Transformational Leadership and the Performance Paradox: Why Job Satisfaction Did Not Mediate Employee Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30872/a07hvb07Keywords:
Employee Performance, Direct Effect of Leadership, Job Satisfaction, Mediation Effect, Transformational Leadership.Abstract
Employee performance is central to organizational effectiveness, but evidence is inconsistent on whether transformational leadership works through job satisfaction. This study tested direct effects and the mediating role of job satisfaction among 300 employees of PT Asuransi Harta Aman Pratama, Surabaya Branch. A quantitative non-experimental design used 1–5 Likert questionnaires analyzed in Jamovi with multiple regression and mediation path analysis. Transformational leadership significantly predicted performance in a negative direction (B = -0.0552, p = .025), while job satisfaction did not predict performance (B = -0.0174, p = .724). Transformational leadership did not predict job satisfaction (B = -0.0217, p = .450), and the direct X→Y path remained significant (B = -0.0552, p = .024). The model explained 1.7% of performance variance. The findings do not support job satisfaction as the proposed mediation mechanism and indicate that leadership effects depend on organizational conditions and employee readiness.
Kinerja karyawan penting bagi efektivitas organisasi, tetapi hasil penelitian belum konsisten mengenai apakah kepemimpinan transformasional bekerja melalui kepuasan kerja. Penelitian ini menguji pengaruh langsung dan peran mediasi kepuasan kerja pada 300 karyawan PT Asuransi Harta Aman Pratama Cabang Surabaya. Desain kuantitatif non-eksperimental menggunakan kuesioner Likert 1–5 yang dianalisis dengan regresi berganda dan analisis jalur mediasi pada Jamovi. Kepemimpinan transformasional memprediksi kinerja secara signifikan dengan arah negatif (B = -0,0552; p = 0,025), sedangkan kepuasan kerja tidak memprediksi kinerja (B = -0,0174; p = 0,724). Kepemimpinan transformasional juga tidak memprediksi kepuasan kerja (B = -0,0217; p = 0,450), sementara jalur langsung X→Y tetap signifikan (B = -0,0552; p = 0,024). Model menjelaskan 1,7% variasi kinerja. Temuan tidak mendukung kepuasan kerja sebagai mekanisme mediasi yang diajukan dan menunjukkan pentingnya kondisi organisasi serta kesiapan karyawan.
References
Adipra, I. M. Y., & Surya, I. B. K. (2025). Peran kepuasan kerja memediasi pengaruh kepemimpinan transformasional terhadap kinerja karyawan. Jurnal Ilmu Manajemen, 255–266. https://doi.org/10.26740/jim.v13n1.p255-266
Aditya Putri, M. (2025). Transformational Leadership: A Literature Review Of Concepts, Trends, And Future Research Directions. Qawwam: The Writings of the Leader, 6(2).
Ahyar, H., & Juliana Sukmana, D. (2020). Buku Metode Penelitian Kualitatif & Kuantitatif (Husnu Abadi, Ed.). CV. Pustaka Ilmu. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340021548
Alhamidi, E. M. A. (2022). Peran kepemimpinan transformasional dalam meningkatkan kinerja karyawan. Jurnal Integrasi Sumber Daya Manusia, 1(1), 52–62. https://doi.org/10.56721/jisdm.v1i1.69
Bakker, A. B., Hetland, J., Kjellevold Olsen, O., & Espevik, R. (2023). Daily transformational leadership: A source of inspiration for follower performance? European Management Journal, 41(5), 700–708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2022.04.004
Chen, C., Ding, X., & Li, J. (2022). Transformational leadership and employee job satisfaction: The mediating role of employee relations climate and the moderating role of subordinate gender. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19010233
Chen, X. (2024). Exploring the factors that affect employee performance. SHS Web of Conferences, 181, 01038. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202418101038
Deng, C., Gulseren, D., Isola, C., Grocutt, K., & Turner, N. (2023). Transformational leadership effectiveness: an evidence-based primer. Human Resource Development International, 26(5), 627–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2135938
Dira, A. F. (2022). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional Dan Lingkungan Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Gici Business School. Jurnal GICI Keuangan Dan Bisnis, 14(1), 75–85. https://journal.stiegici.ac.id
Efata Harefa, G. S. (2023). Pengaruh kepemimpinan Transformasional dan Employee Engagement Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan. Jurnal Psikologi Pendidikan Dan Pengembangan SDM, 11(1), 33–41.
Efrial, A. S., & Valentina, D. J. (2025). Job Satisfaction as a Mediator Between Leadership, Organizational Learning, and Work Outcomes. RIGGS: Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 4(3), 8150–8159. https://doi.org/10.31004/riggs.v4i3.3210
Firmansyah, D., Pasim Sukabumi, S., & Al Fath Sukabumi, S. (2022). Teknik Pengambilan Sampel Umum dalam Metodologi Penelitian: Literature Review. Jurnal Ilmiah Pendidikan Holistik (JIPH), 1(2), 85–114. https://doi.org/10.55927
Ginting, M., Pelawi, P., & Joe, S. (2021). Analisis Peranan Kepemimpinan Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Secara Langsung Dan Melalui Motivasi Dan Kepuasan Kerja. Jurnal Wira Ekonomi Mikroskil : JWEM, 11, 65–74.
