Exploring the Impact of Transformational Leadership, Training, and Employee Engagement on Restaurant Employee Performance

Veronica Setijadi; Tin Agustina K; Teguh Widodo

doi:10.61987/jemr.v4i5.1179

Authors

Veronica Setijadi Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis Asia Malang
Tin Agustina K Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis Asia Malang
Teguh Widodo Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis Asia Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61987/jemr.v4i5.1179

Keywords:

Transformational Leadership, Training Program, Employee Engagement, Employee Performance

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the influence of transformational leadership, training programs, and employee engagement on employee performance. A quantitative approach was used in this study, with a sample of 72 employees from a restaurant in Malang selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression methods. The main results of this study indicate that transformational leadership and employee engagement have a positive and significant influence on employee performance. In contrast, training programs do not show a significant effect. The practical implication of these findings is that performance improvements can be more effectively achieved through an inspirational leadership style and employee emotional engagement. Furthermore, there is a need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of existing training programs. A limitation of this study is that the sample coverage is limited to one company, so generalizing the results to a broader context requires caution.

References

Abolnasser, M. S. A., Abdou, A. H., Hassan, T. H., & Salem, A. E. (2023). Transformational leadership, employee engagement, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being among hotel employees after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic: a serial mediation model. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3609. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043609

Ahmed, A. I., & Mane, G. S. (n.d.). Examine Relationship Between Job Satisfaction on Employees Performance of Indian Restaurants in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Tuijin Jishu/Journal of Propulsion Technology, 45(1), 2024.

Bandaranayake, N., Kiridena, S., Kulatunga, A. K., & Dam, H. (2024). Analysing cross-border logistics operations for performance improvement: development and validation of a reference model. Operations Management Research, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12063-024-00519-8

Bennett, N. J., Relano, V., Roumbedakis, K., Blythe, J., Andrachuk, M., Claudet, J., Dawson, N., Gill, D., Lazzari, N., & Mahajan, S. L. (2025). Ocean equity: from assessment to action to improve social equity in ocean governance. Frontiers in Marine Science, 12, 1473382. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2025.1473382

Bhardwaj, B., & Kalia, N. (2021). Contextual and task performance: role of employee engagement and organizational culture in hospitality industry. Vilakshan-XIMB Journal of Management, 18(2), 187–201. https://doi.org/10.1108/XJM-08-2020-0089

Hallam, K. T., Popovic, N., & Karimi, L. (2023). Identifying the key elements of psychologically safe workplaces in healthcare settings. Brain Sciences, 13(10), 1450. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13101450

Hilton, S. K., Madilo, W., Awaah, F., & Arkorful, H. (2023). Dimensions of transformational leadership and organizational performance: the mediating effect of job satisfaction. Management Research Review, 46(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-02-2021-0152

Kim, H., Im, J., & Shin, Y. H. (2021). The impact of transformational leadership and commitment to change on restaurant employees’ quality of work life during a crisis. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 48, 322–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.07.010

Koroglu, Ş., & Ozmen, O. (2022). The mediating effect of work engagement on innovative work behavior and the role of psychological well-being in the job demands–resources (JD-R) model. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 14(1), 124–144. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-09-2020-0326

Lechner, A., & Tobias Mortlock, J. M. (2022). How to create psychological safety in virtual teams. Organizational Dynamics, 51(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2021.100849

Magasi, C. (2021). The role of transformational leadership on employee performance: A perspective of employee empowerment. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 6(6), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2021.6.6.1137

Mazzetti, G., Robledo, E., Vignoli, M., Topa, G., Guglielmi, D., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2023). Work engagement: A meta-analysis using the job demands-resources model. Psychological Reports, 126(3), 1069–1107. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211051988

Mitchell, T. (2024). Managerial Strategies to Increase Employee Retention in the Restaurant Industry. Walden University.

Njoku, H. I., & Guillermo, R. M. (2023). Leadership styles and employee engagement in the food industry of MSME’s. Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, Economics and Finance, 5(2), 35–51. https://doi.org/10.55214/jcrbef.v5i2.211

Obeidat, W. (2023). Rural and traditional cafes and restaurants: a new emerging trend in domestic tourism. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 15(1), 74–83. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-08-2022-0098

Pincus, J. D. (2023). Employee engagement as human motivation: Implications for theory, methods, and practice. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 57(4), 1223–1255.

Reyaz, S. (2024). The influence of leadership styles on employee motivation and job satisfaction. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management (IRJAEM), 2(3), 339–344.

Sawhney, G., & Michel, J. S. (2022). Challenge and hindrance stressors and work outcomes: The moderating role of day-level affect. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(2), 389–405.