Volume 17, Issue 2
1.Student of the Doctoral Programme in Management Science, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
2.Department of Management Science, Faculty of Economic and Business, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Online First：21 August 2026，
Published：30 June 2026
Scan QR Code
Putra Zainal,Ma’ruf Jasman J.,Yunus Mukhlis,et al.A Model for Improving Job Satisfaction Among Civil Servants in Indonesia[J].Journal of Chinese Human Resources Management,2026,17(02):3-22.
Putra Zainal,Ma’ruf Jasman J.,Yunus Mukhlis,et al.A Model for Improving Job Satisfaction Among Civil Servants in Indonesia[J].Journal of Chinese Human Resources Management,2026,17(02):3-22. DOI： 10.47297/wspchrmWSP2040-800501.20261702.
This research explores how organisational culture
transformational prosocial leadership
and human capital contribute to job satisfaction among civil servants working within local government institutions in Indonesia. Although global scholarship has extensively examined strategies to improve employee satisfaction
studies focusing specifically on the Indonesian public administration remain scarce. In response
the present research investigates the pathways through which transformational prosocial leadership exerts its effects
considering the mediating roles of organisational culture and human capital. Data were obtained from 544 civil servants
selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique across several regional and municipal government bodies. The proposed model was evaluated using partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that transformational prosocial leadership fosters improvements in organisational culture
strengthens human capital
and enhances job satisfaction. Furthermore
organisational culture is shown to have a significant influence on both human capital and satisfaction levels
with human capital itself serving as a meaningful contributor to job satisfaction. Importantly
the effectiveness of leadership is reinforced when embedded within a supportive cultural context and supported by robust human capital development. These results highlight the necessity of promoting transformational prosocial leadership in local governmental settings to better support civil servant satisfaction. Considering the limited geographic and demographic scope of the current sample
future studies are encouraged to incorporate more heterogeneous populations from across Indonesia. In sum
this research emphasises the essential contribution of leadership and institutional culture to nurturing job satisfaction among public sector employees in developing nations.
Abu-Rumman, A. (2021). Transformational leadership and human capital within the disruptive business environment of academia. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues , 13 (2), 178-187. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v13i2.5652
Agazu, B. G., Kero, C. A., & Debela, K. L. (2025). Transformational leadership and firm performance: A systematic literature review. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship , 14 (1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-025-00476-x
Aldhaheri, S. M., & Ahmad, S. Z. (2024). The influence of transformational leadership on organizational performance and knowledge management capability. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management , 73 (9), 2830-2857. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-10-2022-0532
Ali, Z. M., Harun, C. Z., Basri, H., & Ibrahim, H. (2021). Job satisfaction of Aceh education board based transformational leadership model. Multicultural Education , 7 (3), 75-81. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4570410
Almansour, Y. M. (2012). The mediating role of organizational justice components in the relation ship between leadership styles and job satisfaction. Global Journal of Management and Business Research , 12 (20), 1-8. https://journalofbusiness.org/index.php/GJMBR/article/view/865
Alneyadi, B. A., Al-Shibami, A. H., Ameen, A., & Bhaumik, A. (2019). Effect of transformational leadership on human capital among public sector employees in Abu Dhabi. International Journal on Emerging Technologies , 10 (1a), 16-22.
Amin, H. (2024). Zakat wakalah system in Malaysia: An extension of innovation diffusion theory. The Bottom Line , ahead - of - print . https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-02-2024-0020
Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1990). The implications of transactional and transformational leadership for individual, team, and organizational development. Research in Organizational Change and Development , 4 (1), 231-272.
Bavik, A. (2016). Developing a new hospitality industry organizational culture scale. International Journal of Hospitality Management , 58 , 44-55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2016.07.005
Biagioli, V., Prandi, C., Giuliani, L., Nyatanga, B., & Fida, R. (2016). Prosocial behaviour in palliative nurses: Psychometric evaluation of the prosociality scale. International Journal of Palliative Nursing , 22 (6), 292-298. https://doi.org/10.12968/ijpn.2016.22.6.292
BPS. (2019). Statistik Indonesia 2019 . Badan Pusat Statistik.
