarkets generally use a self-service system, where customers can choose goods directly from the shelves and pay at the cashier. Self-service Provides a variety of goods, for example food, drinks, household products, clothing, and other necessities, self-service system: Customers are free to choose goods without direct assistance from shop assistants, using modern technology, using computerized cashier systems, barcode scanners, and digital payments, thus researchers chose the object of one of the largest supermarkets in Tegal Regency, namely

PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya) is a retail company in Tegal Regency and now has 6 branches spread across Tegal Regency. Has a vision to become a blessed retail company by having ten branches in 2024. Mutiara Cahaya Supermarket is a company that exists in the field of household needs, namely groceries, household appliances, fashion and other needs. Swalayan PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya) which is located on the street letjen suprapto no 71 Slawi Tegal Regency and started its business in 1998, needs to understand how these factors contribute to employee performance. PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya) has a total of 120 employees, employee attendance uses fingerprints, the problems that employees experience are lack of effectiveness at work, for example, returning from work is not right, work tasks are not organized, causing various employees to be disadvantaged. This phenomenon comes from interviews from various employees, and employees who have resigned from PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya).

Based on the questionnaire data that the researchers distributed, there is a part of the statement about going home from work according to the specified time, most employees fill in STS (strongly disagree). Employee performance can be interpreted as the result or level of success of an employee in carrying out tasks in a certain period, which is measured based on work result standards, targets, or predetermined criteria (Sulistyowati et al., 2023). Good employee performance will have a positive impact on overall company performance, employee work performance can be observed from the quality and value of the work produced, as well as the attitude of workers related to achieving company goals (Balong et al., 2023). Basically, everyone's performance is determined by individual abilities and motivation in carrying out their work. Thus, ability and motivation are important factors in determining employee performance and ultimately affecting company performance (Telaumbanua et al., 2024). employees who are able to carry out work according to applicable regulations will have a good impact on the company, the positive impact given is in the form of a high work ethic so as to increase work productivity (Sari et al., 2024). Aware of the important role of employees in the organization, it is a special concern for companies to pay attention to employees so that organizational goals are achieved (Mikha Veronika et al., 2024). Work life balance is a factor that can influence employee performance (Muharto, 2022). This concept involves managing the balance between work and personal life, including career, ambition, happiness, family, leisure, and spiritual development.

Employees who have a good work-life balance tend to be happier and willing to make maximum contributions, both at work and at home (Davin Eldon, Eko Nugroho, 2022). Thus, a balanced work-life balance can have a positive impact on employee performance and well-being. However, the implementation of work-life balance in the company is still not optimal, because there are still employees who have difficulty balancing work and personal life, which has an impact on suboptimal work results. According to Ardiansyah & Surjanti, (2020) work life balance can be realized in organizational support, for example flexible working hours and family/personal leave, in order to provide an increase in the balance between employees' work and personal lives.Everyone needs a life balance between personal life and work life (Work Life Balance). The bonus is a career, unlimited knowledge and valuable experiences (Badrianto & Ekhsan, 2021). Work life balance has a significant positive effect on employee performance (Minarika et al., 2020). According to Maretta et al., (2022) work life balance has a significant influence on employee performance. However, it disagrees with Frilia Yuwana Irwandi1, (2022) and Hasibuan, (2022) who indicate that the work life balance variable has no significant effect on employee performance.

Factors that influence employee performance include perceived organizational support and intrinsic motivation. According to Ratnasari (2022), Perceived organizational support is an employee's perception of the extent to which the organization values their contribution and provides support to them. Perceived organizational support can be formed based on employees' experiences and interactions with the organization, as well as their perceptions of the organization's concern for the welfare of human resources (Rinda & Muzakki, 2021). Rinda & Muzakki's research, (2021) indicates that Perceived Organizational Support has a positive influence on employee performance, but Diana's research, (2021) indicates different results, namely perceived organizational support has no significant effect on employee performance.

In addition to perceived organizational support, intrinsic motivation is also a factor that influences employee performance. Intrinsic motivation is the first driver behind individual action that exists from within each person without external encouragement factors (Tangko, Salempang, 2024). Putri & Iryanti's research, (2023) indicates that intrinsic motivation has a significant positive effect on employee performance. However, other studies indicate different results, according to Rama & Lukiarti, (2025) who found that intrinsic motivation has an insignificant positive impact, Muhamad et al., (2019) and Anwar, (2019) who indicate that intrinsic motivation has no significant effect on employee performance.

