Transformational Leadership, Employment Competency and Career Levels As Predictors Of Job Satisfaction and Employee Performance: An Empirical Study

The aim of this study is to explore the transformational relationship of leadership, job competence, and career path to job satisfaction and employee performance, and explore the relationship of job satisfaction in employee performance. The method used in this study is quantitative by focusing on hypothesis testing. While the sample used is as many as 91 employees with saturated sampling techniques. The next analysis model used is Partial Least Square (PLS). The findings of this study reveal that transformational leadership, work competence, and career levels are proven to have a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction and employee performance. Likewise, the relationship of job satisfaction to employee performance is positive and significant. In addition, the implications of this research have been discussed in this study.


Introduction
Currently the important concerns of several organizations have focused on how to improve job satisfaction and employee performance (Eliyana et al., 2019;Muzakki et al., 2019;and Muzakki et al., 2020). Several studies have reported that these high levels of job satisfaction and employee performance can reduce employee absenteeism, and turnover intention (Amah, 2009). Along with that, Edison (2017: 190) revealed that this performance has been attributed to the outcome of a process that refers to and is measured over a period of time based on pre-established terms or agreements. Each company will strive to always improve its performance in order to achieve the goals set by the company (Muzakki and Pratiwi, 2019;Herdyanti and Muzakki, 2020). There are several things that can be important predictors in supporting employee performance including leadership style, job competence, career level and job satisfaction.
Leadership style is a way for a leader to be able to influence or move his subordinates in order to work optimally to achieve a company goal. Leadership can affect job satisfaction and employee performance, leaders must be able to delegate their lower tasks well, therefore the leader needs a pattern or style that must be done in order to influence his subordinates. The company can develop even forward inseparable from the role of a leader, the company leader should have its own characteristics or strategies to achieve the company's goals. The results of a study reported by Wardani and Eliyana (2018) revealed that transformational leadership has an influence and positive impact on employee performance. The results of this study contradict Thoni Setyo Prabowo et, al,. (2018) and Ardiana (2017) who found that transformational leadership has no significant influence on employee performance, and have been shown to improve work innovation in the workplace (Muzakki and Christina, 2021).
Another factor that can affect employee performance is competence. Competence is a combination of skills, personal attributes, and knowledge that is reflected through performance behavior (job behavior) that can be observed, measured and evaluated (Rahadi, 2010: 163). In addition, Taufiqurokhman (2009: 25), mentions that everyone's competence can be clearly measured and can be shown to distinguish superior or average behavior of a person. While according to Taufiqurokhman also states that competence can be in the form of mastery of problems, cognitive skills and behavioral skills, goals, temperaments, self-concepts, attitudes or values. Therefore, work competence becomes an important factor in influencing the working attitude of employees in the company. As the results of the study popularized by Lukar et, all,. (2020) and Putri and Ardiana (2019) who revealed that job competence towards job satisfaction and employee performance.
Another factor that has been proven to contribute well to the achievement of employee performance is the career path, because almost every worker should have the desire to occupy a better and higher position in his job. Career path is a series of positions or positions occupied by someone in the working period. Career path is an HR activity that has the goal of being able to improve and be able to make the best contribution in realizing the company's business goals. Career path strongly supports the effectiveness of individuals, groups and organizations in achieving goals and creating job satisfaction. Therefore, the career path in one company becomes one of the determining factors for job satisfaction and employee performance. In line with that, the results of the Siska Yunanti study (2020) have proven that Career Development has a significant effect on employee performance, and the findings contrast with the results of this study submitted by Prayugo Pratama and Sjahril Effendy Pasaribu (2020) that career development can also prove to have no significant effect on employee performance.
In addition, job satisfaction for workers is a very important factor because the satisfaction obtained will also determine a positive attitude towards work. Feeling satisfied at work can have a positive impact on behavior, such as the level of discipline and morale that tends to increase. Job satisfaction is also related to results, so that if job satisfaction is higher it will cause morale in work. Thus one will more easily achieve high performance. Wake up (2012:327) states that with job satisfaction one can feel whether the work is fun or not to do. Not only that, this job satisfaction has also been proven effective in promoting better employee performance (Eliyana et al., 2019;Muzakki et al., 2019;and Muzakki et al., 2020).

