The Influence Of Transformational Leadership, Corporate Culture, And Cadre Competence On The Job Performance Of Golkar Party Cadres With Employee Engagement As Mediation Variables

This research explores the impact of Transformational Leadership, Corporate Culture, and cadre competency on the Performance of Golkar Party cadres, with employee involvement as a mediator. Using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) method and its integration with AMOS 24 software, this research involved the entire population of Golkar Party cadres (108 people) as samples, ensuring equal opportunities for each individual. The research results show that Transformational Leadership has a significant effect on Employee Engagement, while Corporate Culture has a substantial impact on cadre Performance. Cadre competency also has a significant effect on Employee Engagement. Apart from that, Employee Engagement also acts as a mediator between Transformational Leadership and cadre Performance. These findings provide important insights into the development of corporate culture and cadre competence, especially in the Golkar Party. © 2024 by the authors. Submitted for possible open-access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY SA)


Introduction
Performance is relevant in individuals, business organizations, and politics, especially involving political parties.One party that has a long history and a vital role in Indonesian politics is the Golkar Party (Fauziah, 2023).In a democratic system, the performance of a political party is measured through the electoral support it receives.This concept aligns with the theory of political systems and political parties, which posits that political parties are institutions essential in representing people's aspirations and making political decisions (Firdaus, Kartika, Suryahim, Uswatiyah, & Budiantoro, 2022).
Political parties play a central role in maintaining and strengthening the democratic system.As a representation of citizens in the political arena, political parties facilitate the organization and expression of people's interests.The quality of cadres within the party significantly impacts the party's ability to achieve this democratic goal, as (Diamond, 2020) explains.Political parties are not only the leading guardians of democracy but also prime movers in shaping the political direction of a country.Through their role as a society representative, political parties provide an official structure to reflect citizens' preferences in the political decision-making process.Furthermore, political parties become carriers of political visions and policy ideas, form political platforms, carry out voter mandates, and create policy discourses that reflect the interests of society.Thus, political parties are key players in the political process and critical architects in building inclusive and meaningful democracies.
The Golkar Party, as a political party, with its history as the winning party of general elections in the New Order era, has become a significant actor in Indonesian politics.The party's performance is not only measured by the number of seats won in general elections but also by the participation of its members in the legislative and executive processes.
Political parties are the main foundation of a democratic system, acting as guardians and bridges between the interests of society and the government.They are prime movers in shaping public policy, articulating political visions, and shaping public opinion.The quality of political party cadres significantly impacts party effectiveness and the overall health of democracy.In the Indonesian context, the Golkar Party has long played an essential role in the political process, and improving the performance of Golkar Party cadres is a very relevant and crucial aspect.
The quality of Golkar Party cadres is crucial in the Indonesian political context, playing an essential role in shaping the party's image and sustainability.The cadres' performance not only reflects the party's identity but also influences the direction and reputation of the party in political dynamics.According to (Diamond, 2020), cadres' quality is vital to democratic success, influencing party performance and its ability to carry out political tasks.Transformational leadership is a critical element in improving cadres' performance, motivating them to achieve party goals, developing a shared vision, and actively contributing to the success of political parties.In the context of political parties, transformational leadership not only acts as a manager but also as an agent of change capable of inspiring the passion and dedication of cadres, ensuring the party achieves a shared vision and sustainable democratic success.
Transformational leadership builds a firm commitment from cadres to the party and transforms political parties into more efficient, innovative, and responsive organizations.Leaders who can motivate, develop a shared vision, and build strong commitment help the party adapt to political and societal changes.In addition, transformational leadership also plays a vital role in creating passionate, committed cadres with the vision to support the party, positively impacting the quality of political party performance and success in its political tasks.