Haqoni, M. M., Permanawati, R. N., & Haqoni, M. M. (2025). The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Employee Performance through Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment as Mediating Variables at PT Purifikasi Andalan. LITERACY : International Scientific Journals of Social, Education, Humanities, 4(1), 504–513. https://doi.org/10.56910/literacy.v4i1.2920
Imron, A., Sugiarti, E., & Rusilowati, U. (2025). Peran Kepemimpinan Berbasis Kinerja terhadap Pengembangan Kompetensi dan Produktivitas Sumber Daya Mamanusia. Jurnal Akademi Akuntansi Indonesia Padang, 5(1), 92–103. https://doi.org/10.31933/jfrbqd16
Junaidi, A. (2025). METODOLOGI PENELITIAN (Weni Yuliani, Ed.). CV.ANGKASA MEDIA LITERASI. www.angkasamedia.id
Junaidi, A. M., Fatimah, N., & Putra, R. S. (2024). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional terhadap Kinerja Karyawan di Perusahaan Manufaktur. Jurnal Ekonomi Manajemen Akuntansi Bisnis Dan Teknologi Informatika, 1, 1–7.
Mohammed, A. I. (2024). The Role of Motivation and Job Satisfaction in Enhancing Employee Performance: Systematic Review. Psikostudia Jurnal Psikologi, 13(1), 105–110. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.30872/psikostudia.v13i1
Nauli, M., Simangunsong, R., Gok, J., Sinambela, A., Nauli, K., & Sitepu, J. (2025). THE ROLE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN ENHANCING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE: A STRUCTURED LITERATURE REVIEW. SIBATIK JOURNAL | VOLUME, 4(6). https://doi.org/10.54443/sibatik.v4i6.2827
Niken, A., Putri, S., & Desiana, P. M. (2025). JOB SATISFACTION AS A MEDIATOR OF LEADERSHIP, MOTIVATION, COMPENSATION, AND WORK ENVIRONMENT ON GEN Z EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN JAKARTA. In Indonesian Interdisciplinary Journal of Sharia Economics (IIJSE (Vol. 8, Number 3).
Nurlaela, N., Noch, M. Y., & Pongtiku, A. (2025). Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional terhadap Kinerja Pegawai Melalui Motivasi Kerja. Advances in Management & Financial Reporting, 3(3), 241–258. https://doi.org/10.60079/amfr.v3i3.555
Pratiwi, J. E. (2025). Pengaruh Gaya Kepemimpinan Transformasional Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan Di Perusahaan Startup. JUKONI: Jurnal Ilmu Ekonomi Dan Bisnis, 2(2), 7–12.
PT Asuransi Harta Aman Pratama. (2023). Laporan Tahunan 2023 PT Asuransi Harta Aman Pratama.
Riyadi, B. E., & Suhana, S. (2025). Employee Satisfaction And Work-life Balance On Employee Performance: Employee Engagement As Mediation Variable. Kontigensi : Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, 13(1), 305–323. https://doi.org/10.56457/jimk.v13i1.780
Roni Harsoyo. (2022). Teori Kepemimpinan Transformasional Bernard M. Bass dan Aplikasinya Dalam Peningkatan Mutu Lembaga Pendidikan Islam. Southeast Asian Journal of Islamic Education Management, 3(2), 247–262. https://doi.org/10.21154/sajiem.v3i2.112
Samar Reyaz. (2024). The Influence of Leadership Styles on Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management (IRJAEM), 2(03), 339–344. https://doi.org/10.47392/irjaem.2024.0049
Sari, S. Y., & Nadilla, N. (2024). Evaluation of Employee Performance on Transformational Leadership and Organizational Commitment with Job Satisfaction as a Mediator. Journal of Business and Economics, 9(2), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.35134/jbe.v9i2.259
Tamengkel, L., & Rumawas, W. (2022). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional Terhadap Kinerja dan Keinginan Keluar Karyawan: Peran Komitmen Organisasional Sebagai Mediator. Jurnal Administrasi Bisnis (JAB, 12(1), 2022.
Widyanto, I., Fikri, K., Astarina, I., Zaki, H., Mayasari Ginting, Y., & Abunawas. (2023). THE INFLUENCE OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SELF-EFFICACY ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE. COSTING: Journal of Economic, Business and Accounting, 8(6), 3555–3566.
Yani, M., Saleh, A. R., Yuniarsih, N., Sunandar, D., Rohmalia, Y., Hubeis, M., & Ramly, A. T. (2021). Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional Terhadap Kinerja dan Motivasi Karyawan. Diversity: Jurnal Ilmiah Pascasarjana, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.32832/djip-uika.v1i2.4945
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Psikostudia : Jurnal Psikologi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