Cabrita, M. do R. M. F., Silva, M. de L. R. da, Rodrigues, A. M. G., & Duenas, M. del P. M. (2017). Competitiveness and disclosure of intellectual capital: An empirical research in Portuguese banks. Journal of Intellectual Capital , 18 (3), 486-505. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-11-2016-0112
Chang, S.-J., Witteloostuijn, A. van, & Eden, L. (2010). From the editors: Common method variance in international business research. Journal of International Business Studies , 41 (2), 178-184. https://doi.org/10.1057/jibs.2009.88
Chi, H., Vu, T., Nguyen, H. V., & Truong, T. H. (2023). How financial and non–financial rewards moderate the relationships between transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and job performance. Cogent Business and Management , 10 (1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2023.2173850
Colquitt, J. A., Lepine, J. A., & Wesson, M. J. (2019). Organizational behavior: Improving performance and commitment in the workplace (6th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Erdurmazli, E. (2025). Transformational le adership and follower performance: Relational and motivational bases of leader behaviors. Human Resource Development Quarterly , 36 (2), 129-154. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21532
Fink, A. (2017). How to conduct surveys (A step-by-step guide) (6th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research , 18 (1), 39-50. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
George, E., & Zakkariya, K. A. (2018). Psychological empowerment and job satisfaction in the banking sector . Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94259-9
Greenleaf, R. K. (2013). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness . Paulist Press.
Griffin, R. W., Phillips, J. M., & Gully, S. M. (2020). Organizational behavior: Managing people and organizations (13th ed.). Cengage Learning, Inc.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). SAGE Publication, Inc.
Hair Jr., J. F., Page, M., & Brunsveld, N. (2020). Essentials of business research methods (4th ed.). Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).
Hayat, A., Azeem, M., Nawaz, R., Humayon, A. A., & Ahmed, M. (2019). Mediating effect of human capital on organizational culture, teamwork, organizational development and organizational commitment. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies , 5 (3), 1-9.
Henseler, J., Dijkstra, T. K., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., Diamantopoulos, A., Straub, D. W., Ketchen, D. J., Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., & Calantone, R. J. (2014). Common beliefs and reality about PLS: Comments on Rönkkö and Evermann (2013). Organizational Research Methods , 17 (2), 182-209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114526928
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , 43 (1), 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Hidayat, S. E., Rafiki, A., & Aldoseri, M. M. (2017). Application of leadership style in government organizations: A survey in the kingdom of Bahrain. International Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management , 10 (4), 581-594. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMEFM-06-2015-0075
Hoffman, M. L. (2000). Empathy and moral development: Implications for caring and justice . Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511805851
Istichomah, I., Andika, I. P. J., & Pesirahu, H. V. E. (2021). Social support affect nurses’ job satisfaction: A literature review. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences , 9 (T4), 333-339. https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2021.5883
Jankelova, N., & Joniakova, Z. (2021). Communication skills and transformational leadership style of first-line nurse managers in relation to job satisfaction of nurses and moderators of this relationship. Healthcare , 9 (3), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9030346