Corporate culture in political parties significantly strengthens party identity, shapes cadre behavior, and creates norms that support party goals.According to (Gauja & Kosiara-Pedersen, 2021), organizational culture becomes the moral foundation, standards, and values that shape party identity.A strong culture can strengthen a party's image, influencing voter perception and support.For example, if adopted in an organizational culture, values such as transparency and accountability can create a clean and trustworthy image of the party.In addition, corporate culture influences cadre behavior, shaping work ethic, collaboration, and integrity.Organizational culture's norms also govern party members' actions and interactions, support desirable political ethics, and create a positive party environment.A corporate culture that supports open communication and innovation creates norms that promote positive change and renewal within political parties.
A strong organizational culture is one of the key pillars in maintaining cadres' quality and ensuring political parties' success.This culture creates a moral and ethical foundation consistent with party values, guides cadre behavior, and creates norms that support party goals.In a changing and competitive political context, a strong organizational culture is an invaluable asset in maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of political parties.
The Golkar Party, a historic and influential political party in Indonesia, has a crucial role in politics and government.The book "Political Islam and Governance in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia" by Ahmad (2008) provides valuable insight into the history and role of this party.As the oldest party, the Golkar Party has roots in the New Order era and developed into a dominant political force.However, after the fall of the Suharto regime, the party faced new challenges that highlighted the importance of cadre quality in changing political dynamics.Golkar Party cadres must adapt to political changes, understand voter diversity, and strengthen the party's identity.Understanding the role and history of the Golkar Party and evaluating the quality of cadres is crucial in devising the right strategy to maintain and improve the party's position in dynamic Indonesian politics.The quality of good cadres is a valuable asset in achieving political goals and ensuring the sustainability and relevance of the Golkar Party in Indonesia's political development.
In politics, cadre competence is a critical element of the political journey of the Golkar Party, involving factors such as political knowledge, communication skills, and leadership abilities.In-depth political knowledge enables cadres to articulate the party's vision convincingly, while practical communication skills help them woo voters and build rapport with stakeholders.Leadership ability is crucial in coordinating party activities and member motivation, especially in political campaigns.Evaluation and development of cadre competence is an essential stage in the strategy of the Golkar Party, according to the research (Hiebert & Morris. Training, development, and measurement of cadre competence are vital instruments to ensure the readiness and quality of Golkar Party cadres in carrying out party duties, including in political campaigns and voter mobilization.With competent cadres, the Golkar Party can more effectively achieve the support needed to achieve its political goals, making cadre competence a key element in achieving political success.
In addition to transformational leadership, organizational culture, and cadre competence, employee engagement, or cadre engagement, is a significant mediating variable in the context of political parties.Employee engagement refers to party members' level of involvement and commitment to their party.A study examining volunteer involvement in political parties highlights how vital cadre involvement is in improving party performance.The participation of cadres creates a solid commitment to the party, which in turn contributes to the success of the party.
Employee Engagement becomes "social capital" in the context of political parties, motivating cadres to actively participate in party activities and support the party's vision.This engagement also affects cadre retention rates, creates stability in the party workforce, and contributes to the continuity of political strategy.Research by Theiss-Morse et al. (2018) shows cadre involvement positively impacts party performance, especially in political campaigns and voter mobilization.Therefore, investment in creating strong cadre engagement can bring tangible benefits to political parties, including the Golkar Party.In practice, political parties can develop strategies to increase cadre engagement, such as creating an inclusive party environment, listening to cadres' aspirations, providing recognition, and providing training for cadre development.Employee engagement also acts as an essential mediating factor in the influence of transformational leadership, organizational culture, and cadre competence on political party performance, helping to achieve tremendous political success.
In the context of innovation and research development, the results of this study are expected to help describe and measure the extent to which factors such as transformational leadership, organizational culture, and cadre competence affect the performance of Golkar Party cadres with the involvement of cadres as mediators.Recent data and related research findings will enable a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of these factors.They will provide a sharper view of how to improve the quality of political party cadres in Indonesia, which will ultimately positively impact the development of democracy in the country.With more up-to-date data updates and research, we will have more profound insights into how improving the quality of political party cadres, especially in the Golkar Party, can contribute to the development of democracy in Indonesia.