Literature Review Transformational leadership
Leadership is the art of influencing human behavior, the ability to guide people (Arifin 2012:3). One type of leadership style used by a leader is transformational leadership. According to Edison et al (2017: 99) there are five characteristics of transformational leadership, such as; Have a clear strategy. Leaders undertake and have a plan of change and are directed towards the vision, mission and strategy of the organization and communicate well to its members, Care. Leaders have concern for every problem faced by members and motivate and care, stimulating members. Leaders always maintain team cohesiveness and don't want to get caught up in members' thinking, and value differences and beliefs. Leaders value every difference of opinion for a better purpose, and invite all members to respect differences and beliefs. Robbins (2010:263) reveals that a leader can be said to have a transformational leadership spirit if they have charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized attention.

Work competence
Competence is an ability to carry out a job based on skills and knowledge and supported by the work attitude demanded by the job (Wibowo, 2016: 324). Competence lies in the inside of every human being and forever lies in one's personality and can predict behavior and performance broadly in all situations andtasks (job tasks)(Spencer in Moeheriono, 2012: 4). On the other hand, Spencer in Wibowo (2016: 273) explained that competence is formed from five characteristics such as; motives, traits, selfconcepts, knowledge, and skills. To have deep and thorough competencies, the organization should rely on the organizational vision framework it self, because it is a ideology consisting of core values and purposes in the future, which is always dreamed by every organization. So without value and core competence, itwill not thrive on the organization's goals. In addition, the core competence that exists in each organization should have a characteristic trait for the organization itself. Core competence in order to be used effectively, it must certainly be able to answer the challenges of its competitors, called competitive advantage or competitive advantage.

Career path
Career is part of a person's journey and purpose in life. Everyone is entitled and obligated to succeed in achieving a good career, that's his obsession. Definitively, a career is a pattern of workrelated activities and experiences (e.g., job positions, job duties, decisions, and subjective interpretations of work-related events) throughout one's working life (Greenhaus in Marwansyah, 2019:9). Siagian (2012:207) reports that there are several things that can affect a person's career development such as; fair treatment in career, direct superiors' concern, information about various promotional opportunities, interest in promotion, and satisfaction.
Meanwhile, career development indicators according to Sihotang (2007: 213) are divided into several such as; organizational policy, work performance, educational background, training, work experience, loyalty to the organization, and flexibility of getting along and human relationships.

Job satisfaction
Job satisfaction according to Robbins (2014: 170) is a common attitude towards one's work as a difference between the number of rewards that workers receive and the many rewards that are believed to be received. The measure of satisfaction is strongly based on the reality faced and accepted as compensation for the effort and energy provided (Robbins, 2014: 180). Job satisfaction depends on the compatibility between what is expected and reality. Fitri et al., (2020) revealed in his study that job satisfaction is an employee's emotional state that represents their feelings for their work. These feelings indicate a sense of pleasure, unhappiness, satisfaction or dissatisfaction with what they get while working.
Mangkunegara (2016:79) mentions that there are several causes a person can experience satisfaction, namely; Employee factors, namely intelligence (IQ), special skills, age, gender, physical condition, education, work experience, working period, personality, emotions, ways of thinking, perception, and work attitudes. Other factors are work factors, namely the type of work, organizational structure, rank (class), position, quality of supervision, financial guarantee, promotion opportunities, social interaction, and employment relations. On the other hand, Robbins, 2014: 181-182 reveals there are several things that can be a measurement of job satisfaction, namely; Mentally challenging work, supportive working conditions, a decent salary or wage, personality suitability with work, and supportive coworkers.

Employee performance
Performance is the result of a process that refers to and is measured over a period of time based on pre-established terms or agreements (Edison et al 2017:190). In general, performance can be defined as the whole process of working from an individual whose results can be used a foundation to determine whether the individual's work is good or otherwise (Roziqin, 2010: 41). In improving employee performance, several factors are needed that can be supportive, namely; Ability factor, in this case the ability (abilty) of employees consists of potential ability (IQ) above average (IQ 110-120) with adequate education for his position and skilled in doing daily work, then he will more easily achieve the expected performance (Mangkunegara, 2016). Therefore employees need to be placed in jobs that are in accordance with their expertise (the right man in pleace, the man on the right job). In addition, a factor that is no less important is the motivation factor, this factor is seen from the attitude (attitude) of an employee in facing the situation (situation). Motivation is a moving condition of the employee who is directed to achieve organizational goals / work goals. Mental attitude is a mental that encourages an employee to try to achieve maximum work performance. The mental attitude of an employee must be a psychophysically prepared mental attitude (mentally ready, physical, goals, and situations), meaning that an employee must be mentally and physically ready and understand the main goals and work targets to be achieved. Able to take advantage of and create work situations. There are several things that can be a gauge of the performance, namely; quality of work, quantity of work, responsibilities, cooperation, and initiative (Mangkunegara, 2016:75).

