The Influence of Interpersonal Relationships, Work Experience, and Work Shift System on Barista Performance at PT. XYZ

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Surabaya, East Java— The Influence of Interpersonal Relationships, Work Experience, and Work Shift System on Barista Performance at PT. XYZ. This research was conducted by Hilda Febrianti Sukma and Kustini from the Management Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business, East Java Veteran National Development University (UPN Veteran East Java), in a scientific article published in the East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR) in 2026.

Research conducted by Hilda Febrianti Sukma and Kustini revealed that the quality of relationships between employees and work schedule management has a significant influence on barista performance, while work experience does not show a significant influence in the operational context of PT. XYZ.

Declining performance and challenges of the café industry

This study stems from the phenomenon of declining performance at PT. XYZ, a café company that is growing in Surabaya. The company's internal data shows that sales realization fell from 88.12% in 2022 to 87.68% in 2023, then declined sharply to 69.41% in 2024.

In addition, customer reviews on Google Maps show an increase in complaints related to the cleanliness of the service area and the attitude of employees who are considered unfriendly. This rating decline is a signal that there are internal problems that have a direct impact on customer satisfaction.

In the food and beverage (FnB) industry, baristas play a central role because they interact directly with consumers. When their performance declines, the impact is not only on operations, but also on brand reputation.

Testing three performance determinants

The study involved 42 baristas who all worked in the operational department of PT. XYZ. Data was collected through observation, interviews, documentation, and Google Form-based questionnaires with an assessment scale. The analysis was carried out using the Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) method.

The research team tested three key variables that are thought to affect barista's performance:

  1. Human relations
  2. Work experience
  3. Shift-based work system

Work relationship and shift are the main determinants

The study noted at least three important findings:

  1. Interpersonal relationships have a positive and significant effect on performance.
    The culture of mutual respect between employees is the strongest indicator. However, communication with superiors and coordination between shifts still need to be improved. The lack of routine briefings leads to misinformation related to stocks and work instructions.
  2. The shift work system has the strongest influence on performance.
    The distribution of the number of workers in each shift helps reduce workload and burnout. When the schedule is neatly arranged and the number of teams is adequate, operations become more stable and services are more consistent.
  3. Work experience does not have a significant effect.
    Although some baristas have experience in the field of FnB, this experience is general and not specific to specialty coffee. In addition, companies do not require special technical skills in the recruitment process, so experience is not a performance differentiator.

These findings show that long working hours do not automatically guarantee better performance if they are not supported by a healthy work system and team relationships.

Cross-shift communication is still a challenge

The study also found "shift hopping" practices and the uncertainty of break schedules had an impact on employee sleep quality and stamina. This condition has the potential to reduce service consistency.

According to Sukma and Kustini from UPN Veteran East Java, strengthening cross-shift communication through regular briefings is a strategic step to prevent miscommunication. Complete and well-conveyed information will increase work efficiency and reduce the potential for repeated errors.

Implications for management and business actors

The results of this study send a clear message to café business owners and human resources managers: investing in work systems and team culture is more urgent than simply pursuing experienced candidates.

Some of the strategic steps recommended by the researcher include:

  • Build a culture of open communication between superiors and employees.
  • Establish regular briefings between shifts to ensure continuity of information.
  • Develop a stable and transparent shift schedule.
  • Avoid overly fast or unplanned shift rotations.
  • Ensure a balanced distribution of the number of workers at every operational time.

This approach is considered more effective in maintaining service quality and maintaining customer loyalty in a highly competitive industry.

Wider relevance in the service sector

Although the focus of the research is on baristas at PT. XYZ, these findings are relevant for various service sectors that rely on direct interaction with consumers, such as restaurants, hotels, retail, and healthcare.

This research reinforces the view that internal organizational factors—such as interpersonal relationships and schedule management—are often more decisive than individual variables such as work experience.

Author profile

Hilda Febrianti Sukma- Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jawa Timur. 

Kustini- Universitas Pembangunan Nasional Veteran Jawa Timur. 

Research source

Sukma, H. F., & Kustini. (2026). The Influence of Human Relation, Work Experience and Work Shifts on Barista Performance at PT. XYZ.

East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5 No. 2, pp. 571–580.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i2.17

Official URL : https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr

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