Materials and Methods
This research is a development and merger of previous studies on factors that affect individual and organizational performance, taking inspiration from 2022 studies.The study focuses on the influence of Transformational Leadership, Corporate Culture, and Competence of cadres on the Job Performance of Golkar Party cadres, with Employee Engagement as a mediation variable.The identification of independent variables and measurement using the Likert scale, adapted from previous studies and tested for validity and reliability.Data was collected through an online questionnaire using purposive sampling from a population of 108 Golkar Party cadres.It is hoped that this method can provide an in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the performance and involvement of Golkar Party cadres in the context of political organization.

Results and Discussions a. Descriptive Analysis of Respondents
In this study, the characteristics of respondents' data reflected the method of collecting an online questionnaire involving 108 members of the Golkar Party Cadres.Diversity in party structure is reflected in respondents' characteristics, including education level, employment background, and level of involvement in party activities.The gender picture shows male dominance with 81 respondents, while 27 respondents are women.Age profiles provide an inclusive picture, with most respondents aged 26-35.Islam dominates religious representation but reflects diversity with Catholics and Christians.Education data creates a mixed picture, with most respondents having a Bachelor's (S1) level.The job profile shows a diversity of professions, from employee to self-employed, with 36 respondents each.Marital status and tenure highlight the diversity of life experiences and involvement in party structures.An in-depth analysis of these characteristics can better understand party members, guide recruitment strategies, and develop inclusive policies.

b. Descriptive Analysis of Research Variables
Transformational Leadership is one of the independent variables in this study, consisting of 6 indicators.The descriptive results are as follows: Descriptive analysis of the Cadre Competency variable produces data showing a consistent assessment of respondents against various related indicators.Descriptive analysis of the variables Competence details the mean (mean) and standard deviation for each indicator, i.e., all Competence variables.The results showed that each indicator had a high mean, ranging from 4.26 to 4.38, signaling a positive perception of the competence of cadres within the Golkar Party.
A relatively low standard deviation (between 0.858 and 0.943) indicates that scores tend to converge around the mean, signaling a good consistency level in respondents' cadre competence assessment.The Cadre Competency variable has a mean of 4.3162 with a standard deviation of 0.82842 from 108 valid respondents in the listwise analysis.This data provides an in-depth understanding of respondents' perceptions and assessments of cadres' competence level within the Golkar Party.The Competence variable has a mean of 4.3612, meaning the average respondent agrees with all the statements above.Of the three dimensions above, Political Skills have the highest and lowest mean in leadership.
Cadre Performance, one of the dependent variables in this study, consists of 8 indicators.The descriptive results are as follows: Through descriptive statistical analysis in Table 10, it can be observed that the score for each Performance variable shows a range between 1 and 5, with an average ranging from 4.05 to 4.31.The relatively low standard deviation, ranging from 0.830 to 0.955, illustrates that scores tend to accumulate around the mean value, indicating a degree of consistency in respondents' assessment of cadre performance.Overall, the Performance variable has a mean of 4.2122 with a standard deviation of 0.82903 from 108 respondents, which means that the average respondent agrees with all the statements above.Of the four dimensions above, Career Development and Personal Growth have the highest and lowest mean in the Sense of Involvement in the Party Decision-Making Process.

Test the Direct Influence Hypothesis
The results of hypothesis testing reflect that there is a significant influence between the variables studied.Here is an analysis of each hypothesis: The path analysis results show a significant influence between Transformational Leadership and Employee Engagement, with an estimated path coefficient of 0.216.This result is reinforced by a Critical Ratio value of 2.812 and a significant p-value of 0.005.Therefore, it can be concluded that the hypothesis of the path of Transformational Leadership → Employee Engagement is significantly supported in the context of this study.That is, the higher the Transformational Leadership, the higher the level of Employee Engagement that can be observed.

b. Hypothesis 2: The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Cadre Job Performance
The statistical test results showed unfavorable findings between Transformational Leadership and Performance, with an estimated path coefficient of -0.019.This finding is reinforced by a Critical Ratio value close to zero (-0.267) and an insignificant p-value (0.790).Therefore, it can be concluded that the Transformational Leadership → Performance path hypothesis is not significantly supported in the context of this study.
This finding shows no significant influence between Transformational Leadership and the performance of Golkar Party cadres.Nonetheless, it is essential to conduct further research and consider other factors that might influence the relationship between the two variables.Further analysis of cadres' organizational context and characteristics can provide additional insights for a deeper understanding of the dynamics between transformational leadership and cadre performance in political parties.

c. Hipotesis 3: Pengaruh Corporate Culture terhadap Employee Engagement
The results of the statistical tests show that the influence of corporate culture and employee engagement is not significantly supportive.The estimated path coefficient of 0.164, with a Critical Ratio value of about 1.418 and a p-value of 0.156, shows statistical insignificance.Therefore, it can be concluded that the hypothesis of the Corporate Culture → Employee Engagement path is not supportive in the context of this study.
This finding indicates that Corporate Culture does not have a significant influence on the level of cadre involvement.Nonetheless, these results may provide a basis for further reflection on how the organizational culture within political parties may or may not affect cadre engagement levels.Additional research can explore specific aspects of corporate culture that may or may not contribute to employee engagement in the context of political parties such as the Golkar Party.

d. Hypothesis 4: The Influence of Corporate Culture on Cadre Job Performance
The results of statistical tests show that there is statistical support for the influence of Corporate Culture and Performance.The estimated path coefficient of 0.314, with a Critical Ratio of about 2.999 and a p-value of 0.003, indicates high statistical significance.Thus, it can be concluded that the hypothesis of the Corporate Culture → Performance pathway is supported in the context of this study.
This finding indicates that Corporate Culture significantly influences cadres' performance in the Golkar Party.This highlights the importance of the role of organizational culture in shaping and improving individual performance within the context of political parties.By implication, efforts to strengthen or manage corporate culture can be an effective strategy to enhance the performance of political cadres at the party level.