Research Methodology
This study uses a quantitative research approach. The sample used and subjected to this study was a permanent employee of PT Bank Pembiayaan Rakyat Syariah (BPRS) Bhakti Sumekar Sumenep with a population of 91 employees. The sampling technique used adopts from Sugiyono (2015: 85) which is a saturated sample technique where the technique of determining samples when all members of the population are used as samples. Furthermore, the study used Partial Least Square/PLS analysis to test seven hypotheses proposed in the study. Each hypothesis will be analyzed using Smart PLS 3.0 software to test relationships between variables. The reason for the selection of this method of analysis is that PLS is a powerful analytical method (Ghozali, 2011: 10), because it is not based on many assumptions. For example, the data should be normally distributed, the sample does not have to be large.

Results
In this study hypothesis testing was analyzed using Partial least square (PLS). In conducting PLS testing there are two important tests, namely outer model testing and inner model testing (Ghozali, 2011). Outer model testing can be done in several ways, namely; convergent validity, construct validity, and composite reliability. This test is done with the intention of knowing the validity and reliability of an instrument on each latent variable. The first test is convergent validity, the results of this test can be seen in the following image:

Figure 1. Outer Model
The loading factor value in the image above has shown that most of the loading factor values have met the rules of thumbs set by Ghozali (2011:22) which is > 0.5 on each indicator. This means that each indicator in this study has been declared statistically valid and can be used in research constructs. Meanwhile, for construct validity testing it is known that the AVE value on each variable in this research analysis model has had a good construct validity value, i.e. the AVE value is greater than 0.5, sequentially is; Transformational leadership (0,717), employ competence (0.506), career path (0.645), job satisfaction (0.563), and employee performance (0.622). In addition, it also has a good discriminant validity value, which is indicated through the acquisition of the value of each indicator in a construct higher than other constructs and collecting on one construct. Furthermore, the reliability test is seen from Cronbach's alpha and Composite reliability values. A construct can be said to be reliable, if it has a Value Cronbach's alpha must > 0.6 and the value of Composite reliability must be > 0.7 (Abdillah 2016: 25). In this study, all constructs in this study had a Cronbach value s alpha > 0.6 and a Composite " reliability value of > 0.7, so it can be said that all constructs are reliable. This can be interpreted that each construct in the research model has internal consistency in the instrument reliability test. Cronbach's alpha and Composite reliability values can be shown in the following The last test is causality testing shown through the results of inner model testing by bootstrapping. The results of bootstrapping testing on this study can be shown in Figure 2 below:

Figure 2. Inner Model PLS
The next test is a hypothesis test, the results of this test can be seen in Table 2 of the following coeficien path sections: In the table above it is known that transformational leadership has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction, with a parameter coefficient value of 0.139. This can be seen from the results of the coefficient path that shows the T-statistical value of 2,421 > 1.96 and the p-value value of 0.004 < 0.05. Transformational leadership has a positive and significant influence on employee performance, with a parameter coefficient value of 0.181. This can be seen from the results of the coefficient path that shows the T-statistic value of 2,953> 1.96 and the value of p-value 0.031< 0.05. Work competence has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction, with a parameter coefficient value of 0.303. This can be seen from the results of the path coefficient that shows the T-statistic value of 2,874> 1.96 and the value of p-value 0.004 < 0.05. Work competence has a positive and significant influence on work competence, with a parameter coefficient value of 0.357. This can be seen from the results of the coefficient path that shows the T-statistical value of 6,874 > 1.96 and the p-value value of 0.000 < 0.05. Career path has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction, with a parameter coefficient value of 0.469. This can be seen from the results of the coefficient path that shows the T-statistic value of 4,048 > 1.96 and a p-value of 0.000 < 0.05. And career levels have a positive and significant influence on employee performance, with a coefficient value of parameters 0. 453. This can be seen from the results of the path coefficient showing the T-statistic value of 6,376> 1.96 and the p-value value of 0,000 < 0.05. job satisfaction has a positive and significant influence on employee performance, with a parameter coefficient value of 0.314. This can be seen from the results of the coefficient path that shows the T-statistic value of 6,072 > 1.96 and the value of p-value 0.000 < 0.05. Thus, overall the hypothesis proposed in this study i.e. hypothesis 1 to hypothesis 7 is supported (accepted).