Jehanzeb, H., Memon, M. A., Mirza, M. Z., & Muenjohn, N. (2025). Nexus between workplace spirituality, open innovation mindset and job embeddedness: The role of self-efficacy and mindfulness. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance , 13 (1), 104-128. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-05-2024-0218
Jeki, S., & Sulastri, S. (2019). The effect of human capital, motivation and job satisfaction on employee performance: A literature review. Advances in Economics, Business and Management Research , 97 , 788-795. https://doi.org/10.2991/piceeba-19.2019.86
Kemenpan-RB. (2020). LAKIP Deputi Bidang SDM Aparatur Kemenpan-RB 2019 . https://www.menpan.go.id/site/lakip-deputi-sdma/file/6360-lakip-deputi-bidang-sdm-aparatur-tahun-2019-revisi
Khatatbeh, H., Al-Dwaikat, T., Olah, A., Onchonga, D., Hammoud, S., Amer, F., Premusz, V., & Pakai, A. (2021). The relationships between paediatric nurses’ social support, job satisfaction and patient adverse events. Nursing Open , 8 (6), 3575-3582. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.907
Kim, S. (2012). Does person‐organization fit matter in the public‐sector? Testing the mediating effect of person‐organization fit in the relationship between public service motivation and work attitudes. Public Administration Review , 72 (6), 830-840. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02572.x
Kock, N. (2015). Common method bias in PLS-SEM: A full collinearity assessment approach. International Journal of E-Collaboration , 11 (4), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijec.2015100101
Liengaard, B. D., Sharma, P. N., Hult, G. T. M., Jensen, M. B., Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., & Ringle, C. M. (2020). Prediction: Coveted, yet forsaken? Introducing a cross-validated predictive modeling. Decision Sciences , 52 (2), 362-392.
Lussier, R. N. (2019). Management fundamentals: Concepts, applications, and skill development (8th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Memon, M. A., Thurasamy, R., Cheah, J. H., Ting, H., Chuah, F., & Cham, T. H. (2023). Addressing common method bias, operationalization, sampling, and data collection issues in quantitative research: Review and recommendations. Journal of Applied Structural Equation Modeling , 7 (2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.47263/JASEM.7(2)01
Mickson, M. K., & Anlesinya, A. (2020). Enhancing job satisfaction among local government servants in Ghana: The relative roles of diverse leadership behaviours. International Journal of Public Leadership , 16 (1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-03-2019-0007
Mulyono, A. (2015). Pengembangan kapasitas aparatur sipil negara di daerah. JKMP (Jurnal Kebijakan Dan Manajemen Publik) , 3 (1), 17-34.
Nguyen, N. P., Hang, N. T. T., Hiep, N., & Flynn, O. (2023). Does transformational leadership influence organisational culture and organisational performance: Empirical evidence from an emerging country. IIMB Management Review , 35 (4), 382-392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iimb.2023.10.001
Nguyen, P. N. D., & Le, D. N. T. (2023). Understanding organisational citizenship behaviour through organisational justice and its consequen ces among Vietnamese's universities employees. Emerging Science Journal , 7 (Special issue 2), 93-110. https://doi.org/10.28991/ESJ-2023-SIED2-08
Northouse, P. G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Onuoha, U. D., & Yaya, J. A. (2019). Combined correlational effects of motivation, emotional intelligence and human capital development on job satisfaction of librarians in Nigerian public university libraries. Library Philosophy and Practice , 2751.