e. Hypothesis 5: The Effect of Cadre Competence on Employee Engagement
From the results of the path analysis, it was found that there is strong statistical support for the influence between Competence and Employee Engagement.The path coefficient of 0.682, with a Critical Ratio of about 6.640 and a p-value of 0.000, indicates high statistical significance.Therefore, the path hypothesis Competence → Employee Engagement can be confirmed and supported in this research framework.
These findings illustrate that the competence of cadres has a significant favorable influence on their level of engagement in party activities.Increasing the competence of individual cadres is considered to increase their involvement in various political party activities.The implication is that competency development through political training and education can be a relevant strategy to strengthen cadre engagement in supporting political party goals and activities.

f. Hypothesis 6: The Effect of Cadre Competence on Cadre Job Performance
The results of the hypothesis test show that there is significant statistical support for the effect of Competence and Performance.The path coefficient of 0.295, with a Critical Ratio of about 2.369 and a p-value of 0.018, indicates that this relationship has statistical significance.Therefore, the Competence → Performance pathway hypothesis can be confirmed and considered supported in the context of this study.
That is, the level of competence of cadres affects the improvement of their performance in the context of political parties.Increasing the competence of individual cadres can be linked to improving their performance in carrying out political roles and responsibilities.The implication is that cadres' competency development strategies can be considered as potential investments to improve their performance in supporting the activities and objectives of political parties.

g. Hypothesis 7: The Effect of Employee Engagement on Cadre Job Performance
The path analysis findings show statistically significant support for the influence between employee engagement and performance.A path coefficient of 0.455, with a Critical Ratio of about 3.503 and a p-value of 0.000, indicates that this relationship has vital statistical significance.Therefore, the Employee Engagement → Performance pathway hypothesis can be confirmed and considered supported in the context of this study.
That is, the level of involvement and attachment of cadres in the activities and objectives of political parties (Employee Engagement) affects the improvement of their performance.In political parties, a high level of involvement from cadres can strengthen their connections and commitment to the party's mission and vision, positively impacting its effectiveness and productivity.The implication is that increasing employee engagement can be considered a relevant strategy to improve the performance of political party cadres.

The Hypothesis of Indirectly Influence
Indirect effect analysis in SPSS provides an essential overview of the relationship between mediated, independent, and dependent variables.The concept of mediation allows an understanding of how one variable affects the relationship between other variables.In a simple mediation model, one mediator variable is in the middle of the independent variable and the dependent variable.
The concept of mediation occurs when changes to an independent variable affect the mediator variable, which further impacts the dependent variable.In other words, the mediator variable describes part of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.The mediation analysis allows us to identify how much the mediator variable mediates the relationship between the independent and dependent variables.By involving Employee Engagement as a mediator, the results of statistical tests show that the influence of Transformational Leadership on the Job Performance of Golkar Cadres has proven significant.The results of the track analysis show substantial statistical support for pathways involving Transformational Leadership, Employee Engagement, and Performance.The path coefficient of Transformational Leadership → Employee Engagement is 0.216, with a Critical Ratio of around 2.812 and a p-value of 0.005, indicating a significant favorable influence of Transformational Leadership on Employee Engagement.Furthermore, the Employee Engagement → Performance path with a path coefficient of 0.455, a C.R. of around 3.503, and a p-value of 0.000 indicates that Employee Engagement contributes positively and significantly to Performance improvement.
Thus, the path of Transformational Leadership, → Employee Engagement, → Performance as a whole can be considered a path supported by statistical data.These findings provide a deeper understanding of the causeand-effect relationship between these factors in the context of this study.The implication is that increasing Transformational Leadership can directly affect the Job Performance of political party cadres through Employee Engagement.