The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Job Satisfaction
The first study found that transformational leadership has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction. The results of this study reveal that when a leader can communicate goals and provide opportunities for employees to achieve what they want to achieve in their own way, and a leader who can provide positive inspiration for employees by showing a problem that may initially be very difficult for them, to be able to bring out the spirit not only for themselves but also for their team, This can affect employee job satisfaction. Where, with this, employees can feel happy to do a task that is charged to them, especially the task is a challenging task and in accordance with what they expect. Not only that, in the results of this study employees consider that a leader who is able to increase understanding and can stimulate the emergence of new ways of seeing problems, this is also one of the reasons that can cause employees to be satisfied, moreover they believe that they have received bonuses from the organization in accordance with their expected, so that in this case they consider that the return of services they provide has been accommodated properly. by organization.
The results of this study are in line with research conducted by Jameel and Ahmad (2019) and Choi et al. (2016) which revealed that transformational leadership has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction. Their results also offer that policy insights are essential for leaders who seek to improve employee job satisfaction through transformational leadership improvements. Thus, through the improvement of transformational leadership, this can be an effective way to improve employee job satisfaction (Choi et al., 2016 andEliyana et al., 2019).

The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Performance
The results of the second study revealed that transformational leadership has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction. The results of this study revealed that a leader who applies a transformational leadership style, employees believe that they are not only communicating goals and giving authority to their subordinates in achieving what they are. However, the leader can also build good trust and mutual respect, as well as establish good relationships in working with employees or subordinates. It has been believed by employees to promote good employee performance, this is demonstrated by employees when they have initiatives to assist in the better completion of the work or tasks of the organization. In addition, this better performance is also demonstrated through the ability of employees to complete many of the work charged to them even at the same time.
The results of this study are in line with Wang in Indrayanto et all., (2014) and Sugiono et all., (2017) who reported that transformational leaders can increase employee pride and confidence by showing confidence and confidence in subordinates' ability to work optimally in accordance with expectations, and give appreciation for subordinate achievements. In their study also mentioned that this transformational leadership has a positive and significant influence on better employee performance (Iphank and Ardiana, 2017).

Effect of Work Competence on Job Satisfaction
The third study found that job competence has a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction. The results of this study revealed that employees with good work competence that is by mastery of work knowledge can easily complete the work well, supported by the many skills possessed then they can easily and be able to cooperate with other colleagues even in the completion of their work. In addition, it is also believed by them that knowledge and mastery of these skills can support satisfaction in their work. Where, they can happily work because the job they have mastered and believed to be in accordance with their abilities. In addition, the tasks given by the company according to their answers are indeed in accordance with their work ability, so they consider it very easy and not heavy in carrying out the job.
The results of this study, in line with the results of a study conducted by Fitri et all.,(2020) and Saban et all., (2020) reported that competence is an ability to carry out a job based on skills and knowledge and supported by employee work attitudes, which can be one of the important factors in improving employee job satisfaction. The results of their study revealed that job competence has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction.

Effect of Work Competence on Employee Performance
The fourth study found that work competence has a positive and significant influence on employee performance. The results of this study show that employees already have knowledge of how they complete their work well, and also the tasks charged by the company / organization to them are tasks that are relevant and in accordance with the ability of employees. In addition, they believe that they already have skills that support the completion of their work, so it affects the high level of performance of the employee itself. The high level of employee performance in this study is characterized by the ability of employees to complete tasks or work in a timely, thorough, and neat manner. In addition, they always strive to do any tasks and jobs given by their superiors and complete them well, even they are willing to participate in helping other managers in completing their tasks or work. Thus, the results of this study provide important findings that good work competence possessed by employees can have an effect on the high level of employee kineja positively and significantly.  (2019) who reported that high competence will affect the performance displayed by employees, in their research also revealed that the high level of employee competence can positively and significantly affect the high level of employee performance in a company / organization.

