Diana Sulianti K. Tobing

This study analyzes the effect of transformational leadership on nurse performance using intervening variables of social competence, self-efficacy, and burnout. The partial least square data analysis method with an explanatory research type is used. Primary data are obtained via a questionnaire. A nurse population of 160 from five private hospitals in Indonesia’s East Java Region was analyzed using proportional random sampling. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and partial least squares (PLS). The result of this study proved that transformational leadership has no significant effect on nurse performance, however, it affects significantly on social competence, self-efficacy, and has significant negative effect on burnout. The low performance of nurse was caused by the main job that is providing service for patient and doing administration work for BPJS, which require plenty of time, that the inseparable part of a nurse life is burnout, regarding the high mobility in providing service for patient. Social competence has a significant positive effect on nurse performance, self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on burnout, self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on nurse performance, and burnout has a significant negative effect on nurse performance. Novelty of this study is self-efficacy that has a significant positive effect on social competence.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Understanding factors that drive employee performance in SMEs is crucial, as human resources are central to success. This study was conducted among batik-producing SMEs in East Java Province, Indonesia, a cultural heritage sector of labor-intensive, skills-based businesses that rely on employees to maintain production quality, sales service, and sustainability. Although entrepreneurial leadership and employer branding are recognized as drivers of employee outcomes, prior studies have examined them separately in large organizations, limiting understanding of their combined effects in SMEs. This study aims to examine the effects of entrepreneurial leadership and employer branding on employee performance, with employee engagement as a mediator and organizational trust as a moderator. Data were collected from 357 employees of batik-producing SMEs in East Java Province, Indonesia, between October and December 2025. Respondents were selected through purposive sampling, targeting production, sales, and administrative staff, as these groups contextually represent core operations. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results show that entrepreneurial leadership (β = 0.222, p < 0.001) and employer branding (β = 0.476, p < 0.001) positively influence employee performance. Both variables exhibit significant indirect effects through employee engagement (β = 0.074, p < 0.01; β = 0.045, p < 0.01). Organizational trust strengthens the entrepreneurial leadership–employee engagement relationship (β = 0.135, p < 0.01) but weakens the employer branding–employee engagement relationship (β = −0.165, p < 0.01). These findings clarify how entrepreneurial leadership and employer branding shape employee performance in batik SMEs under uncertain environments.