Pahlevi, M. R., & Suhartanto, D. (2020). The integrated model of green loyalty: Evidence from eco-friendly plastic products. Journal of Cleaner Production , 257 , 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120844
Badan Kepegawaian Negara. (2019). Peraturan Badan Kepegawaian Negara Nomor 8 Tahun 2019 tentang pedoman tata cara dan pelaksanaan pengukuran indeks profesionalitas aparatur sipil negara [Peraturan ] . Badan Kepegawaian Negara. https://jdih.bkn.go.id/common/dokumen/2019peraturanlembagapemerintahnonkementerian8-29.pdf
Kementerian Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi. (2020). Peraturan Menteri Pendayagunaan Aparatur Negara dan Reformasi Birokrasi Republik Indonesia Nomor 25 Tahun 2020 tentang road map reformasi birokrasi 2020-2024 [Peraturan Menteri ] . https://berkas.dpr.g o.id/setjen/dokumen/reformasi-birokrasi-Regulasi-PERATURAN-MENTERI-PENDAYAGUNAAN-APARATUR-NEGARA-DAN-REFORMASI-BIROKRASI-REPUBLIK-INDONESIA-1761189828.pdf
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Bommer, W. H. (1996). Transformational leader behaviors and substitutes for leadership as determinants of employee satisfaction, commitment, trust, and organizational citizenship behaviors. Journal of Management , 22 (2), 259-298. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639602200204
Prikshat, V., Rajesh, J. I., & Rajaguru, R. (2021). The growth satisfaction in jobs among hospitality employees: The role of transformational leadership, interpersonal communication satisfaction and trust. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality and Tourism , 20 (1), 48-74. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2020.1821427
Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., Mitchell, R., & Gudergan, S. P. (2020). Partial least squares structural equation modeling in HRM research. International Journal of Human Resource Management , 31 (12), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1416655
Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2023). Research methods for business students (9th ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Schultz, T. W. (1961). Investment in human capital. The American Economic Review , 51 (1), 1-17. ht tps://www.jstor.org/stable/1818907
Sharma, P. N., Liengaard, B. D., Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2023). Predictive model assessment and selection in composite-based modeling using PLS-SEM: Extensions and guidelines for using CVPAT. European Journal of Marketing , 57 (6), 1662-1677. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-08-2020-0636
Shmueli, G., Sarstedt, M., Hair, J. F., Cheah, J. H., Ting, H., Vaithilingam, S., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). Predictive model assessment in PLS-SEM: Guidelines for using PLSpredict. European Journal of Marketing , 53 (11), 2322-2347. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-02-2019-0189
Tenenhaus, M., Vinzi, V. E., Chatelin, Y. M., & Lauro, C. (2005). PLS path modeling. Computational Statistics and Data Analysis , 48 (1), 159-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csda.2004.03.005
Tintore, M. (2019). Introducing a model of transformational prosocial leadership. Journal of Leadership Studies , 13 (3), 15-34. https://doi.org/10.1002/jls.21664
Tran, Y. T., & Hoang, T. C. (2024). Transformational leadership and public employee performance: The mediating roles of employee participation and public service motivation. International Review of Administrative Sciences , 90 (4), 793-809. https://doi.org/10.1177/00208523241230439
Ulfa, M., Hamid, N., & Rasyid, W. (2020). The influence of organizational culture, leadership and motivation through job satisfaction on employee performance at Hasanuddin University Hospital. Hasanuddin Journal of Business Strategy , 2 (1), 1-14.
Vandenabeele, W. (2009). The mediating effect of job satisfaction and organizational commitment on self-reported performance: More robust evidence of the PSM—performance relationship. International Review of Administrative Sciences , 75 (1), 11-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852308099504
Vidotto, J. D. F., Ferenhof, H. A., Selig, P. M., & Bastos, R. C. (2017). A human capital measurement scale. Journal of Intellectual Capital , 18 (2), 316-329. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-08-2016-0085
Vitell, S. J., & Davis, D. L. (1990). The relationship between ethics and job satisfaction: An empirical investigation. Journal of Business Ethics , 9 , 489-494. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00382842
Wetzels, M., Odekerken-Schroder, G., & Van-Oppen, C. (2009). Using PLS path modeling for assessing hierarchical construct models: Guidelines and empirical illustration. MIS Quarterly , 33 (1), 177-196. https://doi.org/10.2307/20650284
Wibisana, B. H. (2020). Laporan Kinerja Badan Kepegawaian Negara 2019 . Badan Kepegawaian Negara. https://www.bkn.go.id/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Laporan-Kinerja-Badan-Kepegawaian-Negara-2019.pdf
Zhao, Y., Zhang, Z., Lu, Y., & Ding, M. (2023). Standing in others' shoes: The role of leader prosocial motivation in facilitating employee creativity. Creativity and Innovation Management , 32 (1), 58-69. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12542
Related Articles
Related Author
Related Institution
京公网安备11010802024621