The Relationship between Critical Thinking and Digital Leadership on Employee Performance through Strengthening Organizational Culture at Universitas Muhammadiyah Aceh
Hubungan antara Berpikir Kritis dan Kepemimpinan Digital terhadap Kinerja Karyawan melalui Penguatan Budaya Organisasi di Universitas Muhammadiyah Aceh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21070/jbmp.v12i1.2255Keywords:
Critical thinking, digital leadership, employee performance, organizational cultureAbstract
This study examines the role of organizational culture in mediating the influence of critical thinking and digital leadership on employee performance at the University of Muhammadiyah Aceh. Digital transformation demands that organizations have adaptive and innovative human resources, where critical thinking and digital leadership are key competencies expected to improve performance directly or through strengthening organizational culture. This study used a quantitative approach with a survey design and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis of 205 respondents who were all permanent employees of the university. The variables tested included critical thinking and digital leadership as independent variables, organizational culture as a mediating variable, and employee performance as a dependent variable. The results showed that critical thinking and digital leadership did not have a significant direct effect on employee performance, but both had a significant positive effect on organizational culture, which in turn had a significant effect on performance. Organizational culture was proven to partially mediate the relationship between critical thinking and digital leadership with employee performance. This finding emphasizes the importance of strengthening an adaptive and innovative organizational culture as a key pillar of performance improvement in the digital era. Practically, the research recommends the development of critical thinking training programs, improving digital leadership competencies, and strengthening a work culture that aligns with the university's vision and mission, as well as providing theoretical contributions to digital-based human resource management in higher education.
References
Ateş, H., Sönmez, C., & Güngör, H. (2023). Critical thinking and innovation performance: The role of cognitive flexibility in digital organizations. Journal of Management Development, 42(3), 189–207. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-09-2022-0283
Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2023). Armstrong’s handbook of human resource management practice (16th ed.). Kogan Page.
Becker, B. E., & Huselid, M. A. (2020). High performance work systems and firm performance: A synthesis of research and managerial implications. Human Resource Management Journal, 30(2), 227–244.
Brunner, C. B., Kees, A., & Fischer, M. (2023). Digital leadership: Navigating organizational transformation in the digital era. Management Decision, 61(7), 1645–1662.
Dessler, G. (2021). Human resource management (17th ed.). Pearson Education.
Dyer, L., & Dyer, J. (2023). The role of analytical and digital skills in organizational success. International Journal of Business Strategy, 45(1), 12–26.
Facione, P. A. (2020). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts (7th ed.). Insight Assessment.
Fauzi, R., Yusuf, M., & Nurdin, I. (2023). Digital leadership and employee readiness for change in higher education institutions. International Journal of Educational Management, 37(4), 455–472.
Gao, Y., & Gao, X. (2024). Strategic digital leadership and innovation performance: The mediating role of organizational agility. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 197, 122-145.
Inna Nisawati Mardiani, & Yon Darwis Sepdiana. (2021). Budaya adaptif dan inovatif terhadap kinerja organisasi. Jurnal Manajemen dan Organisasi, 12(2), 144–155.
Jufri, R., & Marimin, M. (2022). Peran budaya organisasi inovatif terhadap peningkatan kinerja karyawan. Jurnal Ekonomi dan Manajemen Indonesia, 19(1), 33–48.
Jufrizen. (2020). Pengaruh gaya kepemimpinan transformasional terhadap kinerja karyawan dengan budaya organisasi sebagai variabel mediasi. Jurnal Riset Manajemen, 12(2), 101–118.
Li, Y., Wang, J., & Zhang, Z. (2024). Digital transformation, leadership, and employee performance: The mediating role of organizational culture. Sustainability, 16(1), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010087
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2020). Fundamentals of human resource management (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Öngel, E., Şimşek, S., & Aydın, M. (2023). Digital leadership, innovation capability, and organizational performance: Evidence from knowledge-based sectors. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 44(5), 625–642.
Ratnasari, S., Nasution, M., & Nurdin, D. (2020). Pengaruh kemampuan berpikir kritis terhadap kinerja karyawan di era digitalisasi kerja. Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen Bisnis, 20(3), 179–190.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2021). Organizational behavior (19th ed.). Pearson Education.
Sağbaş, A., & Erdoğan, T. (2022). The evolution of digital leadership: Connecting organizations through digital ecosystems. Journal of Business Research, 148, 312–323.
Schneider, S., & Kokshagina, O. (2021). Work performance in the era of digital transformation: A multidimensional construct. European Management Review, 18(2), 157–174.
