Executive-Level Volunteers in Jewish Communal Organizations: Their Trust in Executive Professionals as Mediating the Relationship Between Their Motivation to Volunteer and Their Pursuit of Servant Leadership

Abstract

Lay leaders who hold executive-level volunteering positions play a significant role in the operation of Jewish communal organizations and work closely with organizations’ senior administration and professional leaders. This study’s focus was executive-level volunteer practice of servant leadership in relation to volunteers’ motivational function and volunteers’ trust in the executive-level professionals with whom they work closely. Data were collected from 73 executive-level lay leaders in Jewish community organizations in North America. Results show that lay leaders motivated by a mission to help others, as opposed to self-interest, are more inclined to practice servant leadership. Moreover, results show that lay leaders’ trust in their professional colleagues mediates the relationship between lay leaders’ motivation to volunteer and their pursuit of servant leadership. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.