Servant leadership elevates supervisor-subordinate guanxi: An investigation of psychological safety and organizational identification

Abstract

Although previous research has shown that servant leaders can inspire their subordinates to perform better, few studies have investigated the mechanisms that influence supervisor-subordinate guanxi (SSG). In line with theories of social exchange, conservation of resources, and social identity, this research proposes a moderated mediation framework testing the links among servant leaders, psychological safety, SSG, and organizational identification. The bootstrap findings from 323 hotel staff in China showed that 1) servant leadership directly promotes SSG and psychological safety; 2) psychological safety mediated the relationship between servant leadership and SSG; and 3) subordinates’ positive organizational identification moderated the relationship between psychological safety and SSG. Moreover, the moderated mediation analysis demonstrates that the mediated relationship linking servant leadership with SSG via psychological safety is stronger when subordinates identify closely with their organization. This research sheds light on how servant leaders in the lodging industry can improve SSG.