Advising as Servant Leadership: Investigating Student Satisfaction

Abstract

Student satisfaction with advising is positively linked to first-year student retention and sophomore persistence to their senior year. However, inconsistencies in the advising literature confound conclusions about the most effective advising approach to elicit student satisfaction. Positive links between the servant leadership approach and advising behaviors have been shown, but student satisfaction remains unexamined. We investigate student satisfaction with servant leadership–based advising. Utilizing hierarchical multiple regression analysis, we found positive correlations between servant leadership and student satisfaction with advising. In particular, advisors' altruistic behaviors elicited the greatest impact on student satisfaction. Implications for practice include advancing advising pedagogy and improving advisor selection and professional development.