Workload, Work Environment, and Work Motivation Driving Generation Z Job Satisfaction in Indonesia
Keywords:
Job satisfaction, workload, work environment, work motivation, Generation Z, IndonesiaAbstract
The global workforce is experiencing significant demographic transformation as Generation Z increasingly enters professional environments with distinct workplace expectations. Despite substantial research on job satisfaction determinants, empirical evidence reveals inconsistent findings regarding how workload, work environment, and work motivation influence satisfaction outcomes, particularly within Generation Z populations in emerging economy contexts. This study examines the effects of workload, work environment, and work motivation on job satisfaction among Generation Z employees. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from 107 Generation Z employees across diverse industries in South Jakarta, Indonesia, using structured questionnaires analyzed through multiple regression. The findings demonstrate that work environment exhibits the strongest positive influence on job satisfaction, followed by work motivation and workload, with all three predictors collectively explaining substantial variance in satisfaction outcomes. These results extend human resource management theory by validating classical frameworks within Generation Z contexts and provide evidence-based guidance for practitioners designing workload structures, environmental conditions, and motivational systems tailored to emerging generational workforce preferences.
References
A. Books
Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman. ISBN: 978-0-273-01913-8.
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2019). Multivariate data analysis (8th ed.). Cengage Learning. ISBN: 978-1-4737-5654-0.
Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job satisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1297–1349). Rand McNally. ISBN: 978-0-528-62918-4.
Nitisemito, A. S. (1996). Manajemen personalia [Personnel management] (3rd ed.). Ghalia Indonesia. ISBN: 979-450-025-X.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2017). Organizational behavior (17th ed.). Pearson. ISBN: 978-0-13-410398-3.
Sedarmayanti. (2017). Manajemen sumber daya manusia: Reformasi birokrasi dan manajemen pegawai negeri sipil [Human resource management: Bureaucratic reform and civil servant management]. Refika Aditama. ISBN: 978-602-6322-35-7.
Seemiller, C., & Grace, M. (2016). Generation Z goes to college. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 978-1-119-14345-1.
Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences. SAGE Publications. ISBN: 978-0-7619-8183-1.
B. Journal Articles
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The Job Demands–Resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328. https://doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115
Bowling, N. A., Alarcon, G. M., Bragg, C. B., & Hartman, M. J. (2015). A meta-analytic examination of the potential correlates and consequences of workload. Work & Stress, 29(2), 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2015.1033037
Crawford, E. R., LePine, J. A., & Rich, B. L. (2010). Linking job demands and resources to employee engagement and burnout: A theoretical extension and meta-analytic test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(5), 834–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019364
Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16(3), 297–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555
Demerouti, E., Bakker, A. B., Nachreiner, F., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2001). The job demands–resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.3.499
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.322
Gagné, M., Forest, J., Vansteenkiste, M., Crevier-Braud, L., Van den Broeck, A., Aspeli, A. K., et al. (2015). The Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale: Validation evidence in seven languages and nine countries. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24(2), 178–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2013.877892
Humphrey, S. E., Nahrgang, J. D., & Morgeson, F. P. (2007). Integrating motivational, social, and contextual work design features: A meta-analytic summary and theoretical extension of the work design literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(5), 1332–1356. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.5.1332
Kim, H.-Y. (2013). Statistical notes for clinical researchers: Assessing normal distribution (2) using skewness and kurtosis. Restorative Dentistry & Endodontics, 38(1), 52–54. https://doi.org/10.5395/rde.2013.38.1.52
LePine, J. A., Podsakoff, N. P., & LePine, M. A. (2005). A meta-analytic test of the challenge stressor–hindrance stressor framework: An explanation for inconsistent relationships among stressors and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 48(5), 764–775. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2005.18803921
Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0054346
Morgeson, F. P., & Humphrey, S. E. (2006). The Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ): Developing and validating a comprehensive measure for assessing job design and the nature of work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(6), 1321–1339. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.6.1321
O’Brien, R. M. (2007). A caution regarding rules of thumb for variance inflation factors. Quality & Quantity, 41(5), 673–690. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-006-9018-6
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
Podsakoff, N. P., LePine, J. A., & LePine, M. A. (2007). Differential challenge stressor–hindrance stressor relationships with job attitudes, turnover intentions, turnover, and withdrawal behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(2), 438–454. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.2.438
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
Schroth, H. A. (2019). Are you ready for Gen Z in the workplace? California Management Review, 61(3), 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125619841006
Spector, P. E. (1985). Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the Job Satisfaction Survey. American Journal of Community Psychology, 13(6), 693–713. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00929796
Spector, P. E., & Jex, S. M. (1998). Development of four self-report measures of job stressors and strain: Interpersonal conflict at work scale, organizational constraints scale, quantitative workload inventory, and physical symptoms inventory. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(3), 356–367. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.83.3.356
Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
Tett, R. P., & Meyer, J. P. (1993). Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intention, and turnover: Path analyses based on meta-analytic findings. Personnel Psychology, 46(2), 259–293. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1993.tb00874.x
Van den Broeck, A., Ferris, D. L., Chang, C.-H., & Rosen, C. C. (2016). A review of self-determination theory’s basic psychological needs at work. Journal of Management, 42(5), 1195–1229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316632058
C. Reports & Official Statistics
Badan Pusat Statistik Provinsi DKI Jakarta. (2024). Keadaan angkatan kerja Provinsi DKI Jakarta 2023 (Hasil Sakernas Agustus 2023). https://jakarta.bps.go.id/publication.html
Deloitte. (2025). 2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Deloitte Global. https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genzmillennialsurvey.html
Dimock, M. (2019, January 17). Where millennials end and Generation Z begins. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Watriningsih, Diaz Fachri Evran, Yudhistira Adwimurti, Nurma Risa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
