The Role Of Job Satisfaction As A Mediation Variable In The Effect Of Psychological Capital And Person–Organization Fit On Work Engagement Of Generation Z Employees In The Footwear Retail
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/kharaj.v8i2.10617Keywords:
Job Satisfaction, Psychological Capital, Person–Organization Fit, Work Engagement, Generation ZAbstract
This study analyzes the role of job satisfaction as a mediator in the effect of psychological capital and person–organization fit on work engagement among Generation Z employees in the footwear retail industry. Methods: This research employed a quantitative approach using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 3.0. Data were collected through structured questionnaires distributed to 103 Generation Z employees of an Indonesian footwear retail company, selected via purposive sampling. Results: Psychological capital and person–organization fit significantly predict job satisfaction, with person–organization fit as the strongest predictor. Job satisfaction significantly predicts work engagement. Psychological capital does not directly affect work engagement, while person–organization fit does. Job satisfaction fully mediates the psychological capital–engagement relationship and partially mediates the person–organization fit–engagement relationship. Implications: Person–organization fit emerges as the dominant predictor and job satisfaction as the critical psychological bridge through which internal and contextual resources convert into engagement. Footwear retail managers should prioritize cultural and value alignment in recruitment and retention, while developing psychological capital through coaching and training to indirectly enhance engagement via improved satisfaction.
References
A’yun, M. Q. (2025). Understanding Generation Z: Challenges, Behaviors, and Opportunities. Jakarta: Scientific Publisher.
Achmad, L. I., Noermijati, Rofiaty, & Irawanto, D. W. (2023). Job satisfaction and employee engagement as mediators of the relationship between talent development and intention to stay in Generation Z workers. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8(1), e0814. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i1.814
Alarcon, G. M., & Edwards, J. M. (2011). The relationship of engagement, job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Stress and Health, 27(3), e294–e298.
Ashfaq, B., & Hamid, A. (2021). Person–organization fit and organization citizenship behavior: Modeling the work engagement as a mediator. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 13(1), 19–39. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-12-2019-0255
Avey, J. B., Reichard, R. J., Luthans, F., & Mhatre, K. H. (2011). Meta-analysis of the impact of positive psychological capital on employee attitudes, behaviors, and performance. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 22(2), 127–152.
Badran, M. A., & Youssef-Morgan, C. M. (2015). Psychological capital and job satisfaction in Egypt. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 30(3), 354–370.
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands–Resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328.
Bhattarai, G., & Budhathoki, P. B. (2023). Impact of person–environment fit on innovative work behavior: Mediating role of work engagement. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 21(1), 396–407. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.21(1).2023.34
Biswal, K., Srivastava, K. B., & Alli, S. F. (2023). Psychological capital and work engagement: Moderating role of social relationships. Annals of Neurosciences, 32(2), 108–116. https://doi.org/10.1177/09727531231198964
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Francis, T., & Hoefel, F. (2018). ‘True Gen’: Generation Z and its implications for companies. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-z-and-its-implications-for-companies
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226.
Gallup. (2023). State of the global workplace: 2023 report. Gallup Press. Retrieved from https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
Guo, Q., Wang, Y., Liu, Q., Wang, T., Zhang, L., Huang, Z., & Cao, S. (2022). Psychological capital and occupational well-being: Mediating effects of work engagement among Chinese special education teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 847882. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.847882
Hakanen, J. J., Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2006). Burnout and work engagement among teachers. Journal of School Psychology, 43(6), 495–513.
Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L., & Hayes, T. L. (2002). Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(2), 268–279.
Herzberg, F. (1959). The motivation to work. John Wiley & Sons.
IMARC Group. (2024). Indonesia footwear market: Industry trends, share, size, growth, opportunity and forecast 2024–2033. IMARC Group. Retrieved from https://www.imarcgroup.com/indonesia-footwear-market
Keane, A., Kwon, K., & Kim, J. (2024). An integrative literature review of person–environment fit and employee engagement. Journal of Management & Organization, 30(6), 2149–2178. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2023.71
Kim, H. J., & Hyun, S. S. (2017). Work values congruence and work engagement: A moderating role of psychological needs satisfaction. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 41(5), 631–652.
Kristof, A. L. (1996). Person-organization fit: An integrative review of its conceptualizations, measurement, and implications. Personnel Psychology, 49(1), 1–49.
Kristof-Brown, A. L., Zimmerman, R. D., & Johnson, E. C. (2005). Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: A meta-analysis of person–job, person–organization, person–group, and person–supervisor fit. Personnel Psychology, 58(2), 281–342.
Kuhlmann, R., & Süß, S. (2024). The dynamic interplay of job characteristics and psychological capital with employee health: A longitudinal analysis of reciprocal effects. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 29(1), 14–29. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000368
Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1297–1343). Rand McNally.
Loghman, S., Quinn, M., Dawkins, S., Woods, M., Sharma, S. O., & Scott, J. (2023). A comprehensive meta-analyses of the nomological network of psychological capital (PsyCap). Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 30(1), 108–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/15480518221107998
Luthans, F., Youssef, C. M., & Avolio, B. J. (2007). Psychological capital: Developing the human competitive edge. Oxford University Press.
MarketLine. (2024). Footwear retail in Indonesia [Industry profile]. MarketLine.
Peng, Y., Jex, S. M., Teng, C. I., & Hu, H. H. (2014). Person–organization fit and occupational commitment: Social exchange theory perspective. Personnel Review, 43(2), 190–206.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2017). Organizational behavior (17th ed.). Pearson.
Saks, A. M. (2006). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600–619.
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2010). Defining and measuring work engagement: Bringing clarity to the concept. In A. B. Bakker & M. P. Leiter (Eds.), Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research (pp. 10–24). Psychology Press.
Schroth, H. (2019). Are you ready for Gen Z in the workplace? California Management Review, 61(3), 5–18.
Seemiller, C., & Grace, M. (2018). Generation Z leads: A guide for developing the leadership capacity of Generation Z students. Information Age Publishing.
Sen, K., Mishra, U. S., Patnaik, S., Tikkiwal, V. A., & Pandey, A. (2024). Effect of psychological capital on employee performance, work stress, job insecurity, and job satisfaction: Evidence from India. Current Psychology, 43, 9613–9624. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05108-9
Tang, Y., Shao, Y.-F., Chen, Y.-J., & Ma, Y. (2021). How to keep sustainable development between enterprises and employees? Evaluating the impact of person–organization fit and person–job fit on innovative behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 653534. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.653534
Zang, L., & Chen, Y. (2022). Relationship between person-organization fit and teacher burnout in kindergarten: The mediating role of job satisfaction. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 948934. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.948934
Zang, L., & Feng, Y. (2023). Relationship between job satisfaction and work engagement in Chinese kindergarten teachers: Vocational delay of gratification as a mediator. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1114519. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1114519
Zhang, M., Chen, H., Wang, N., Li, Y., Li, X., & Liu, Y. (2023). The mediating role of job satisfaction between psychological capital and work engagement among Chinese nurses during COVID-19 outbreak: A comparative study between nurse specialists and general nurses. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 990216. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.990216
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fithrotul Aulia, Dewie Tri Wijayati, Andre Dwijanto Witjaksono
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. In line with the license, authors are allowed to share and adapt the material. In addition, the material must be given appropriate credit, provided with a link to the license, and indicated if changes were made. If authors remix, transform or build upon the material, authors must distribute their contributions under the same license as the original.
