From democratic leadership to member performance: Examining their relationship in student organizations in Surabaya

Estri Maulidya Elok Cahyani (Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Noveliza Swanda (Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Amaliyah Amaliyah (Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Erindah Dimisyqiyani (Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Gagas Gayuh Aji (Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Rizky Amalia Sinulingga (Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia)

Societa: Journal of Society and Change
Vol. 1 No. 2 (2026): Societa: Journal of Society and Change

Student member performance is an important aspect of organizational effectiveness, including the implementation of democratic leadership. This study aimed to examine the relationship between democratic leadership style and the performance of student organization members in Surabaya. A quantitative correlational design was employed, involving 65 students selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation with IBM SPSS Statistics 32. The findings revealed a positive, statistically significant, moderate relationship between democratic leadership style and member performance (r = 0.523; p < 0.001). This indicates that higher levels of democratic leadership tend to be associated with better member performance. The study contributes empirical evidence from student organizations in Surabaya and highlights the importance of shared decision-making, recognition of members’ potential, openness to feedback, and collaboration. However, the correlational design does not establish a causal relationship. Abstrak Kinerja anggota organisasi mahasiswa merupakan aspek penting dalam keberhasilan organisasi, termasuk dalam penerapan gaya kepemimpinan demokratis. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis hubungan antara gaya kepemimpinan demokratis dan kinerja anggota organisasi mahasiswa di Surabaya. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif korelasional dengan melibatkan 65 mahasiswa yang dipilih melalui purposive sampling. Data dianalisis menggunakan korelasi Pearson dengan bantuan IBM SPSS Statistics 32. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan hubungan positif dan signifikan dengan kekuatan sedang antara gaya kepemimpinan demokratis dan kinerja anggota (r = 0,523; p < 0,001). Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa semakin tinggi penerapan gaya kepemimpinan demokratis, semakin tinggi pula kecenderungan kinerja anggota. Penelitian ini memberikan bukti empiris dalam konteks organisasi mahasiswa di Surabaya dan menyoroti pentingnya pengambilan keputusan bersama, penghargaan terhadap potensi anggota, keterbukaan terhadap masukan, serta kerja sama. Namun, desain korelasional tidak membuktikan hubungan sebab-akibat.