Servant Leadership, Career, and Life Satisfaction in Higher Education: a Cross-Country Study of Spain, China, and Pakistan

Abstract

Servant leadership has huge relevance in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The study examines the role of servant leadership in improving life satisfaction by exploring its direct and mediated effect through career satisfaction in a cross-country setting. Data were collected from Spain, China, and Pakistan through self-administered surveys.. The hypotheses were tested using SmartPLS-3.2.7. Findings of overall sample revealed that servant leadership affected both career and life satisfaction positively and significantly. These relationships were also found significant in the three samples. The findings also revealed a direct, positive and significant impact of career satisfaction on life satisfaction in the overall and sub-samples. Career satisfaction was identified as significant mediator on the relationship between the servant leadership and life satisfaction in the overall and sub-samples. Implications, limitations, and future research directions are presented.