Hypothesis 9: The Effect of Corporate Culture on Cadre Job Performance through Employee Engagement Mediation
The results of statistical tests show that data do not support pathways involving Corporate Culture, Employee Engagement, and Performance.The path coefficient of Corporate Culture → Employee Engagement is 0.164, with a Critical Ratio value of around 1.418 and a p-value of 0.156, indicating that the influence of Corporate Culture on Employee Engagement is insignificant.Furthermore, the Employee Engagement → Performance path with a path coefficient of 0.075, a C.R. of approximately 1.314, and a p-value of 0.189 indicates that Employee Engagement does not contribute significantly to improving Performance.
With these findings, it can be concluded that in the context of this study, employee engagement cannot mediate corporate culture to improve the job performance of Golkar Party cadres.Further analysis can be performed to understand the dynamics underlying these results, such as the presence of other mediating variables or external factors that might influence the relationship between those variables.1. Hypothesis 10: The Effect of Cadre Competence on Cadre Job Performance through Employee Engagement Mediation Involving Employee Engagement mediation, statistical test results show significant support for pathways involving Competence, Employee Engagement, and Performance.The path coefficient of Competence → Employee Engagement is 0.682, with a Critical Ratio value of around 6.640 and a p-value of 0.000, indicating a positive and significant influence of Competence on Employee Engagement.Furthermore, the Employee Engagement → Performance path with a path coefficient of 0.310, a C.R. of around 3.098, and a p-value of 0.002 indicates that Employee Engagement contributes positively and significantly to improving Performance.
Thus, it can be concluded that statistical data support the overall Competence → Employee Engagement → Performance path.These findings provide a further understanding of the relationship between Competence, Employee Engagement, and Performance in the context of this study.The implication is that increasing Competence indirectly affects the Job Performance of Golkar Party cadres through Employee Engagement.
The results show that Hypothesis 1, which states that Transformational Leadership has a significant effect on Employee Engagement, can be strengthened by the findings of Retno Rafia, Achmad Sudiro, and Sunaryo (2020), as well as the research of (Chen & Cuervo, 2022).In this context, according to related literature, transformational leadership positively impacts employee engagement.However, Hypothesis 2, which states that Transformational Leadership does not have a significant influence on cadre performance, shows results that do not match the findings of (Osborne et al., 2022) and (Qalati, Zafar, Fan, Limón, & Khaskheli 2022).These studies indicate that effective and professional transformational management can influence the achievement of planned targets.
In the context of Hypothesis 3, the finding that Corporate Culture does not significantly influence Employee Engagement contradicts the research of Indah (Sari et al., 2022), which found a positive and significant relationship between corporate culture and employee engagement.
Hypothesis 5 indicates that there is a significant influence of Cadre Competence on Employee Engagement, in line with the findings of Luturmas, Wirjawan, and Arta (2023), which shows that cadre competence has an impact on employee engagement to increase employee engagement in global competition.
Hypothesis 6 states that Cadre Competence positively affects Cadre Job Performance, which aligns with (Oktarina et al., 2021) research, which shows a correlation between HR capabilities and performance.Good people management can improve overall HR performance (Juliati, 2021).
Hypothesis 7 states that Employee Engagement significantly influences Cadre Job Performance, according to the findings of Indah (Hidayat & Lestari, 2022), which shows a positive influence between Employee Engagement and employee performance.
Hypothesis 8 states that Employee Engagement mediates the relationship between Transformational Leadership and Job Performance of Cadres, in line with the findings of (Danilwan & Dirhamsyah, 2022), which show that Employee Engagement can be a mediator between transformational leadership and employee performance.
However, Hypothesis 9, which states that Corporate Culture does not affect Cadre Job Performance through Employee Engagement mediation, is not by the findings of Indah, Satrya, and Lestari (2022), which shows the influence of Corporate Culture on Cadre Job Performance through Employee Engagement.

Table 1 Variabel Transformational Leadership
Descriptive analysis of the Transformational Leadership (TL) variable displays a breakdown of scores for each indicator, providing a deeper understanding of respondents' perceptions of aspects of transformational leadership.All Transformational Leadership indicators show an average (mean) of 4.04 to 4.31, with a relatively low standard deviation (between 0.880 and 0.975).This indicates the consistency of respondents' assessment of transformational leadership aspects.Overall, the Transformational Leadership variable has a mean of 4.2116, meaning the average respondent agrees with all the statements above.Inspirational influence has the highest and lowest mean on individual attention of the three dimensions above.Then, Corporate Culture, which is one of the independent variables in this study, consists of 4 indicators.The descriptive results are as follows:This study's descriptive analysis of Corporate Culture (CC) variables provides a comprehensive picture of respondents' perceptions of corporate culture in the Golkar Party.All Corporate Culture indicators show a score range between 1 and 5, with the mean ranging from 4.08 to 4.28.A relatively low standard deviation (between 0.833 and 0.884) indicates a degree of consistency in assessing aspects of corporate culture.Overall, the Corporate Culture variable has a mean of 4.1481, meaning the average respondent agrees with all the statements above.Of the two dimensions above, the Organizational Value has the highest and lowest mean in the Norms.Competence Cadre, one of the independent variables in this study, consists of 6 indicators.The descriptive results are as follows: