Exploring the Role of Mediating Factors in the Effect of Road Asset Management on Road Maintenance Performance in the Jimma Road Maintence District: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

he efficiency and sustainability of national road infrastructure depend heavily on the effectiveness of Road Asset Management (RAM) systems. In developing countries like Ethiopia, the performance of road maintenance remains constrained by limited resources, insufficient technological integration, and variable staff competence. This study aimed to investigate the direct and indirect effects of RAM on Road Maintenance Performance (RMP) in the Jimma Road Maintenance District of the Ethiopian Roads Administration (ERA), with Resource Allocation (RA), Technological Integration (TI), and Staff Competence (SC) serving as mediating variables. A quantitative, cross-sectional explanatory design was employed, and data were collected from 255 professionals engaged in road maintenance and asset management through a structured questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), implemented in R and ADANCO software, was used to analyze the relationships among constructs and test the mediation hypotheses. The findings revealed that RAM has a significant positive direct effect on RMP, confirming that structured asset management practices enhance road maintenance performance. RAM also significantly influenced RA, and SC. Among the mediators, exhibited significant mediating effects, whereas SC did not. The model explained more than half of the variance in RMP, indicating strong explanatory power. The study concludes that road maintenance performance is primarily driven by institutional factors—effective asset management, optimal resource allocation, and technology adoption—rather than individual competence alone. It recommends strengthening integrated RAM systems, digitalizing maintenance operations, and ensuring strategic resource distribution to achieve sustainable road infrastructure outcomes in Ethiopia