The difference between this research and previous research is that previous research used 3 variables, namely Work Life Balance, Person Job Fit, and intrinsic motivation, while in this study the Person Job Fit variable replaces the perceived organizational support variable with the consideration that perceived organizational support is more effective because PT MC employees need a level of confidence that the organization where they work values their contributions and cares about their welfare. Besides that, the previous research was only 50 respondents, while in this study 98 respondents were planned in the hope that the research results would be better. This study aims to analyze the effect of work life balance, perceived organizational support, and intrinsic motivation on employee performance at PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya).

In this study, researchers used Social Exchange Theory / social change theory when employees feel work life balance or perceived work life balance, employees will give reciprocity, namely they will give good performance, then if the company provides organizational support or perceived organizational support, it will give good performance (Cropanzano & Mitchell, 2005). While the theory of Cognitive Evaluation Theory (CET) -Cognitive Evaluation Theory shows that explains how external factors, such as rewards and recognition, can affect a person's intrinsic motivation. CET focuses on the impact of external feedback on an individual's intrinsic motivation, which is the motivation that arises from within a person due to pleasure or interest in an activity (Riley, 2016).

The type of research used in this study is quantitative. The type of data used is primary data obtained directly on a questionnaire to employees of PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya) Slawi in Tegal Regency by distributing it online via google from, the population of this study were all employees of PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya) Slawi in Tegal Regency totaling 120 employees. Data processing was carried out using SmartPLS 3.0 analysis software, which included outer model and inner model tests, the sampling technique used was purposive sampling technique. with the criteria that contract employees have worked for at least 6 months at PT. MC (Mutiara Cahaya) Slawi in Tegal Regency. The sample size in this study used the Slovin formula with a standard error of 5% to obtain a minimum of 93 respondents. In order to anticipate unfilled and incomplete questionnaires, researchers added 4% of the population. Thus the respondents in this study were 98 people.

Table 1. Indicators of Research Variable Statements

Table 2. Responden Rate

The respondents in this study consisted of 113 employees, of the permanent employees as many as 81 respondents, contract employees with a minimum of 6 months of work as many as 17, contract employees as many as 11 respondents, interns 1 respondent, probation employees 1 respondent, and there were 2 respondents who were damaged, so that this study only recorded permanent employees and employees who worked at least 6 months for a total of 98 respondents.

The analysis of respondent characteristics revealed that the majority of the gender in this study was female as many as 70 respondents with a percentage of 71%, far different from the male gender only 28 respondents with a percentage of 29%, because the object of this research was in a supermarket where most of the cashier employees, whose employees were all women, with a dominant age of 21-30 of 60 respondents with a percentage of 61%, for married respondents 36 respondents with a percentage of 36% and unmarried respondents with a total of 62 respondents with a percentage of 62%, and for the last formal education the majority was high school with a total of 61 respondents with a percentage of 62%.

The results of the analysis indicate that female respondents are more dominant than men with the status of mostly unmarried, the majority aged 21-30 years, and the last formal education of high school dominates.

It can be concluded that perceived organizational support does not affect employee performance, on the performance of employees of PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya Slawi) in Tegal Regency. Although the concept of organizational support is important specifically because it greatly influences employee performance, in practice PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya Slawi) in Tegal Regency has not been able to have a significant impact due to the lack of justice and support from superiors to employees. On the other hand, work-life balance has a positive and insignificant effect on employee performance, while intrinsic motivation has a positive and significant effect on employee performance.

Advice for HRD (Human Resources Development) PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya) Slawi in Tegal Regency is that it is recommended to continue to improve worklife balance to provide a balance between work and daily life, HRD is also advised to pay more attention to perceived real and clear organizational support, in terms of fairness and appreciation. Also, strengthening intrinsic motivation, the Company can reward employees to encourage the main factors behind individual actions.

Advice for employees of PT MC (Mutiara Cahaya) Slawi in Tegal Regency to maintain organizational support and maintain open communication with superiors when there is a lack of organizational support. Employees must also be able to balance work and daily life, as well as be positive about the challenges faced at work and daily life, and employees are expected to create the main motivation behind individual actions and employees must also have a deep understanding of how individual needs and motivations interact can help the company achieve long-term success.

This research is expected to be the basis for research, variables are important in employee performance in the self-service sector where employees need a work-life balance, as well as organizational support, and the main motivation behind individual actions. Also, the object of research can be expanded to other self-service sectors or universities in different regions so that the research results are more varied and stronger. This is important to do considering that the R-Squared value of 51% means that the variation in the value of employee performance variables that can be explained in the variables of work life balance, perceived organizational support, and intrinsic motivation is only 51%, while the remaining 49% is explained in variables that are not included in this model.