The Prospects and Challenges of Adopting Servant-Leadership Philosophy in a Tanzania Public Leadership Context

Abstract

The main objective of the study was to assess the prospects and challenges of adopting Servant Leadership Philosophy (SLP) in a Tanzania public leadership context. A total of 278 respondents; 109 Members of Parliament (MPs), 90 Respondents from the General Public (RGPs) and 79 key informants selected from different constituencies and localities across the country using a non-probability approach of snowball sampling were involved. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis were employed. The primary and secondary data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, observations and documentary review. The key findings revealed that there are many prospects in adopting the principles of SLP in addressing public leadership deficiencies and there are several challenges to be encountered in the due process of adopting this philosophy. Thus, the study recommends, among other things, enhancing the Public Leaders Code of Ethics Act of 1995 and other established ideals for public leaders in Tanzania by adopting the principles of SLP; training public leaders on SLP and including SLP in school curricula topics with a view of grooming patriotic and ethical leaders of the next generation.