Technology Use and Adaptive Performance in Air Force Operations: The Role of Job Satisfaction and Change Readiness
Purpose: This study examines adaptive performance that can contribute to improving the effectiveness of military technical personnel in the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU). In high-reliability military organizations, adaptive performance is essential due to dynamic operational demands and rapid technological change. Methodology: This study analyzes the direct effect of work overload, information technology use, and employee readiness to change on adaptive performance. The mediating role of job satisfaction is also examined. Data were collected from 100 technical personnel through an online questionnaire distributed between January and March 2026. The sampling technique used in this study was probability sampling with a simple random sampling approach. The analysis of this research data was carried out using structural equation modelling (SEM). Findings: Adaptive performance was positively influenced by information technology utilization and work overload, while employee readiness to change showed a negative effect on adaptive performance but a positive effect on job satisfaction. The insignificant mediation effects suggest that adaptive performance in the military technical context is driven more by operational demands and readiness factors than by affective factors such as job satisfaction. Implications for theory and practice: This study provides both theoretical and practical contributions by extending adaptive performance literature into a military technical setting. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of strengthening change readiness, optimizing technology utilization, and managing workload to enhance maintenance reliability, operational readiness, and mission effectiveness within the Indonesian Air Force. Originality and value: This study offers a novel contribution by integrating individual (readiness to change), technological (information technology use), and job-related (work overload) factors into a single structural model of adaptive performance within a high-reliability military organization. Unlike prior studies that predominantly focus on civilian or corporate settings, this research extends adaptive performance literature into the operational context of the Indonesian Air Force, where dynamic mission demands and technological complexity are critical.
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