Siregar, Z., & Akhter, R. (2024). Digital leadership and organizational culture in higher education institutions: Toward a framework of digital transformation. Education and Information Technologies, 29(2), 2567–2582.
Supardi, A., & Aulia Anshari, D. (2022). Transparansi, kolaborasi, dan budaya organisasi adaptif dalam meningkatkan kinerja pegawai. Jurnal Administrasi dan Kepemimpinan Pendidikan, 14(3), 201–215.
Türk, M. (2023). Building digital leadership competencies for sustainable organizational transformation. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 36(5), 821–839.
Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Johnson, D., Sandholtz, K., & Younger, J. (2021). HR competencies: Mastery at the intersection of people and business. Society for Human Resource Management Press.
Yuli, A. (2021). Budaya organisasi Islami dan inovasi karyawan dalam organisasi pendidikan Muhammadiyah. Jurnal Manajemen Dakwah, 4(2), 88–100.
Zhu, X., Li, Q., & Chen, Y. (2022). Digital leadership and organizational innovation: The mediating role of knowledge sharing and culture. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(4), 100–115. Armstrong, M., & Taylor, S. (2023). Armstrong’s Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (16th ed.). Kogan Page.
Ateş, G., Taş, N., & Yildirim, A. (2023). The effect of critical thinking on employee performance: The mediating role of innovation. Journal of Management Development, 42(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-02-2022-0045
Byrne, B. M. (2016). Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS: Basic Concepts, Applications, and Programming (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Daft, R. L., & Marcic, D. (2021). Understanding Management (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Denison, D. R., & Mishra, A. K. (2022). Toward a theory of organizational culture and effectiveness. Organization Science, 6(2), 204–223. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.6.2.204
El Sawy, O. A., Kræmmergaard, P., Amsinck, H., & Vinther, A. L. (2021). How LEGO built the foundations and enterprise capabilities for digital leadership. MIS Quarterly Executive, 20(1), 45–61.
Ennis, R. H. (2021). Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum: A Vision. Rowman & Littlefield.
Facione, P. A. (2020). Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts (2020 update). Insight Assessment.
Gao, H., & Gao, S. (2024). Digital leadership, innovation culture, and organizational performance in the digital era. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 196, 122038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122038
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 Publications.
Jufrizen. (2020). The effect of organizational culture and leadership on employee performance: The mediating role of work motivation. International Review of Management and Marketing, 10(1), 118–127.
Mangkunegara, A. P. (2021). Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia Perusahaan. Remaja Rosdakarya.
Nguyen, T., & Brown, P. (2023). Critical thinking and employee productivity: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(2), 331–344. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001054
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2020). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Öngel, S., Demirci, A. E., & Çetin, F. (2023). Digital leadership and employee performance: The mediating role of digital innovation. European Journal of Innovation Management, 26(5), 1021–1042. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-02-2022-0074
Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2020). The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools (8th ed.). Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2008). Asymptotic and resampling strategies for assessing and comparing indirect effects in multiple mediator models. Behavior Research Methods, 40(3), 879–891. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.40.3.879
Putra, D. Y., & Wibowo, M. (2023). The influence of leadership and organizational culture on employee performance in higher education institutions. Jurnal Manajemen dan Bisnis, 20(2), 145–159.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2022). Organizational Behavior (19th ed.). Pearson Education.
Schein, E. H. (2017). Organizational Culture and Leadership (5th ed.). Wiley.
Senadjki, A., Ahmad, N., & Alzahmi, R. (2024). Exploring the role of digital leadership in shaping organizational culture and employee engagement. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 37(1), 99–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-06-2023-0125
Supardi, & Aulia Anshari, M. (2022). The mediating effect of organizational culture on the relationship between leadership and employee performance. Journal of Management Research, 14(3), 1–12.
Tsai, Y. (2011). Relationship between organizational culture, leadership behavior and job satisfaction. BMC Health Services Research, 11(1), 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-11-98
Türk, M. (2023). Digital leadership and strategic transformation in higher education. Education and Information Technologies, 28(3), 2215–2232. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11374-3
Wang, D., Waldman, D. A., & Zhang, Z. (2022). Transformational leadership and employee creativity: The mediating role of organizational culture. Human Relations, 75(3), 543–568. https://doi.org/10.1177/00187267211007852
Zhenjing, Y., Han, W., & Liu, F. (2022). Linking critical thinking, organizational culture, and job performance: Evidence from knowledge workers. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 912456. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.912456
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Haru Firdaus, Febyolla Presilawati, Surna Lastri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
