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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 12, No. 2
Publication Date: February 25, 2025
DOI:10.14738/assrj.122.18293.
Soehari, T. D., Budiningsih, I., Sari, A., & Supriyanto, E. (2025). A Model of Strengthening the Professionalism of Bank Employees.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 12(2). 144-157.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
A Model of Strengthening the Professionalism of Bank Employees
Tjiptogoro Dinarjo Soehari
Mercu Buana University
Iffah Budiningsih
As Syafi’iyah Islamic University
Alvita Sari
Mercu Buana University
Eko Supriyanto
Bank Indonesia
ABSTRACT
This study aims to find a model for strengthening the professionalism of Bank
employees through human capital, emotional intelligence (EQ), and integrity. The
method employed an explanatory quantitative (survey) with the sampling
technique used purposive sampling of 44 people from the population of
experienced employees/experts about central banks in Indonesia with more than
15 years of work experience. The instruments in this research used questionnaires,
and data analysis uses a correlation, and multi-regression The findings of the study
are: a) the correlation between human capital, emotional intelligence, and integrity
together with the professionalism is positive and very strong (coefficient
correlation R2= 0.904); b) human capital, emotional intelligence, and integrity
make contribution together to the professionalism of bank employees is 90.40%
and the remaining 0.60% by other factors; d) the model of improving
professionalism of bank employees is: Y=0.076 + 0.419 X1+ 0, 314 X2 + 0.263 X3 (Y
= professionalism; X1= human capital; X2 = emotional intelligence; X3 = integrity); e)
the human capital has a higher sensitivity to influence the professionalism than
emotional intelligence and integrity. The results of this research have implications
that employee professional behavior can be built through strengthening the
competence of human resources, emotional intelligence (EQ), and employee
integrity.
Keywords: professionalism, human capital, emotional intelligence, integrity, bank
employees.
INTRODUCTION
Bank Indonesia is a central bank that is committed to continuing to carry out a transformation
agenda in policy and institutional areas as a concrete step to build a professional, accountable,
credible, and transparent central bank Perry Warjiyo [1]. Transformation in the policy area
includes the development of various instruments, frameworks, and infrastructure to maintain
price stability and exchange rate stability, as well as help maintain financial system stability
and promote sustainable economic growth. Transformation in the institutional area is directed
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Soehari, T. D., Budiningsih, I., Sari, A., & Supriyanto, E. (2025). A Model of Strengthening the Professionalism of Bank Employees. Advances in Social
Sciences Research Journal, 12(2). 144-157.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.122.18293
at strengthening organizations and work processes, work culture, and human resources, as well
as digital, whose formulation and implementation are carried out based on efficiency
effectiveness, and compliance. Bank Indonesia's policy is also to continue the transformation of
human resources in a planned, programmatic, and transparent manner to strengthen
leadership with integrity, competence, professionalism, agility to change, and noble behavior.
In the digital era, Bank Indonesia continues to accelerate digital transformation to support
work processes, policies, and institutional development towards the vision of being a leading
central bank; furthermore, to compete among the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), it is
necessary to improve the quality of human resources by strengthening the 'professionalism' of
Bank Indonesia's employees' human resources. Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani [2] on
09/21/2020, stated that the Human Capital Index (HCI) of Indonesia in 2020 according to the
World Bank report, had increased by 0.54, this shows that Indonesia's HCI value in 2020 has
increased compared to Indonesia's HCI value in 2018, which was 0.53. Although there has been
an increase, but the ranking among ASEAN countries is still below Singapore, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. HCI is a World Bank program designed to explain how
health conditions in education can support the productivity of future generations. The World
Bank [3] ranking position of HCI and its components on 87th, but on the Global Human Capital
Index-WEF on 65th, we could conclude that the quality of Indonesia's human resources is still
ranked 6th among ASEAN countries. In order to be able to compete among the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC), so Indonesia needs to improve the quality of human resources by
strengthening the professionalism of human resources through human capital, emotional
intelligence and integrity. This is according to the results of Soehari et al.’s research [4], that
competence and career are important elements in human capital that affect performance,
where performance is a reflection of professional behavior. Furthermore, Soehari et al [5] argue
that human capital policies that focus on training, and competence will have an impact on
improving employee performance, which will affect professionalism. Based on the
phenomenon mentioned above, research on strengthening professionalism through human
capital is essential. The findings of the Center for Psychological Innovation of Pajajaran
University [6] (2020) show that emotional intelligence (EQ) contributes twice as important in
influencing success than IQ. Haryani [7], revealed that the results of the 2022 Integrity
Assessment Survey (SPI) organized by the Corruption Eradication Institution in Indonesia
showed that all Ministries/Institutions/ Governments had decreased compared to 2021, with
a national SPI index value of 71.94. The value of the national SPI index of 71.94 is still not
optimal, so efforts are needed to improve (for example, the SPI index to 80.00 to 90.00) to build
the professionalism of human resources in an institution.
