Advancing Administrative Service Quality in Higher Education: An Integrated Model of Digital Competence, Organizational Capability, Career Path Clarity, Cross-Unit Collaboration, and Administrative Process Effectiveness

Abstract

This study formulates a comprehensive strategic model for improving the quality of educational personnel at the University of Riau by integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Using a census of 484 administrative staff and semi-structured interviews with key institutional leaders, the research employs Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the influence of digital competence, organizational capability, career path clarity, and cross-unit collaboration on administrative service quality, with administrative process effectiveness as a moderating variable. The results reveal that all exogenous variables significantly and positively affect service quality, with organizational capability and administrative process effectiveness being the strongest determinants. Qualitative findings further validate the importance of digital literacy enhancement, structural coordination, and competency-based career systems in strengthening human resource performance. This study provides an integrated and empirically tested model that contributes to the literature on non-academic human resource development in Indonesian higher education and offers actionable strategies for institutional transformation toward efficient, transparent, and user-oriented administrative services.