<![CDATA[Transformasi digital dan pergeseran demografi tenaga kerja memicu tantangan besar bagi manajemen industri dalam mempertahankan produktivitas karyawan, di mana dorongan motivasi kerja konvensional kerap berbenturan dengan karakter kepemimpinan manajer muda. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji dan menganalisis pengaruh motivasi kerja terhadap kinerja karyawan dengan gaya kepemimpinan Generasi Z sebagai variabel moderasi. Kebaruan (novelty) penelitian ini terletak pada pengujian interaksi gaya kepemimpinan berbasis karakteristik Generasi Z yang dinilai fleksibel, egaliter, dan berbasis teknologi guna mengevaluasi efektivitasnya dalam memoderasi dorongan kinerja di sektor formal kontemporer. Metode penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif eksplanatori melalui metode survei. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui kuesioner terstruktur yang disebarkan kepada karyawan industri aktif. Teknik penarikan sampel menggunakan metode purposive sampling yang menghasilkan total sampel valid sebanyak 159 responden. Teknik analisis data menggunakan Analisis Regresi Linear Berganda dan Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) berbantuan IBM SPSS Statistics versi 26. Hasil pengujian hipotesis secara parsial menunjukkan bahwa motivasi kerja berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja karyawan (B = 0,878; Sig. = 0,000). Namun, gaya kepemimpinan Generasi Z tidak terbukti memoderasi hubungan pengaruh tersebut (B = -0,846; Sig. = 0,547). Nilai koefisien determinasi (R Square) sebesar 0,380 menunjukkan variasi kinerja karyawan mampu dijelaskan oleh model sebesar 38%. Implikasi praktis penelitian ini menegaskan bahwa pada tingkat operasional, karyawan muda tetap membutuhkan kejelasan instruksi struktural dan regulasi kerja yang pasti dibandingkan fleksibilitas berlebihan, sehingga pihak manajemen perlu mengombinasikan pendekatan kepemimpinan modern dengan tata kelola yang tetap terstruktur demi pemeliharaan kinerja optimal. Digital transformation and shifting workforce demographics pose significant challenges for industrial management in maintaining employee productivity, where conventional work motivation often clashes with the leadership characteristics of young managers. This study aims to examine and analyze the effect of work motivation on employee performance, with the Generation Z leadership style acting as a moderating variable. The novelty of this study lies in testing the interaction of leadership styles based on Generation Z characteristics—which are considered flexible, egalitarian, and technology-driven—to evaluate its effectiveness in moderating performance drivers within the contemporary formal sector. This research method employs a quantitative explanatory approach with a survey method. Data collection was carried out through structured questionnaires distributed to active industrial employees. The sampling technique used purposive sampling, resulting in a total valid sample of 159 respondents. The data analysis techniques applied are Multiple Linear Regression Analysis and Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA) processed through IBM SPSS Statistics version 26 software. Partial hypothesis testing results demonstrate that work motivation has a positive and significant effect on employee performance (B = 0.878; Sig. = 0.000). However, the Generation Z leadership style is not proven to moderate this relationship (B = -0.846; Sig. = 0.547). The coefficient of determination (R Square) of 0.380 indicates that 38% of the variation in employee performance can be explained by the model. The practical implication of this study emphasizes that at the operational level, young employees still require clear structural instructions and certain work regulations rather than excessive flexibility. Therefore, management needs to combine modern leadership approaches with structured governance to maintain optimal performance. ]]>