Based on the above findings, human capital, emotional intelligence, and integrity should be
considered to be important factors in efforts to improve the quality of human resource
professionalism in strategic institutions such as the Central Bank. Therefore, strengthening
human capital, emotional intelligence, and integrity to improve the professionalism of human
resources in the Central Bank is crucial. This study aims to determine a mathematical model to
strengthen the professionalism of Bank employees through human capital, emotional
intelligence, and integrity. The expected contribution is the discovery of a regression equation
model that can be used as a policy basis to improve the quality of human resource
professionalism of the Central Bank, which can also be used as a basis for strategies to improve
the quality of human resource professionalism in other institutions.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 12, Issue 02, February-2025
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
LITERATURE REVIEW
Professionalism
Dessler [8], opinion that professionalism is a creativity from employees who have the potential
to provide benefits for the company by providing optimal service. Company employees must
understand how the company operates, including strategic planning, production, and finance,
and marketing. They must be able to participate in the management team to formulate a plan
for how the company responds to pressure in competing. The employees must be able to
capture the meaning of return on investment, payback period, and cost per unit of service,
which is a commonly talked about business language. Hall [9] (2008) stated that
professionalism is a person's ability to set output, both related to services and building a system
to deliver expected results. In this case, it includes managing the business system with
discipline, related to financial performance, the effectiveness of human capital management
related to services to customers, shareholders, etc.
United Nations [10], explain that a person's professionalism is the core value of an institution,
namely the ability to work competently, committed, and calmly which is a significant factor for
all employees of an institution. Furthermore, Melo [11] stated that the professionalism of
employees is reflected in their creativity in coming up with clear ideas for carrying out their
duties to improve their performance to support the success of their institution's business.
Furthermore, Ramadhan [12] explained that professionalism is a systematic work to meet the
needs of community members. A profession must be carried out by people who have
professional abilities following the norms of professionalism, namely caring and having a
commitment to the quality of their work, having technical skills, dedicated to the interests of
the customer community, and sincere to helping others who need it.
Puspitayani and Suartana [13] stated that a profession is a job that in its implementation, can
meet certain requirements, while professionalism is an attribute that an individual has
regardless of whether his job is a profession or not. Professionalism is an attribute based on
behavior, goals, or qualities as a sign of a characteristic or profession of a professional (Kalbers
& Fogarty [14]; Mintz, et al. in Puspitayani and Suartana [15]). Furthermore, Hardjana in
Puspitayani and Suartana [16] stated that professional is a term for someone who carries out
his profession following his expertise. Budiningsih et al [17] explained that professionalism is
the ability of individuals to work with behavior that follows organizational culture, have
adequate competence and information; implement continuous learning; anticipatory, creative,
innovative, and trustworthy character; and have the ability to analyze and draw conclusions
about basic principles and work procedures.
Based on the above explanation, it can be stated that the characteristics of professionalism
include: a) having a strong fighting spirit, which is reflected in perseverance, fortitude, not
easily satisfied, never giving up, and continually improving quality; b) always pursuing perfect
results; c) having integrity to maintain high work effectiveness; d) having meticulousness
followed by a high commitment to producing quality work; e) being proud of their work and
demonstrating personal commitment to the quality of their work, f) striving to understand and
master the scope and workflow of work; g) being capable, agile, skilled, creative and always
taking the initiative to improve the quality of work; h) make conclusions on basic principles
and procedures for the smooth implementation of their duties; being able to analyze the
situation, and i) being reliable and tested in their field of duty.