The Effect of Career Path on Job Satisfaction
The fifth study found that career levels affect job satisfaction positively and significantly. In the results of this study, employees reported that the career path at the company where they work is currently required based on work performance during their time working in the company. Some of the things that support the achievement of employee career levels are the educational background, work experience, and training that employees have participated in before where this can help in improving the quality of work and employee careers where it will come. In addition, one important thing that also supports in achieving a better career path for employees is employees who have loyalty or loyalty to the organization / company, so all this will affect employee job satisfaction. The job satisfaction felt by employees in this study is that employees feel happy with their tasks because they judge the job challenging and in accordance with their expectations. In addition, employees are also happy to do activities in the organization / company with administrators who can create a harmonious atmosphere with each other.
The results of this study are in line with previous research such as research conducted by Luh Putu and Sagung kartika (2020) and Santoso and Sidik (2019) which revealed that this career path is a formal, planned and organized effort to achieve a balance between employee career needs and job demands in an organization that can affect job satisfaction positively and significantly.

The Impact of Career Path on Employee Performance
The results of the sixth study found that career levels affect employee performance positively and significantly The results of this study findings are known after data processed using the help of SmarPLS3 software and these findings can be revealed that career levels are proven to have a positive and significant influence on employee performance. Thus, the submission of the hypothesis that presents that the career path positively and significantly affects employee performance is accepted, meaning that the higher the employee's career path can affect the level of employee performance that is better in this study. The results of this study reveal that the career path in the company has been determined by the policies of the organization well, where the increase in the career path of these employees has been determined by how well employees perform during their time in the company. In addition, training is also one of the components that can help them in improving the quality of their work and career path in the company for the future. In addition, the level of education is also one of the things that support in and provide opportunities for employees to pursue a better career in the company.
The results of this study are in line with previous research such as research conducted by Made Regita and Ida Bagus (2020) and Suyanto et all, (2018) revealed that career level is an important thing done by the company to achieve the desired employee performance, it can have a positive and significant effect on employee performance.

Effect of Job Satisfaction on Employee Performance
The results of the latest study found that job satisfaction has a positive and significant effect on employee performance. The study found that employees were happy with the tasks assigned to them because the nature of the work had been judged challenging and in accordance with what they expected and in accordance with their abilities. On the one hand, they also feel that they enjoy doing activities in the organizational environment with other coworkers who can create a harmonious atmosphere with each other. No less important is when employees feel that the organization has delivered the remaining results of the effort fairly in accordance with what they expect. All of that has implications for employee job satisfaction that can ultimately improve their performance. The performance of these employees is demonstrated through the completion of work in a timely, thorough, and neat manner, and employees always provide initiatives to assist in carrying out and completing the work or tasks charged by them properly. The results of this study are relevant to some previous research that revealed that when employees have satisfaction in their work then there is a tendency to improve their performance. Waleed Al Ali et, all (2019) and Badrianto and Ekhsan (2020) revealed that job satisfaction can promote better employee performance, in their findings revealed that the direction of relationship of the two constructs is positive and significant (Putri and Ardiana, 2019).

Conclusion and Implication
The results of the studies and analyses described above can be concluded that transformational leadership is proven to have a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction and employee performance. Job competence has been shown to have a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction and employee performance. Career levels are proven to have a positive and significant influence on job satisfaction and employee performance. Furthermore, job satisfaction proved to have a positive and significant influence on employee performance at PT Bank Pembiayaan Rakyat Syariah (BPRS) Bhakti Sumekar Sumenep.
For PT BANK Pembiayaan Rakyat Syariah (BPRS) Bhakti Sumekar Sumenep should pay more attention to employees more in providing motivation to employees. Then it is also necessary to pay attention to the competencies given to employees, in order to have responsibility for their performance. In addition, leaders also need to pay attention to employee work competencies that are related to the knowledge possessed by employees, this is very useful for better job completion for them. On the one hand also, this study can not be separated from the limitations, namely in this study only looked at a few constructs that can affect employee job satisfaction and employee performance, both independent constructs and mediators so that future research is expected to add constructs / variables that may have a greater influence in improving job satisfaction and employee performance.